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Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: candywhite12 on 09 September 2017, 09:30

Title: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: candywhite12 on 09 September 2017, 09:30
Anyone with any bad experiences when buying under the Das Welt Auto scheme?  Been looking at quite a few secondhand GTIs and Rs (2015-2017, between 5-15k miles), all of which come with 12 month warranty.  Some have been mentioned to be demo cars driven by managers.  Because I am exporting to Cyprus and obviously won't be able to just drive the car back to the dealer in case of any issues I'd like to hear of anything i should be aware of, any red flags etc - not just in terms of the warranty but as a buying transaction in general.  Thanks in advance
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: CocoPops on 09 September 2017, 09:35
I guess it's better than an unknown second hand car.
In theory t should have had a thorough check before going on sale.
I wonder if a Cyprus dealer would be able to verify if a "warranty issue" arose and have the warranty underwriters pay them direct?
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: candywhite12 on 09 September 2017, 09:53
I guess it's better than an unknown second hand car.
In theory t should have had a thorough check before going on sale.
I wonder if a Cyprus dealer would be able to verify if a "warranty issue" arose and have the warranty underwriters pay them direct?

well from what i was told the warranty is a European one so it's still valid and any faults will be covered under it by my local dealer - unlike the UK there's only one in Cyprus  :laugh:
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: Gnasher on 09 September 2017, 10:34
I can vouch that the new car warranty is transferable (I checked but never needed to use it) for when I had mine over in Cyprus.

Got a quick question I'll PM you with...
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: candywhite12 on 09 September 2017, 10:36
I can vouch that the new car warranty is transferable (I checked but never needed to use it) for when I had mine over in Cyprus.

Got a quick question I'll PM you with...

sure go ahead
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: dereks on 09 September 2017, 11:25
Fancy marketing at the end of the day who knows if the cars been ragged before yes the warranty is pretty good but das welt doesn't make it any better than another car look at the checklist it's all standard checks.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: SRGTD on 09 September 2017, 11:45
Fancy marketing at the end of the day who knows if the cars been ragged before yes the warranty is pretty good but das welt doesn't make it any better than another car look at the checklist it's all standard checks.

And I've read on other forums of cars being sold with faults that should have been picked up and rectified under the (142?) Das WeltAuto checklist before being sold but weren't. So some VW dealers aren't being as thorough as they should be in preparing approved used cars for sale.

Always worth asking to see evidence that all the checks have been carried out.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: candywhite12 on 09 September 2017, 12:02
Fancy marketing at the end of the day who knows if the cars been ragged before yes the warranty is pretty good but das welt doesn't make it any better than another car look at the checklist it's all standard checks.

And I've read on other forums of cars being sold with faults that should have been picked up and rectified under the (142?) Das WeltAuto checklist before being sold but weren't. So some VW dealers aren't being as thorough as they should be in preparing approved used cars for sale.

Always worth asking to see evidence that all the checks have been carried out.

Hmm.. a couple cars i've shortlisted, the sales managers insist they are in tip top condition.  Thing is, i'd hate to fly all the way from here to there only to find out they are sh*t.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: CocoPops on 09 September 2017, 12:03
Get a local forum user to precheck them?
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: candywhite12 on 09 September 2017, 12:30
Get a local forum user to precheck them?

not a bad idea at all...  anyone from the leeds area?  Will probably post this as a heading to get more help
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: Pretzel on 09 September 2017, 13:09
You should be able to request a personal video, ask them to include any areas that you have concerns about.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: candywhite12 on 09 September 2017, 13:33
You should be able to request a personal video, ask them to include any areas that you have concerns about.

