With the ever expanding market of eBay, seemingly anything can be bought from the website with various abnormal items going under the hammer. Some of the recent oddball eBay sales include David Beckham’s TVR, Britney Spears chewing gum and even most recently a Justin Bieber yearbook from his high school years.

With all these sort of sales comes a required level of trust in the seller. How does anybody know that chewing gum was ever near Britneys Spears’ flawless set of teeth, the bottom line is nobody does. With this kind of item finding out that it isn’t genuine isn’t such a problem (aside from the substantial financial loss). However certain products being sold on eBay deserve a warning sticker. One of these sure fire alarm bell items has to be buying a car from an online auction site.

Buying a second hand car can often be a tricky affair, without the idea of having to travel to see it or even buying the car without seeing it. When viewing a car before you purchase you should always check the service records of the car. If these aren’t available this immediately questions the integrity of the vehicle as road worthy, if these are available be sure to look through and check all parts and be wary of repeat repairs in any areas of the car. If these parts have been replaced repeatedly maybe a problem has occurred within the cars mechanics. Be sure to check this closely as the paperwork can often show what the cosmetics of a vehicle hide.

In addition to the service records, be sure to check all exterior body work on the car to check it hasn’t been previously damaged and fixed while damage has been sustained to the mechanics underneath. Subtle changes in paint colours and uneven panelling can often outline an accident has occurred and been hidden. These inconsistencies in body work could unlock the secret of an accident which is not visually obvious which could affect the vehicles performance.

Another area to check is that the vehicles tracking is in line, be sure to try letting go of the wheel on the test drive to see if the car pulls to either side. This kind of sideways movement could cause problems in the future for the cars performance.

Buying a second hand car can often be risky business, taking the sellers word for it simply isn’t a foolproof system and may come back to bite if these simple checks aren’t performed. If you don’t feel confident with performing these checks yourself or wish to have a second opinion, take a friend with you who has a good knowledge of cars and their workings to help you through the process. Although it may seem a lot of work know it can save you time, cost and even danger further down the line.

Second hand car finance is a manageable way to drive away with the car of your dreams, Apply for car credit today.