While it’s tempting to buy from a private person instead of a second hand dealer when it comes to buying a second hand vehicle at least, there are some reasons why you should consider buying from a second hand car dealer.

Thanks to a legal protection called a statutory warranty, a second hand car dealership cannot knowingly sell you a car that doesn’t meet quality standards. By law, if you buy a car that has a basic operating problem at the time of purchase: a broken axle, cracked engine, non-functioning brakes, etc, you are entitled to legal recourse. If you buy the same car in a private sale you have only the honesty of the seller to fall back on.

Second hand car dealerships have to register with the state government authority, give a statutory warranty and also provide a safety certificate with each second hand car. Private sellers don’t have to do anything, and stories abound of buyers scoring bargain deals, only to realise later that the car was a salvage, had been reported stolen or was not road worthy.

The regulations guiding second hand car dealers, and indeed the selling of second hand goods in general, mean that unlike a private sale, you can make things difficult for the second hand dealer if they don’t adhere to their profession’s code of ethics – simply put, you have more protection.