yeah already sent me that and pointed out by himself a chip mark on the bonnet  :grin: :grin: not the same though as when you inspect the car yourself
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: 2007GTI on 09 September 2017, 13:54
I received a video off a stealer the other day, the video is so compressed it was useless, hard to see anything meaningful. Lots of high res photos not taken in direct sunlight are better. But then nothing is better than standing in front of the car.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: I wanted a GTi on 10 September 2017, 10:06
If you find a car anywhere around the Midlands I'd be more than happy to check it out, test drive and I'm very good at spotting damage and I can send you a 4k video of the car.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: Gnasher on 10 September 2017, 10:25
Same here - anything in Lincolnshire I'll help out with.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: candywhite12 on 10 September 2017, 14:27
Hats off to #Gnasher and #I wanted a GTI, cheers to both.  That's really considerate.  Wouldn't want to impose but if it's no trouble and i end up in any of those areas why not...
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: Watts on 10 September 2017, 17:22
candywhite - I may be able to assist in the West London/Surrey areas. Possibly not with such a high quality video but better than a dealer might.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: dubber36 on 10 September 2017, 17:29
When we went to buy our Mk7, the car we went to see (having done 4000 miles) had an ill fitting rear bumper that was a different shade of white. The salesman said it wasn't and got me to compare it to a similar car that he 100% assured me hadn't been painted. Straight away I pointed out a run in the paint on the rear bumper, to which he had no answer. In the end we bought a car that had done 60miles, but even that had a stone chip on on of the mirrors.

Basically, don't expect perfection. It won't exist.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: candywhite12 on 10 September 2017, 19:10
Basically, don't expect perfection. It won't exist.

so sad yet so true... still, when i go to check on 1-yr old cars that have 10k miles on the clock i kind of expect them to be at least in as good a condition as the one i keep mine in at the same age/mileage...
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: Agreeable Slick on 19 September 2017, 12:59
I can probably get to Leeds if needed (work there mon - fri). Got Vagcom as well so can do a full scan if they let me.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: candywhite12 on 20 September 2017, 18:55
I can probably get to Leeds if needed (work there mon - fri). Got Vagcom as well so can do a full scan if they let me.
cheers mate will let you know if i end up in that area
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: Dr Mike Oxgreen on 22 September 2017, 20:38
I bought my Mk7 GTI from my local VW dealer recently, under the "Das Welt Auto" scheme.  Which apparently means that the car has undergone a 142-point inspection before being put on the forecourt.

The 142 points obviously didn't include making sure that the steering wheel was straight, as it was pointing a few degrees to the right when I test drove the car.  The car felt fine when I drove it, so I asked for an alignment check, with a "before and after" printout before I would commit to buy, which showed that the wheel alignment was (roughly) ok, and this has now been verified by a local specialist while I was within the "30-day no-quibble return" phase of the scheme.

I've always found that, without fail, if you query something technical when buying a used car from a main dealer, they come up with an answer which makes you think that they actually know nothing about cars, and in the case of my recent purchase they didn't have a clue how to interpret the wheel alignment printout.  Even the bloke who did the check.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: I wanted a GTi on 23 September 2017, 08:11
I bought my Mk7 GTI from my local VW dealer recently, under the "Das Welt Auto" scheme.  Which apparently means that the car has undergone a 142-point inspection before being put on the forecourt.

The 142 points obviously didn't include making sure that the steering wheel was straight, as it was pointing a few degrees to the right when I test drove the car.  The car felt fine when I drove it, so I asked for an alignment check, with a "before and after" printout before I would commit to buy, which showed that the wheel alignment was (roughly) ok, and this has now been verified by a local specialist while I was within the "30-day no-quibble return" phase of the scheme.

I've always found that, without fail, if you query something technical when buying a used car from a main dealer, they come up with an answer which makes you think that they actually know nothing about cars, and in the case of my recent purchase they didn't have a clue how to interpret the wheel alignment printout.  Even the bloke who did the check.

I would think that in 90% of cases the dealer knows nothing about the cars they're selling.
Title: Re: any red flags when buying approved used?
Post by: candywhite12 on 23 September 2017, 14:19


I would think that in 90% of cases the dealer knows nothing about the cars they're selling.
[/quote]

not very heartening i have to say...