Buying anything that costs at least a few hundred dollars can be stressful. There are lots of details you need to consider before making such a costly purchase. Especially when it’s a used car that you’ll probably be driving every single day.
There’s always a slight niggle at the back of your mind that you might have overlooked something important before forking over your cash. Redditor u/John-Wilks-Boof shared an amusing story on the r/pettyrevenge subreddit about how he one-upped a dishonest car seller who’d tricked him. Scroll down for the brilliant story. Bored Panda has reached out to the author via Reddit, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from him.
Before you fork over your hard-earned cash for a used car, it's best to make sure that all the documents are in order
Image credits: Paul Sableman (not the actual image)
One guy revealed how he got revenge against a dishonest car seller
Image credits: Andrew Bone (not the actual image)
Image credits: Yan Krukau (not the actual image)
Image credits: John-Wilks-Boof
You should never feel like you're being rushed into buying a car without properly checking it first
The way that the OP handled the entire situation was genius. He realized that he was out $800. However, he ensured that the dishonest car seller would never pull another stunt like that again. There’s nothing like several thousand dollars in tickets and towing bills to get you to rethink your life choices!
However, the entire situation highlights a common concern: that far from everyone trying to sell their car is going to be candid with the truth. Some of them might try to hide issues with the vehicle’s documentation. Others might try to distract you from any technical faults.
If you happen to be completely new to cars, driving, and buying used vehicles, your best bet is to talk to a relative or trusted friend. Ask them if they could tag along for the inspection and test drive. Ask for their honest opinion.
The odds are that they’ll have lots of questions for the seller that would never even have entered your head. They’ll also have an intuitive understanding of how well the car is running (or not) because of their years (or even decades!) of experience behind the wheel.
According to Forbes, you should be realistic about how much you’re willing to spend. You should also consider what car brands are easier and cheaper to maintain.
Some questions that you’ll probably want to ask the seller include how many owners the vehicle has had, whether you can see the service and maintenance records, and whether it has a clean title.
Meanwhile, don’t forget to inquire about the spare tire and other tools, manuals, and the first-aid kit. Do they come with the car? Are they in good shape? While you’re talking to the seller, check the entire car for rust. And, during your test drive, see if the vehicle can drive straight.
Image credits: Antoni Shkraba (not the actual image)
The used car market is absolutely massive in the US
Statista reports that the used light vehicle market in the United States reached a whopping $194.75 billion in the second quarter of 2022.
This just goes to show that many people firmly believe used cars to be far cheaper alternatives to new vehicles. In 2021 alone, 43.1 million used light vehicles were sold in the US.
However, they’re becoming less affordable than they were in the past. Between the first quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022, the average monthly used car loan and lease payments grew by 21.5%. This is a huge increase.
Meanwhile, contrast that to new car loans and leases, which grew by only 10% and 12%, respectively. Choosing used over new cars isn’t the clear go-to decision for some Americans anymore.
Despite this, the market is likely to continue growing by leaps and bounds. Mordor Intelligence estimates that the US used car market should grow to $302.47 billion by 2027.
Image credits: Tom Fisk (not the actual image)
The internet absolutely loved the story. Here's what some readers had to say about the entire car drama
A few folks shared similar stories about buying and selling vehicles
Some people had a few queries for the author
