Buying Second Hand Car in Kenya: Opting to purchase a second hand car or a used car is not a bad option. You can only stretch as far as your financial muscle but that does not limit you to a lesser quality of that dream car that you have been saving for. What matters is the fact that you got some reliable vehicle that is customized to suit your desires.
However, there are a number of things that people ignore when buying second hand car in Kenya, things that can easily prove to be very costly. In most cases, car sellers prefer selling to clueless, impatient buyers. This maximizes their chances of getting higher returns on the car. Where the car is riddled with faults, this allows the sellers to dispose it safely and with sizable returns. These and more booby traps call for a keen eye when buying a used car. To give you a head start, here are some of the most important things you must consider before making that purchase.
Cost range
Always make sure that you have researched about the car’s resale value. Know its retail price and the price it should go for when sold as a second-hand car. There are a number of reasons why a particular car model doesn’t sell fast. It could be that its spare parts are hard to find. It could also be because a particular part is never durable. Other reasons including technological malfunctioning, gearbox faults, high consumption, and low market demand. This information will help you get a glimpse of what you get once you acquire your prospective ride.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PRICES OF SECOND HAND CAR MODELS IN KENYA
The negotiations
Once you have done proper research on the car’s price, don’t hesitate to renegotiate. Remember you are probably buying a second-hand car because of its price, and so it won’t hurt to try and renegotiate. A second hand car’s price is not cast in stone. If you know what you are doing and show genuine interest, the seller might consider lowering their price. However, you must be reasonable in the figures you table. A car selling at Sh. 600,000 will not be discounted to Sh. 300,000.
Is the car legitimate?
The world of car sales is not without scammers and cons. If you are not careful, a seller might offer you hot air. Or you might end up buying a car they don’t actually own. All this could set you up for legal troubles. You can avoid it by checking the legitimacy of the owner via the Kenya Revenue Authority and the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) website.
On the NTSA website, you will get full details on who owns the vehicles, previous owners, engine cc, vehicle registration number, year of manufacture, and taxes once you conduct a simple vehicle search.
The mechanic
Before you part with your hard earned cash, you should have a car valuer and a trusted mechanic take a look at the car. Bear in mind that the car owner may be selling the car because of faults that are not manageable, faults that will continue to damage the car, or due to previous accident history. These are things he will not disclose to you. But you can smoke them out by having your mechanic take a loo at the vehicle’s condition before making the purchase.
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Test drive the car with your mechanic too and get a feel of how the vehicle will handle when pushed, on tarmac and off road, and the type of figures you will get from the fuel tank..
The purchase
Make sure all the paperwork is done and in the right way. Once you have done proper verification of all the details, the seller should log into the NTSA website, create a profile for you (the new owner) and upload the sales and transfer of ownership documents for processing. You will be alerted once the transfer is complete.
Takeaway
If you are looking for a car, the best step you can take is to start by looking at verified, licensed car selling channels. Take Cheki for example. This platform includes new and used vehicles from trusted sellers. The platform also offers estimated valuation and prices, and guidelines on how to reach the sellers without exposing yourself to scammers. You can explore the platform by CLICKING HERE.
