Guide to Buying a used car in Qatar. A used car, a pre-owned vehicle, or a secondhand car, is a vehicle that has previously had one or more retail owners. Used cars are sold through a variety of outlets, including franchise and independent car dealers, rental car companies, buy here pay here dealerships, leasing offices, auctions, and private party sales. Some car retailers offer “no-haggle prices,” “certified” used cars, and extended service plans or warranties. A car is a necessity in Qatar, thanks to inadequate public transportation. Buying a new car is quite exciting, but not everyone can afford a brand new vehicle. Or maybe you don’t plan to stay long in the country and prefer getting a second-hand car. A car dealership, or vehicle local distribution, is a business that sells new or used cars at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. It can also carry a variety of Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. It employs automobile salespeople to sell their automotive vehicles. It may also provide maintenance services for cars, and employ automotive technicians to stock and sell spare automobile parts and process warranty claims.
Either way, there are quite a few things you need to keep in mind while buying a used vehicle because it is far trickier than choosing a new vehicle.
There are a number of factors to consider and getting the right valuation is tricky. Here are a few things to keep in mind while buying a used car in Qatar.
Check the car during the day
Make sure you set up a meeting to check out the car during the day and not at night. You will probably see any dents or scratches better during the day.
This will also be a great time to test the air-condition of the car, a very important feature if you are driving in this part of the world.
Test drive it
Take the cars you like for a test drive. If you’re an experienced driver, you will be able to detect any obvious problems. Pay more attention to suspension, ease of driving, noises from the engine, steering, brakes and gears.
You’re probably going to be the owner of this car, so feel free to drive it fast (obviously not at death speeds), make quick turns and go over speed breakers.
It will be added advantage if you can test drive on roads you know well. It is important that you feel good about the car before you take it forward any further. You may also consider taking a friend with you during the test drive for a second opinion.
Technical check up
This is the decisive part of you second-hand car purchase. The inspection will and should decide whether you should get this car.
You can take the car to any of the vehicle inspectors located on Salwa Road for advanced checks that may have skipped your attention. They will test the car for engine performance, chassis strength, transmission wear and tear, body paint irregularities and other major technicalities. Thwy will give you an estimate of how much you will end up spending if you bought that car.
If you get a positive report, you may consider buying the vehicle. Buying a used car in Qatar
Negotiate a deal
Once you’ve established that everything is to your satisfaction, negotiate a deal. Be confident of the price of the car when bargaining with the owner or dealership.
Negotiate hard for a discount, but do have an idea about a fair price that you are willing to pay.
However, if the dealer volunteers a discount that is too good to be true, then double check the car. If you suspect that something is wrong with the deal, do not hesitate to withdraw from the deal.
To be sure, you can ask for a accident history from the Traffic department or the car manufacturer (if you have the car’s chassis number). If the car sustained mechanical damages during the accident, you better withdraw from the deal.
Legal procedures
Once you have made up your mind on the car you want to buy, head over to the Traffic department in Madinat Khalifa South (open till 7pm) along with the car owner. Carry your driving license or Qatar ID with you.
The traffic department will ask you to pay QR 200 to change the car registration to your name. Now the car legally belongs to you.
Alternatively, you could used the Metrash 2 app to transfer ownership, given the seller is registered on Metrash 2. The buyer just needs to present his/her original ID and old registration card to get the new registration card.
Getting your used car insured is not a problem if the car has a valid registration. If the car has a valid registration, then the car also has a valid insurance. You may change your insurance company or policy at the end of the term if you wish.
Quick tips
- Look for a car with low mileage
- Look for a car with a longer registration validity (This means his car was recently insured)
- Make sure the car had no major accidents
- Check if any major car parts are replaced with fake parts
- Check the trunk for any missing tools or spare tire
- Check all electricals: lights, headlights, power windows, stereo etc
- Do a thorough test drive on highways and inside the neighbourhood
