Is buying from a small dealer wise?

We saw a Volkswagen Scirocco for sale online. When we rang the mobile number, the seller said he sells his cars from his home address. I can't find any reviews or even any other cars that he might be selling. How do I find out if he is a legitimate company?

Asked on 4 July 2017 by Kate Drury

Answered by Honest John

He's a home trader. But because he's trading he is subject to the same laws as a franchised dealer with a big, shiny showroom. As long as he has assets (his house), you can enforce your legal rights against him. Obviously makes sense to perform your own My Car Check/HPI/Experian check before parting with any money. Law here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/consumer-rights/

Tags: traders legal advice consumer rights buying and selling hpi consumer advice experian

Dear Honest John,

Please help me choose my next car. I would like it to have:

Select a few terms below

Similar questions

Is there any way to find out why a car was written off?

I plan to buy a Volkswagen Golf 2009 which was a Category D Write off in 2012. The car belongs to a single owner and the full service history and log book is available. The car is currently available at...

My car was registered as a write off after I bought it - what should I do now?

I bought a car in October 2012 from a dealer. At the time, a HPI check showed to us by the trader was clear as was a text we did to carcheck.com. It was an Audi A3 quattro and I paid £15,500. We've come...