What Is Long-distance Car Buying
Are you thinking about long-distance car buying or want to find out more about it? We look at what is long-distance car buying? And why it might be the right option for you.
Long-distance car buying is when those searching for a new or used vehicle find their perfect match several miles away in another region, county, country or other states.
You may find that your local dealership doesn't have the manufacturing model, brand, mileage, cost or warranty that you have been desperately looking for. However, you may discover that 700-odd miles away from your current location is a particular car with the perfect match and has everything you're looking for.
Long-distance buying consists of two methods; click and collect and home delivery. Click and collect systems allow the buyer to purchase their desired vehicle online, travel to the retailer, and drive home in their bought vehicle. On the other hand, home delivery enables buyers to purchase the vehicle they want, and distance selling retailers will deliver it straight to their door or desired location.
All buyers partaking in buying a car long-distance are legally entitled in England to a 14 day return period; after those 14 days are up, they have complete ownership of that vehicle. Upon your car purchase, it is paramount that retailers at dealership services explain the 14-day rule to consumers they have sold to, ensuring they can cancel the purchase if they wish to and get their deposit back.
Click & Collect Online Car Buying
Click and collect allows you to purchase a vehicle or car online and then once it's ready and prepared by the dealers, the buyer will travel down to the dealership or showroom and collect their brand-new car.
Many trading standards experts state that the 14-day return period is a right that buyers cannot legally remove due to a failure to communicate or a disclaimer to cancel the purchase within those days.
Often buyers will perceive that they have 12 months to cancel; however, this is not the case. Retailers displaying click and collect vehicles on their websites must clearly highlight the 14 day right to cancel to understand they are under a limited time-frame.
After purchases, clients must be emailed or called on the phone to explain the fine legally binding details on consumer contracts and distance selling regulations; consumers must not ignore these. If you cancel your purchase in this period, dealers will supply a full refund on the vehicle.
Home Delivery Car Buying
On the other hand, home delivery requires the use of multiple resources that enable vehicles to be dispatched and arrive at the buyer's doorstep or company building.
Compared to click and collect that allows a seller to display a car online, and buyers can go and retrieve it themselves, home delivery gives you the peace of mind that the car will be at your property without the hassle of travelling miles to get it.
In the UK, buyers can travel to collect any pre-purchased vehicle; however, many have work obligations, pets or young children that make it challenging to travel long-distance for a brand-new car. .
Home delivery is another option, whilst you may be charged a delivery fee, it may be cheaper than purchasing money for transport or fuel for the journey there and more manageable than searching for potential childcare whilst you travel. There are many reasons one may prefer home delivery over click and collect; it is simply a matter of preference
Why buy a car from far away?
Let's address one of the most frequent questions people ask; why would you wish to purchase a car from a dealership that is nowhere near your home or property?
There are definitely car dealers within a short few miles of your current location, so why buy a vehicle on the other side of the country, or perhaps in a different country?
Well, it may be that the only car that sufficient car that matches all of your essential criteria is miles away from your area.
More complex versions of the answer may be that dealers outside offered a more competitive price to your local car dealers.
Non-local dealers may have vehicles that they have converted into certified, pre-owned cars that provide a more extended warranty and lower price than what you may receive with a brand-new car.
Sometimes, assessing cars' features and offers can help you save money and everything you want in a new car.
Use the internet
Google and other search engines are fantastic tools for gathering any form of information on your long-distance sales. Such is true when you begin searching for a competent and experienced mechanic to inspect the used car you wish to purchase. You can also research the potential sales tax, the contracts and finance agreements involved and even look for a local insurance agent to assist you through the process.
If you have found your car in a different region or country, you likely do not know any professional mechanics over there that you trust enough to go to your desired dealership and inspect it. We highly recommend doing a Google search and plenty of car research on the best-qualified mechanics nearby your chosen dealership. Once you have found one that is thoroughly trained and has the skills and experience to handle your pre-purchase inspection, you can get into contact with them.
After finding your preferred mechanic and the car you wish to buy, you must begin making arrangements with your dealer to take the vehicle of your choice to the independent mechanic for the inspection. Several dealerships that you come across will often be willing to help move the car to the mechanic's workshop so they can efficiently conduct the necessary inspections, so please don't be afraid to ask them.
Inspect your car
All cars and vehicles you intend to buy must be thoroughly inspected by professional mechanics, regardless of the distance you bought them. The best cars to utilise on the roads comply with all government guidelines, and having an assessment is within the consumer rights; you always want to ensure that the car you buy is fit for the road.
Many franchised dealerships are known for doing a great job reconditioning and inspecting all used cars in their possession. It would help if you asked to see their vehicle's repair and independent inspection records when at any dealership.
Once you have this information, it will give you peace of mind that your vehicle is in safe hands if ever you require any significant repairs, inspections or maintenance in the future.
However, it doesn't hurt to ensure your vehicle receives a completed pre-purchase inspection whilst there or during the online process. Inspections are especially significant for those buying cars or vehicles from much smaller car lots or dealerships that aren't as well known.
Some small businesses are often less willing to share their repair orders with you over the internet, but you should always ask because seeing them can help prove their reliability.
Dealers are always willing to help you with anything you require, as they are trying to get a sale on their products and vehicles. You may find that you don't know how to orchestrate a thorough pre-purchase inspection if you live in London and your dream car is approximately 490 miles away in Ireland? Well, paying and retrieving it is much more straightforward than you think.
How do I get the car from a long distance dealer?
Many people are confused about the buying process of retrieving a car from a long distance dealer and struggle with grasping which is more suitable for their situation. Does the car get shipped to your home or property? Must you go and pick it up from the workshop when it's ready? How do you go about purchasing the car you desire from long-distance dealers and getting them to your household garage?
These factors are primarily a matter of personal preference, alongside the time and money you have in your budget to set aside for such a significant purchase. Long-distance dealers in the business have experienced numerous customers travelling from extreme distances by planes and trains to pick up a brand-new car from a dealer so that they can experience driving it all the way home. Some will even travel several hundred or a thousand miles to pick up their car; it all depends on your dedication to the particular vehicle you're looking for.
A wide range of customers will purchase their desired car from afar and arrange for it to be shipped and delivered to them. There isn't a thrill of driving or travelling hundreds and thousands of miles to drive the car home for many. Some customers find it isn't worth their time to get to the dealership and travel back, or they could have hectic work or home life.
There are several trustworthy companies and sites online that you can visit if you wish to have your car delivered directly to your home. Assess your home and work life, and if you find that you are too busy or life is too hectic, you can have it delivered to you. However, if you prefer to test drive your brand-new vehicle on your journey home, you can collect it yourself.
We hope that this article: What Is Long-distance Car Buying, has provided some useful information for when you decide to transport your classic car.
If you'd like to find out more about Long-distance Car Buying, follow the link below to find out more about our specialist classic car covered transportation service in the UK.