Buying a car is an important decision. If you need more seats, better fuel efficiency, or just a little run around – the cost alone makes it a big life event.
There’s a lot to consider before buying a car. So, we’ve done some of the thinking for you and come up with some key things to keep in mind.
Let’s get started.
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Payment holidays for loans are an element of life we’ve had to get used to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mortgage companies were quick off the mark to help customers struggling to pay for their homes. But what if you can’t meet car finance payments? Read on to find out what to do.
The young driver walked into the Audi showroom and gazed at the gleaming new cars. They looked a million dollars, but unfortunately the 24-year old driver was unemployed and didn’t expect he’d qualify for a loan to buy a new model. He was wrong.
Within minutes, a salesman says he’s confident that a new Audi A1, worth more than £15,000, could be the young man’s. Spend £215 a month, for 48 months, and he can hit the road. And after a final payment of nearly £7000, the car is his for keeps.
Despite being unemployed, the process of securing a loan to own the car was predicted to be straightforward.
A salesman says not having a job won’t make any difference. He explains: “We drop it down to the finance company, they’ll do a credit check on you. It’s not a case of you not having a job today and having a job tomorrow. We just need to see what the finance company says.”
However, the young man was an undercover reporter for the Daily Mail. He was one of a team that visited 22 dealerships. And the findings were prompted the question: is it too easy to get a car loan? Continue reading
How did you buy your car? If you entered into a finance agreement to help afford the model of your dreams, experts are warning that you could be a victim of the nation’s next potential mis-selling scandal.
Failing to explain the terms and conditions of complicated loan products and the true cost of borrowing could mean thousands of British drivers have been mis-sold finance products. It’s similar to the way payment protection insurance (PPI) was scandalously mis-sold.
Those are the warnings from analysts who allege thousands of drivers on PCP (personal contract purchase) deals may have been sold the loans without having the terms properly explained to them. The fear is they may be unable to keep up payments in an economic slump.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is now investigating the industry. It fears less well-off customers may be paying too much for credit. But its findings won’t be reported until next year. In the meantime, what measures can drivers take to see if they might be affected? Continue reading
The customer thinks he understands what the dealer’s saying but actually he could be about to buy something he doesn’t need
Finance confusion is leading drivers to feel as if they’ve been overcharged or mis-sold products when they buy a car. But that could be about to change.
Dealers selling financial packages are being encouraged to sign up to a new accreditation scheme. This will enable customers to tell instantly whether their dealer has any code of conduct to abide by when selling financial and insurance products. The aim is to stop dealers bamboozling car buyers with confusing jargon to sell them things they may not need.
Smashing this little fella or taking a loan? What’s the best way to finance a car?
Recent rises in new car sales have been fuelled by drivers using finance to buy the car of their dreams. But with so many different types of finance, many motorists are unsure which is best for their needs, and which will prove the most affordable. If you’re one of the majority of car buyers that’s happy to pay a monthly sum for their motoring rather than owning a car outright, it pays to do your homework and compare products, just as you would compare cars. Here we look at the main ways of financing a new car through the pros and cons of each.
The first six months of 2016 have seen a record number of drivers collect the keys to a shiny new car. Car finance has been driving this boom with more than 80 per cent of private buyers using credit to fund their purchase.
For buyers, using car finance is a simple way of enjoying a car they might not be able to own outright. For dealers and manufacturers, the explosion in the popularity of finance means increasing numbers of cars flowing out of showrooms.
However, many consumers don’t realise that it is possible to haggle over how much car finance costs. As we motor towards the September registration change, where around a fifth of the new cars sold this year are expected to leave dealerships, here are some simple steps car buyers can follow to get a better finance deal.
Complaints about car finance increased in 2014, industry experts say (Picture © Financial Ombudsman Service)
As the number of new car sales continues to soar so the number of car finance complaints is increasing. September 2015 will mark the 42nd consecutive month of growth in the UK new car market. But with more than seven out of every 10 new cars bought on a PCP (Personal Contract Purchase), the number of people getting into financial difficulties is also set to rise.
The result is an increase in car finance complaints, the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and Auto Trader claim. They are reporting an 18 per cent rise in complaints relating to Hire Purchase (HP) and PCPs, increasingly popular finance products, explained in this useful guide to car finance from the Money Advice Service. The arrival of the 65-plate registration this week will see 450,000 new cars leaving showrooms across the country. Around 328,000 of those will be bought on finance.