Procedure for buyin used car?

missmatty

Hi guys,

I'm hoping to buy a used car from a garage/dealer soon and have been reading up on the motors section of the citizen's advice website and I'm confused now.

Do you buy it, pay for it and then have to wait a few weeks and leave it there till the change of vehicle ownership thing comes through? Because afaik you can't tax the car till you get that. And you have to insure the car before you tax it. And obviously you're not supposed to drive it if it's not insured and taxed!

I'm just a bit disappointed as I thought it would be nice to bring it home straight away. Maybe someone has some advice, it's my first time buying so I don't know the way things go.

Camo1725

Hey i am going to be collecting my car today, i went to see it saturday and i had to wait for it to be serviced by the garage. But i will be able to collect it today i just have to pay my insurance with a credit card and the garage will give me a slip to put on my windscreen while im waiting for my vat reg number.

patrickc

In general once your car is insured and you have proof you've just bought the car and are waiting for the licence cert to tax it then the gardai should not do you for it. I'd however suggest to not park the car where a traffic warden might give you a ticket.

C.D.

AFAIK, it's a bit of a legal grey area- but everyone I've ever known to have bought a car has got themselves insured and driven off. If you are stopped by any Gardai, a reciept showing you only purchased the car a week ago is usually more sufficient. If you were concerned, you even go as far as to let your local Garda station know about it. Not to mention, no garage will want as car taking up space on their forecourt if its already been sold.

missmatty

Buying it down the country at home (dealer about an hour's drive away) so hopefully shouldn't bump into any guards when taking it home. Thanks for that, I'll get something as proof of when I bought it and call up and insure it on my credit card before i leave the dealer.

But then you've no proof from the Insurance company?

Sorry guys I'm just a bit organised/anal!!

mickjohnlong

once you have your proof of purchase and insurance you should be ok afaik there is a back long in shannon and the books are taking longer to get changed and the gardai know about it i had to get a replacement one for mine as it was lost in post to shannon and when i went to the station i was told that i was the 20th person today to report lost of docs and there were people behind me with the same forms mine were sent down to shannon in oct 06 sorry about the off topic part but to answer your question once your insured and the car is ready to go you can drive away

mickjohnlong

get your policy number off the insurance company when you ring them

patrickc

once you have your insurance policy number to hand if if your stopped, or possibly you can go to the offices of where your getting insured pay there and then they can issue the disk to you, either way you'll be fine once you know your policy number.

missmatty

Thanks Mickjohnlong, that stuff about the delay in the books is good to know too.

Another thing (sorry), I don't know what type of car I'm getting, so I might not have time to ring around or go on the net to get a good insurance quote if i'm hoping to take the car home within a few hours. I'm on a provisional so the aul credit card will be takin a fairly big hit. Would it be better to ring an insurance broker? Or anyone got a better idea?

patrickc

must be certain parts of the country mick, i got mine back in a week (two weeks ago).. why don't you go online in advance and get approximate quotes , I presume you have a rough idea of car, value and engine size your wishing to buy. If your young quinn is often the best for 1st time provisional lady drivers.. get other quotes though too.

mickjohnlong

well that was from dublin i know which part of the country wiil be different as a friend of mine who lives in wicklow sent his and got it back in a week or maybe shannon was just to busy when i sent mine i was only really putting it up so the op would know that it might be more then two weeks to get it i have heard that the garage might give you either the change of ownership forms or the log book and you can go up to your local tax office tax the car and change it into your name and get a book out within three working days

missmatty

thanks everyone!

bazz26

Also get the garage to give you a little note with their letter heading on it stating that the car was purchased from them with the date of purchase and signed by them. Stick this in the windscreen where the tax disc should be. If your stopped by the police at least you can show it to them. It usually takes 2 - 3 weeks for the folks in Shannon to send you out the new Vehicle Licencing Cert.

old boy

you recieve part of a document, which is stamped by the dealer, is signed both by you and the dealer, this is legal for 10 days. by then you should have the log book, then you can tax it, b.t.w. after this you do not need a log book or an n.c.t. cert to tax your vehicle.