If you choose to purchase from a dealer, you will be protected by the Sale of Goods Act. This means that the goods must be of an acceptable standard having regard to their cost, age and advertised description.

Main or franchised dealers can offer a large selection of cars most of which will be nearly new. They will also offer warranty schemes and have what is known as approved used cars. This means that the car has to undergo a number of checks set out by the manufacturer; some have 30 day exchange policies.

Non franchised smaller dealers will offer you a whole range of stock to choose from and may also provide you with a warranty. You will still be protected by the Sale of Goods Act. In some cases you may find that a more personal level of service will be provided.

As an alternative from purchasing from a dealer, there is the private seller, where, with care, you can secure a real bargain. The private seller has no overheads or no legal obligation to prepare the car and will rarely offer a warranty. This should result in lower costs. Buying privately does come with its risks, but don't let it put you off. As long as you make the right checks, buying privately can be more satisfying and financially rewarding than the dealer route; it just takes a little more work.

So you have done your homework and have made a short list of the cars you would consider. Use the search facility in our web site to help you with this. If you like the look of something save it to your "garage"; you can come back to this at any time.

It is well worth remembering not just to choose the car that you think looks good - remember it may have a job to do.

There are lots of factors to consider: manual or auto? diesel or petrol? estate or coupe? The list goes on. We would suggest that you look at your current car and think about what is you like about it and what you don't like; you will soon see what you need from your next car.

Now that you have chosen some cars you would be interested in purchasing, it is time to pick up the telephone. There are some very simple questions that you must ask at this point as it will save you a lot of time in the long run. Also it is worth remembering that a private seller is under no obligation to reveal a car's history; it is down to you as a buyer to find out the information you want. Some dealers will try to pass themselves off as private sellers. This can be easy to spot. When you make the telephone call, ask the seller "is the car still for sale?" If the response is "which one?" this would indicate the seller has other cars for sale and is likely to be a trader and not a private seller. Unscrupulous traders do this to avoid any legal obligations to rectify a problem.

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