Teletext Cars
This guide will aim to provide you with some advice and information you will need to make the right choices when buying a second-hand car. This advice is given to help you to buy a used car that is as safe and reliable as a new car - at a fraction of the price.
Before you begin searching for your car, be sure you know what car you want to buy and don't be tempted to make a spur of the moment purchase that you will later regret. Make sure you know the type of car you want and stick to it! Firstly, look at your surroundings, and choose a type of car that suits your needs - measure your garage/ work parking space and be sure the car you choose will fit. Also think of the rest of the family - children/ dogs, and chose a car that is practical and meets their needs too. Also think of your build and shape and make sure that the driver's seat is suitable for your needs, that the steering column adjusts and that you can see out clearly. Also, think carefully about your lifestyle and the job you want your car to do. Do you have any hobbies? i.e. will your car need to tow a caravan or make long journeys on difficult roads - maybe an MPV would suit? Or if your car is for shorter journeys in the city, maybe consider a small hatchback with power steering. Whatever your lifestyle, make sure you choose a car that meets it needs!
Before you begin searching for your car, be sure you know what car you want to buy and don't be tempted to make a spur of the moment purchase that you will later regret. Make sure you know the type of car you want and stick to it! Firstly, look at your surroundings, and choose a type of car that suits your needs - measure your garage/ work parking space and be sure the car you choose will fit.
Also think of the rest of the family - children/ dogs, and chose a car that is practical and meets their needs too. Also think of your build and shape and make sure that the driver's seat is suitable for your needs, that the steering column adjusts and that you can see out clearly. Also, think carefully about your lifestyle and the job you want your car to do.
Do you have any hobbies? i.e. will your car need to tow a caravan or make long journeys on difficult roads - maybe an MPV would suit? Or if your car is for shorter journeys in the city, maybe consider a small hatchback with power steering. Whatever your lifestyle, make sure you choose a car that meets it needs!
If you've got a car to part-exchange, you'll want to get the best price. There are a few simple things to do in order to get the most money for your old car.
The dealer will need:
Motor Insurance is (legally) mandatory for all vehicle owners in the UK. The minimum cover required is 'Third Party Only' (which only covers any third parties in the event of an accident) for any vehicles in use; however any 'off the road' vehicles (ie: vintage cars kept off the road in private lock-ups/garages and NOT in use) are exempt from this rule - though owners may choose some cover, such as 'Fire and Theft Only'. There are two more types of Motor Insurance in addition to these two, the more commonly purchased policies : 'Third Party, Fire and Theft' and 'Comprehensive' - which offers the most protection; to the Insured, listed drivers and all potential third parties.
There are more options for choosing and purchasing Motor Insurance now than ever before. The web has made Insurances of all types easier to search for, compare and acquire. Many web-based brokers also ask for just one application form, which they can then use as your proposal form; minimising the work involved for the consumer. Unfortunately, the presence of the web has also killed off many "high street" Insurance Brokers, especially the smaller, independent businesses, as more and more consumers opt for the convenience of shopping online. Before purchasing Motor Insurance, be aware of all your options. There may still be fully operational Brokers in your area; many consumers feel the benefits of such services once policies have been purchased; such as when/if they should make a claim, preferring the face-to-face service that a broker can offer, always missing when policies are purchased online. For impartial advice, see www.insurancexpert.co.uk. By contrast, you may find a cheaper policy online as several "direct" web-only insurers waive the brokers' fee to benefit the consumer. Make sure, however when purchasing Insurance as with anything, that you read the small print. Choose a long-established reputable company, and time permitting, shop around to compare prices (most High Street brokers will use a plethora of different Insurers and can therefore shop for the best price on your behalf, as well as selecting a policy suited to your own specific needs).
For Teletext Ltd's Insurance page, Click Here
Deciding on where to buy your finance from can often seem very complex, especially as there are so many options available to choose from. Although some people only think of their bank or the dealer for finance, shopping around for a number of quotes from other finance providers can often save you money. Teletext recommend that you compare at least three different options to ensure you secure a good deal - although do not be tempted to apply for a large number of loans as this will damage your credit rating. The most important considerations are that you can afford the monthly repayments and be sure that the repayment plan suits you before agreeing to the loan. When organising the loan for your car, always make sure you are aware of all additional charges and bear in mind that the longer the loan, the greater the total cost. However, opting for a four or five year deal may mean being able to buy a more expensive car, simply because the monthly payments are more manageable. Always ask about the following, before accepting the terms of your loan; the size of any final payment, any extra charges that may be added at the end of the agreement, early settlement charges, plus any added extra's such as payment protection insurance. Also remember to make sure that the rate you are being quoted is the APR, not a flat rate. Please refer to our list of financial terms to make sure you know exactly what you are being charged...
0% Finance: A finance agreement with no interest charges. If you take this finance option on a £10,000 car, you pay back £10,000.
APR: Annual Percentage Rate. A standard method of calculating how much the loan will cost you over the full period of the loan. The APR reflects the total charge for credit and is different to the flat rate. The lower the APR, the cheaper the loan.
Equity: The difference between the value of the car and what you owe on it.
Flat Rate: The monthly interest rate charged. Watch out for flat rates being quoted instead of APRs: the flat rate is not the true cost of the loan and it's usually around half the APR so it sounds cheaper.
Fixed rate: The interest rate charged and/or the monthly payments are fixed throughout the length of the agreement.
Negative Equity: When your car is worth less than your outstanding finance.
Secured Loan: The finance company can repossess the item being financed such as your house or car if you fail to pay the money owing.
