11:22 am, March 25, 2013
WOMEN on average make more informed decisions when buying a used car, a report from HPI has suggested.
51 per cent of females consult ‘a family member or friend who knows something about cars’ before they make their purchase, according to HPI, compared with just 27 per cent of men.
It’s no surprise then that the majority of women said they were satisfied with their last used car purchase – with just 35 per cent feeling that they didn’t get a good deal. Men on the other hand were more difficult to please, with 43 per cent suggesting the opposite.
‘The survey suggests that men are more difficult to please, when it comes to used car buying and that they won’t take advice,’ said Nicola Johnson, consumer services manager for HPI.
‘This could be why men are more likely to think they’ve been had, but it also leaves them vulnerable to fraudsters. In contrast, women are eager to take advice and prepare before checking out their options. This clearly helps them make measured decisions and as a result, they are happy with their purchase’
Geographically, it’s Northern Ireland that lead the trend for satisfied customers – 83 per cent of Ulster buyers feeling that they’ve done a good deal. In comparison, 49 per cent of buyers in the East Midlands, and 50 per cent of those in the North East happy with the cars they’ve bought.
HPI also suggests that buyers are still taking risks – with a large number still neglecting to perform even basic checks of the vehicle.
‘Shockingly, 30% of the used car buyers we surveyed did no checks whatsoever when buying a used car,’ added Johnson. ‘Basic checks, including cross referencing paperwork, such as the MOT and the V5 to ensure vehicle and owner details tally, can be enough to cause alarm bells to ring.’
