Buyers Rights
Buying a ride can sometimes be a daunting and tricky experience. It's always worth taking extra precautions when buying, especially for the first time.
We have readily available a copy of the Street Rides buyers rights for you to use as a back up at any time during your visit.
Private
When buying a car privately you will have far less comeback that when purchasing from a dealer. The legal rights virtually go out the window and the only real obligation for the seller is to describe the car exact to their knowledge.
Unless you have solid evidence that the car you have purchased was faulty before you gained ownership and the seller was aware of the fault before the sale there is nothing legally you can do. A private seller normally states a car as ‘sold as seen’ which means unless you find a problem upon viewing the car it is mechanically sound and working the required standard.
As a buyer there are a few points you can still expect the vehicle to be:
Buying from a Dealer
By the Sale of Goods Act 1979 the Law simply states that a vehicle must be:
A, To the specification as the dealer described to you. You are by law allowed to refuse to buy the car, demand a suitable replacement or even demand a refund if the chosen vehicle doesn’t meet the seller’s described specifications.
B, Of reasonable or satisfactory quality, also considering the vehicle’s age, how much it cost and how it was presented to you in advertising and viewing status. The vehicle sold should be free from serious defects, unless made aware to you otherwise during the sale process.
C, Fit for the desired purpose. When specifying your requirements to the dealer they should be able to provide you a vehicle to suit your needs or otherwise say so. For example if economy is your requirement a 4-litre twin turbo’d V8 engined car is not suitable and you can by law reject the car.
There are some other points that you need to be aware of also:
If you pay for a vehicle to be inspected by an independent vehicle inspector the dealer cannot be held responsible for any faults found on the inspection. The key is to always ask for written statement on the car’s condition form the dealer when purchasing your new vehicle.
If you discover that your vehicle is found to be faulty anytime within 6 months of purchase you can reject it and demand either repair or a replacement vehicle of the same standard. This is unless it causes too much trouble or inconvenience to the seller.
An example of this would be if the vehicle’s repair cost was at a similar cost to a replacement vehicle of the same standard. The other option for a dealer is to offer a significant discount or refund for the vehicle you purchased.
It is now down to the vehicle dealer to prove that the vehicle was of a reasonable standard and up to the expectations required when the vehicle was sold. This will mean that you don’t need an independent vehicle inspection.
If you still feel that your vehicle has a fault you must stop using the car immediately and contact the dealer. You will then need to contact the dealer in writing and confirm the possibility of a fault and any possible evidence or diagnoses symptoms you have found to back this enquiry up.