Unsecured Loan: The finance company has no security against the loan. PCP: Personal Contract Purchase. A personal finance scheme which defers part of the payment for the car until the end of the loan, when the car is usually traded in. A deposit is usually required upfront, plus a final 'balloon' payment if you wish to own the car at the end of the finance agreement. There are also often additional fees such as an 'option to purchase fee' to be paid before the car is yours.
Residual value (or guaranteed minimum future value): Anticipated value of the car at the end of the finance agreement. Only applicable to PCPs.
Hire Purchase: With hire purchases, the finance provider owns the car, and the customer buys it over the agreed period. With HP, a deposit may be needed, and the finance is generally secured on the car itself. Again, there may be an additional fee to be paid before the car is yours.
Trade Value: What your car is worth in the trade. This will be lower than the retail value of your car as the trade has to allow for mark up on vehicles they sell.
If you have no idea what your credit report shows, you can order a 3-bureau (TRW, Equifax, & TransUnion) credit report from CreditReporting.com. See what's in your report before you speak to any car dealer or financial institution. Many people don't know what's on their credit report, but bear in mind your perspective lenders may have already seen it. Be sure you are aware of what is written about you, and you have the control to correct any information on there that is not true.
Unsecured Loan: Buying a car outright with an unsecured personal loan can be a convenient way of making up your purchase. Unsecured loans are normally repayable on a monthly basis although you can now pay some on a weekly basis at a fixed rate of interest. They are not linked to any security, such as your property, hence the use of the term unsecured. The upshot of this is that the lender will have little option but to sue you to recover their money in the event that you fail to repay the loan in full. Remember to look at the rates closely as some car sales companies will make more out of the loan then they do from the car. This is why they try to pressurise you into taking their finance.
Hire Purchase: If you buy a car on hire purchase, you will only own the car after the majority of the credit has been repaid. There is one other thing to remember with hire purchases - you don't even have to buy the car outright. So long as you have paid at least 50%, you will be able to give the car back and you will owe nothing else.
Personal Lease: This is just a glorified term for renting a car. You will not have to worry about MOT's or repairs as this is all included in the lease agreement and at the end of the lease, you return the car. One important thing to look for is the amount of miles you are restricted to each year so make sure it is enough for your needs. If you go over the mileage you will be charged per mile, and this can be very expensive.
Part Exchange: If you have a car already, give it a good clean inside and out when you go to part exchange it. This makes a large difference to the price the dealer will give you. Most places will part exchange your old car against another vehicle. You are often best trying to sell your car privately first, as you will normally get more for it.
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The vehicle make and model drop down menus lists every make and model that we may have stored in our database at any one time. If the make and model you are seeking results in an unsuccessful search, no vehicles that match the make and model you are seeking currently exist in our database. Try widening your search by changing the price, age & region or leaving some of the filters empty.
At peak operating periods, it may take longer to search our site due to the higher volume of traffic. Searches may also take longer depending on how many results a particular vehicle has. If a search does not complete within fifteen to twenty seconds, please submit the search again.
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Thank you for taking the time to use the Teletext Cars web site. We hope you enjoyed using it and found it useful. Should you need to contact us, please use any of the methods below:
Registered Office:
Motors.co.uk
Units 1-4
West Central 127
Milton Park
Abingdon
Oxfordshire, OX14 4SA
Telephone:
0846 265 6000
Advertising Enquiries:
sales@motors.co.uk
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We also collect information automatically about your visit to our site. This information, which includes demographic data and browsing patterns, is collected via the use of cookies (see below) and session file information.
We use personal information collected via teletextcars.co.uk to:
We currently only keep "sensitive data", as defined by the Data Protection Act 1998 for the explicit purpose of providing initial and renewal car insurance quotations.
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Data Protection
teletextcars.co.uk is wholly owned by Teletext Ltd., which is registered under the 1998 Data Protection Act, ref Z6064260
In this section we will explain the data processing practices of teletextcars.co.uk.
Personal Information - We collect personal information from you either through the use of enquiry and registration forms and each time you email us your details. We also collect information automatically every time you visit our site. This information, which includes demographic data and browsing patterns, is collected via the use of cookies and session file information.
The personal information collected on Teletextcars.co.uk is used for the following purposes...
As defined by the Data Protection Act 1998, we only keep 'sensitive data' for the explicit purpose of providing initial and renewal car insurance quotations.
Use of cookies - We use 'cookies' to identify you when you visit teletextcars.co.uk (members don't have to enter a password every time they visit) and to build up a profile of our regular users.
A cookie is a small piece of information sent by a web server to a web browser, which enables the server to collect information back from the browser. Our use of cookies also allows members to be presented with a personalised version of the site. We will only read cookies from your cookie file placed there through your web browser's interaction with the teletextcars site.
Session files - In order to allow us to personalise the teletextcars site for you, we use session files, along with cookies to track which areas of the site have been of interest to you, and to identify your browsing patters.
We also use information in aggregate form (no individual user is identified) to:
All the information we collect, whether it is personal or from cookies or session files, are made available to our call centre employees so that we may be able to deal with any enquiries you may make regarding the information we hold.
Your control over your personal data - you have complete control over the use of your personal information by teletextcars.
Across the site we use a process whereby you can 'opt in' and 'opt-out' if you do, or do not, wish to receive information about our updates, promotions and competitions. There is also the option to receive promotional information on behalf of other organisations - to receive this information you must complete the appropriate box on each form you use to indicate your preferences. Our site links to other web sites and we are not responsible for their data policies and procedures.
Teletextcars.co.uk is wholly owned by Teletext Ltd., which is registered under the 1998 Data Protection Act, ref Z6064260.
