Purchase guide

Financing, insurance and pre-approval

There are some things you should always look into before purchasing a car. It is of little import if you have already picked the car of your dreams or if you are just sniffing around at Auto Orbis.

You need to know how much money you have to spend, what the insurance costs are and - if you have already found your next car - if there is any outstanding debt in it, and if it has passed the compulsory MOT tests.

Unless you have a money tree growing in the garden, do yourself the favour of comparing several loan offers before making your decision. We recommend that you compare the APR (Annual Percentage Rate). The APR includes the fees, interest and other expenses you pay in connection with raising a loan.

Likewise, it is beneficiary to dig out your insurance papers before buying a car. The individual insurance companies differ in prices - and you have to state the name of the insurance company when you register your new, used car. Tip your insurance company in advance that they will receive a notice from the DVLA/DMV. Please note that it is no longer necessary to hold a physical proof of insurance from the company.

Before travelling the length of the land to view cars, it is prudent and clever to check up on the car’s history and if it has been used as security in connection with a loan. If the vendor has used the car as security and sells the car on to you, the one who has the security option is first in line for the car - and may you wind up with no money and no car. A quick license plate check Link will reveal if the car is put op as security. If you cannot see the license plate in the ad, ask the vendor.

If the car holds a registered outstanding debt, you need to talk to both the vendor and the creditor listed on the document - often, it is a bank or similar. If the creditor believes to be entitled to the car, never pay the vendor directly.

With our license plate checker, you can view the roadworthiness report. Be sure to check if the mileage between vehicle inspections looks realistic as well as the mileage between the latest vehicle inspection and the date of sale. The register also proves if the car has failed an inspection due to e.g. rust or similar.

NB!

Even if a car has just been inspected it does not entail that the car is flawless. The vehicle inspection station focuses solely on determining if the car is legal at the time of the inspection and does not factor in problems with the air condition or similar. It is up to you to make sure everything works.

Request and test drive

If you have limited experience with the car industry, always test-drive a car before you buy it. We recommend you bring along a friend who knows a bit more about cars than you do. You should make sure there is time to test the car in different environments (e.g. highway, motorway and in a town). And do yourself the favour of agreeing on a time for the test drive that provides enough daylight for you to spot any scratches, rust or similar.

In order to be sure you can get a test drive, bring a copy of your driver’s license (and any passenger’s if he/she will also drive the car during the test drive) and your medical card or other documentation as advised by your local legislation. This helps the vendor determine your identity and home address.

To avoid any disappointment in connection with your request, ask the vendor in advance if he/she is willing to negotiate the price if you intend to do so.

Assessing the car

It is always hard to assess the quality of a car if it isn’t what you do for a living. And if you buy with your heart and passion, it is even harder.

That is why we advice that you bring along a petrol-head friend or have a professional look at the car before you sign the contract of sale. It may be pricy to have a used car test done at XX or YY, but it is money well spent.

You can book an hour at an authorised garage where the mechanics usually know the weaknesses in the individual models - and it is often cheaper than the test.

Once you have completed the test drive, you can make a deal with the vendor to buy the car for the price stated, if a check or a used car test doesn’t reveal any problems that the vendor has not previously told you about. This way, you make sure the car is not sold to another buyer before you have had it checked out.

However, there are several things you can examine yourself during the test drive:

Exterior

• Is the car in good nick? Paint, dents, scratches and wear. Get up close and personal.
• Has the windscreen sustained a stone chip? Be thorough and remove any snow or ice from the windshield.
• Do the signals and lights work?
• Can all doors and hatches be opened easily?
• Has the tyres got sufficient tread pattern?
• Is there any rust on the edges of the fenders, doors, panels, etc.? Remember to look under the car.
• Are there any oil stains or similar under the car? If yes, it may suggest something is leaking.
• Are the shock absorbers OK? Push down the corners of the car. If the car wobbles more than once, you are in trouble.

Engine room

• Is the engine room nice and fairly clean, showing no signs of oil leaking from the engine or any white corrosion by the battery terminals?
• Has the car got enough coolant? (If not, it may be due to expensive engine defects.)

Interior

• Has the service manual been filled in and the mileage observed?
• Does the interior look nice and are there any nasty stains, holes or repairs that you will regret having overlooked, after you have bought the car?
• Does safety equipment such as seatbelts, headrests, handbrake, childproof lock and disengagement of airbags for seats with reversed child safety seats work?
• Is the floor wet under the carpets or is there any other sign of dampness?
• Do the seat heating, air condition and other kinds of temperature regulation work?
• Do the loudspeakers and hi-fi work as expected?
• Do any other gear work, e.g. electric mirrors, windows, sunroof, parking sensors, central locking, and windshield heating?

When driving

• Is the car without jarring sounds or vibration at all speeds?
• Is the car without “clonking sounds” when driving on cobbled streets or other uneven surfaces?
• Is the car without backlash and does the car continue to go straight if you let go of the wheel?
• Does the car break evenly without pulling to either side?
• Do the breaks work no later than when the pedal is halfway down?
• Are the transmission and clutch pliant, without jarring sounds and not loose?
• Does the engine sound smooth and healthy when idling and accelerating at a steady pace.

How to check the tread pattern.

Danish legislation prescribes a tread pattern of at least 1, 6 mm, but we recommend 3 mm for summer tyres and 4 mm for winter tyres. The only equipment you need to check the tread pattern is a Danish 2-crown. If you cannot see the heart on the coin, you have plenty of tread. If you can see the whole heart while the coin is inserted in the tread, it is time to change the tyres.

Payment and handover

You no longer have to tote around a big wad of cash when you want to buy a car privately. Usually, the deal can be sealed with an immediate transfer, which most online banking solutions support. When you use immediate transfer, the vendor can see your payment pop up on his/her account at the same time that you get the keys to the car.

As a buyer, we recommend you do the following:

1. Make sure all the relevant documents are in order. The vendor must have the following ready: Vehicle Registration Certificate, all keys, service manual and other items or papers relating to the car. You need to bring id etc. for the immediate transfer, a valid driver’s license, a medical card and a laptop, which is the safest option when transferring money online.
2. Together, you go over the service manual and bill of sale. Use Auto Orbis’ bill of sale to make sure you do not forget anything - and remember to add any specific agreements you have made in the comments section. As a buyer, you should be aware that the car is sold as tried and tested. This means that once you have signed the document, you are responsible for any problems and damages. Once you agree on the content, you can sign the contract. If it is possible to make a copy on site, you can settle for one copy, otherwise you have to fill in and sign two copies.
3. Transfer the purchase price. Log on to your online bank using your laptop and transfer the agreed amount to the vendor. Make sure you choose immediate transfer allowing the vendor to see the money on his/her account before handing over the keys.
4. Re-register the car. You have an average of a couple of weeks to re-register the car. We always recommend that you do it right away. It takes about 5-10 minutes if you use a computer to visit skat.dk. All you need is your NemID and the car’s Vehicle Registration Certificate.
5. Complete the handover. All that is left for you to do now is to celebrate your new car, and get the keys etc., of course.

NB!

Make sure you get all the keys for the car and be sceptical if there are not at least two sets of keys.