1. Look who the seller is
Almost at all sites of announcements it is possible to put the filter on the seller: the company or the private trader. Selecting only private ads, you will accurately exclude the salons of official dealers, but second-hand dealers and unofficial salons will most likely pretend to be privates until the last. So we do not relax.
Usually private traders always sign their real name and write it with a capital letter. Redials and “gray” car dealers, as a rule, write “seller”, “owner”, “private person” and so on.
2. Pay attention to the place of inspection
Another indicator is the place of inspection. Private owners always indicate the exact address, or at least the area in which the inspection will take place, or the metro station. Resellers are just limited to the city.
3. Read the description
Resellers and the more so car dealerships write very poorly, without details. This is immediately evident. Their favorite phrases: “The machine is in excellent condition”, “All questions on the phone” and so on. Often second-hand dealers write general information about the model: “An excellent family car, economical, practical, never failed.” Or simply list the options with a comma.
4. Look at the photos
Distinguish the auto show, which pretends to be a private trader, from a real private trader is quite easy on the photos. Motor shows often take pictures of cars on the background of a white wall, against the background of the car service center or their own car dealership. Sometimes even there are photos on the background of the brand-valla.
Also, the dealership will give out a tag on the keys, tires processed by the inkman, removed numbers, crystal clear interior, protective paper on the rugs, washed engine compartment.
And car dealers rarely upload more than seven photos. Moreover, the pictures laid out are made, as a rule, from traditional foreshortenings: front, back, several photos with a three-quarter view, photo of the salon. There will never be detailed photographs of problem areas or any features. This is easily explained by the fact that car dealers simply do not have time to figure out the little things, and the photography is put on stream.
To distinguish second-hand dealers-private traders, who have only one or two cars in turnover, is more difficult. Sometimes it is impossible to do this without calling. Nevertheless, I found for myself such a pattern: if the machine is photographed against the background of refueling, then with a probability of 80% is a second-hand dealer. I do not know why, just an experience. And more: second-hand dealers cover car numbers. And although private traders often do this, the dealers are always painted more accurately.
For example, I made several screenshots of ads, which immediately show that they are from resellers. I want to draw your attention to the fact that conclusions about whether or not an ad-dealer is an ad should be made only on the basis of several signs. If the ad did not bother you or embarrassed you, but you doubt it, it’s time to call.
There are immediately four signs that the announcement from the second-hand dealer:
- Instead of a name it is not clear what.
- Instead of the address of the inspection, just a city is indicated.
- The numbers on the photo are closed with a neat white plate.
- In the description there is no specifics at all, only what can be said about the car at first sight and according to the documents is indicated.
There are two obvious signs that the car is being sold by a second-hand dealer:
- In the field “Seller” is written “on the solaris”. This immediately makes it clear that the reseller has several cars available simultaneously.
- In the seller’s comments again no specifics, no punctuation, almost everything with a small letter. Private owners usually try to accurately draw up ads.
5. Call the phone
Never pull with a bell, do it right away. When I call, I usually say something like “Hello, I’m calling about a car.”
If you specify, about which particular car you are calling, you can immediately hang up: it’s a reseller.
If the ad indicates a woman’s name, for example Natalia, call and intentionally change the name. Start a conversation, for example, like this: “Hello, Olga. I’m calling about the car. ” If the girl does not correct you, then, most likely, it is the operator of the call center of some “gray” car dealership. Although there are exceptions.
And here is another version of the development of events. In the ad as a seller, the man’s name is indicated, and the woman answers the call. She says that she is a sister, wife or daughter, that she can tell about the car, but the owner will come to inspect. Most often this is again a call center operator. To check, ask her when you can call to speak with the owner (with the man who is listed in the ad). If she does not answer you for sure, you can end the conversation.
6. Ask questions
Many for some reason hesitate to ask questions by phone. Do not be shy. The more you learn by phone, the better for you and for the seller (if this, of course, not a second-hand dealer).
Ask specific things. For example, where the inspection was conducted, what was done last time in the car, what problems and jambs are there, what alarm system is installed, what additional options are in the car. Best of all, if you call a lot of ads, write down the answers, so that in person you can check them (so you will have the soil to believe or not trust the seller as a whole).
Be sure to ask whether the owner is talking to you or just an assistant for sale (brother, matchmaker, son, husband, friend, intermediary). About how many owners of the vehicle, whether the original PTS or duplicate is original. Do not hesitate to ask and what is written in the ad.
The importance of this stage is that dealers are talking as if reluctantly. They, as a rule, do not know everything about the car, so they can rarely hear anything specific. Often they say: “Come to the inspection, I’ll tell everything” or “Everything is written in the announcement”.
A privateer will almost always patiently answer all your stupid and trivial questions.
At the same time, many, answering one question, immediately go into details, about which you did not ask: where and what nut they changed, what they said in the car-care center, what kind of oil was poured and so on and so forth. It is with such sellers that we need to agree on a meeting.
