Shopping for a used car, the terms Non VAT qualifying and Gross VAT qualifying will sooner or later show up. These terms are important for company cars; buying a car privately, it is of no importance.

The quality of a gearbox depends highly on the previous owner(s). This means that you can find out what the general condition of a car is by just checking the gearbox. A poorly functioning gearbox can very well mean that the car in general has been treated badly. An important part which you should check in combination with the gearbox is the clutch.

When you are finalising your purchase, a contract will have to be drawn up. The contents of this contract will largely depend on the salesman, providing that you are not interfering with it yourself. It is important that you do not sign a contract without knowing exactly what is in it. So, make sure that all the promises are written down: e.g. when the car is delivered with a fresh MOT, make sure it is written down in the contract.

Have you found a car that ticks all the boxes, then you should try to get a discount on the asking price. Because there is always a margin of profit, between the asking price and the dealers purchase price, it is up to you to negotiate the best possible deal.