PetrolBlog's OCD guide to buying a car

I have literally been inundated with one email asking me for some tips on buying a car on the internet. Over the past few years I have bought and sold nearly 20 cars on eBay and probably the same amount via AutoTrader and the like. And so far, touch wood, I haven't come unstuck. Yes, purchasing a used car 'blind' on eBay is riskier than popping down to your local car dealer to check out a car for yourself, but the same principles of buying still apply. Do your homework, ask lots of questions and filter the good from the bad and the ugly.

Of course, if time and distance allows, you should always view a car before placing a bid online. But there are some things you can check from the comfort of your armchair, before you leave the house. So have a read of PetrolBlog's OCD car buying advice and if you haven't done so already, take a look at PetrolBlog's guide to buying a car on eBay. You'll be rather glad you did as it could save you some embarrassment. Not to mention expense.

In the meantime, see if you're as OCD as we are.

The quality of the ad

Sounds stupid, but you can tell a lot about the car from the way the ad has been written. If you took my advice and clicked on the link above, you'll be an expert already. But in short, if the ad has been well written and offers an informative and insightful guide to the car in question, then the car probably deserves further inspection.

A War and Peace style testimony is probably overkill, but if the seller has taken the time to write a few paragraphs on the car's history and current state, then there's a good chance he or she cares about the car. I tend to click the 'back' button if I see a very short description using RED UPPERCASE TYPE. Especially in Comic Sans.

Dealer plates and sticker

I'll admit to being a little obsessive about this one! The fact is, you can tell a great deal about a car's originality by the dealer sticker in the back window and the same number plates it left the original supplying dealer with. If nothing else, it provides an indication that the car has avoided any major accidents. That's not to say that the absence of dealer stickers and plates suggests the car is a wrong 'un as they may have been removed for genuine reasons. But it's just one of those things I look for in a car.

Number of owners

I tend to look for cars with one or two owners from new. Why? Because it's far easier to trace a car's history that way. If a seller has owned a car for a considerable amount of time, you can ask him or her questions on its history and there's a far greater chance that all the receipts and invoices will have been retained.

Service history

And speaking of receipts and invoices, a good service history is a great indication as to the state of the car. A box file of receipts not only tells you what has been done and when, but if the seller cares enough to keep a history file, there's more chance they will have cared for the car.

Number plate etchings

Remember when these were done?! On my AX GT, the number plate is etched on to literally every piece of glass and plastic. I therefore know that despite being made from tin foil and cardboard, my little Citroën has never been involved in an accident. Obviously this piece of advice only applies to cars of a certain age!

Cigarette lighter

Again, an overly obsessive point, but I always check to see if the cigarette lighter has been used. I'm really not sure why. Perhaps there's less chance of fag burns on the seats or stains on the roof. But whatever, it's definitely a case of OCD!

Stone chips

Once upon a time I would have viewed stone chips as a bad thing. But as time has gone on, I tend to look at them as an indication as to the car's originality. Face it, if a car has reached 100,000 miles and hasn't got a single stone chip on the bonnet, it's a little strange. You start to wonder if the car has been resprayed at some point. Equally, if stone chips have been lovingly touched-in by a caring owner, it's another good sign.

OCD? Me? Well, perhaps.

Photographs

An obvious point perhaps, but a good selection of photographs can reveal a great deal about a car. If a seller has put up a couple of blurred and out of focus photos, then ask for some more. If they decline, then there could be something to hide.

Tyres

Have look at the tyres. If they're a good quality make, then there's a chance that they won't have scrimped when it comes to taking care of the car. Again, it's not a surefire way of proving a car's quality, but when tied into the factors above, it can make all the difference. Besides, a good set of tyres will save you the hassle of changing them when you get the car home.

The seller

Finally, talk to the seller. In the past I have spent up to an hour on the phone to a seller getting to know the history of the car and its condition. In fact, I flew from Devon to Norwich to buy a Focus ST170 on the strength of a conversation I had with the previous owner. It was the same story with my current A6 and old Land Rover. If I find a seller to be vague and evasive, the car isn't for me.

Now I'm not for one minute suggesting that the factors mentioned above will guarantee a perfect car, but they do help. I almost always arrange one-day car insurance when going to view or buy the car as, if nothing else, it allows for a good test drive and the ability to get home. I can sort out an annual car insurance policy when I get home.

And of course, you should use something like an HPI check to see if the car has been written-off or has any outstanding finance left to pay. Plus you'll need to carry out the usual mechanical checks, just to check the car actually runs. But these are normal procedures and simply don't fall into the OCD category.

One final point. If a car happens to display one of the following stickers, please proceed with complete confidence. The vendor is trustworthy, reliable and an all round good egg.

So, do you have any OCD buying tips of your own? Put them on a postcard to the usual address. In the meantime, I need to rush. Some men in white coats have just turned up outside...