20 - Friday, August 5, 1994 - North Shore News

AUTOMOTIVE

Protect yourself when buying a used vehicle

Private sellers are car dealers known as ‘curbsiders’

BUYING A used car can pre- sent some nasty surprises if it turns out there is a hidden mechanical fault or an out- standing lien on the vehicle.

You can protect yourself by tak- ing some simple precautions:

Lien and title search

If you buy a car with an outstand- ing lien (from a previous owner's bank loan, for example), you might beconie liable for repayment of the loan, or the car could be repossessed.

To avoid this unpleasant situa- tion, go in person to a Motor Vehicle Branch office, and provide them with the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number or serial number) of the car you are considering purchasing. The VIN can usually be found on the dri- ver- side dashboard close to the windshield.

-The MVB will perform a lien search and identify any outstanding liens. There is a small fee for this service, but it’s worth it.

Deal with the registered owner

If you're buying from a private seller, make sure you deal with the actual owner of the vehicle.

Some private sellers are really car deafers known as “‘curbsiders.”” These individuals sell many vehicles without holding a dealer's license, and they may prompt you to misrep- resent information on the tvansfer

Greg Wilson

AUTOMOTION

form, such as any provincial sales taxes due. To be sure you're dealing with the registered owner, ask to see the seller's driver's license and match the name to the vehicle's reg- istration pupers.

Determining the value

To get a reasonably good idea of what a car is worth, check out the vehicle's value in the Sanford Evans Gold Book of Used Car Prices, available at your local library. If you're taking out a loan to buy the car, your bank manager might even let you look at the Black Book, the most authoritative guide to used vehicle prices. The BCAA also

MORE

offers used car values to their mem- bers by phoning 298-2122.

Purchasing costs

It's a good idea to add up all the

costs of buying a used car before falling head over heels for that expensive red convertible,

Over and above the actual pur- chase price, there's 7% sales tax. 7% GST (if buying from a dealer), insur- ance, registration fee, interest pay- ments on a loan, mechanical inspec- tion fees and possibly extended war-

ies and dealer documentation s a good idea to keep some money in reserve for unexpected repairs, too.

Sales agreement

When you purchase a car through adeater, you wil! have to sign a “Conditional Sales Agreement,” 4 legal document which states the con- ditions of the sale, including the full purchase price, description of the vehicle, terms of payment, trade-in allowance if applicable, any warran- ty agreed upon, and repairs agreed to by both parties.

Read the agreement in its entire- ty, cross out any blank spaces, and get a copy for yourself.

When buying trom a private sell- er, it’s a good idea to complete a simple sales agreement after check- ing the title and liens, A sample sales agreement is in the BCAA’s Guide

See Legal page 24

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