The consumer has all the tools at his disposal to make a good purchase. However, he still uses them too rarely. In a market where supply is struggling to meet demand, he now feels so rushed that he forgets the most basic checks.
Posted at 11:45 a.m.
The sellers have it easy: “It will be you, or someone else. The perfect answer so you don’t have to submit to a technical inspection, face too specific questions or negotiate the price.
This eagerness to conclude the transaction at a run sometimes invites the consumer to take imprudent shortcuts. Like visiting the dream vehicle at nightfall, when it will be impossible for him to see the real state of the bodywork. Even less to check the proper functioning of the various accessories. At most he will manage to fly over the mechanical parts and structural elements using a flashlight.
sticks in the wheels
“Friendly reminder, another interested customer should show up within 30 minutes,” the salesman politely says. But he does not remember the last maintenance done on the vehicle. And the test drive? Any excuse is good (burnt headlight, not enough gas in the tank, dead battery, etc.) to limit yourself “around the block”. Far from the 10 km (a minimum) necessary to evaluate the performance of a vehicle on various routes.
Constraints that do not give time to check whether the vehicle is subject to a right of pledge with the Register of Personal and Movable Real Rights (RDPRM). Even less know its history by getting a report from Carfax. Take it or leave it !
“I gave up more than once,” says Julie Rocheleau, before finding the van of her dreams.
The buying process is like a race against time. You must arrive first and above all not ask too many questions.
Julie Rocheleau, who recently purchased a vehicle
“Several opportunities have slipped through my fingers, but on second thought, it’s better this way. I was not confident, I felt pushed around. »
PHOTO ANDRÉ PICHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
An inspection costs a hundred dollars. But the game is worth the candle.
The good gestures
Such pressures call for the greatest caution. In the case of a used vehicle, even recent and guaranteed, a mechanical check is required. The idea is to obtain the point of view of a neutral and competent technician. Such an inspection costs about a hundred dollars. In return, this one will provide you with a detailed written report on the little secrets of your future (?) conquest. From the tightness of the hoses to the wear of the brake pads and the condition of the steering billets. The technician might have a lot to tell you.
Time is running out and new entrepreneurs have understood this by creating mobile verification units. Known as Kiwiz, this organization brings together qualified technicians able to inspect the desired vehicle within 48 hours, both at a private individual’s home and at a merchant’s. A service that comes with a detailed health check with the potential cost of repairs and maintenance to be carried out. All this, accompanied by pertinent observations.
Consumers can also do business with the network of garages recommended by organizations such as the Automobile Protection Association (APA) or the CAA-Quebec automobile club. Always useful if a trusted technician is not in your address book.