Are you wondering if you should buy a car? Or do you already have one, but you’re not sure if it will bring you benefits commensurate with the costs associated with its operation?
We suggest considering the consequences of buying a car for your wallet. Also, the JunkCarsUS team informs you that also we buy junk cars in San Antonio and other cities if you decide to get rid of the extra costs. Let’s move on to consideration.
What Expenses Should You Expect?
The purchase price of the car, some maintenance here and there, liability insurance, and fuel. These are the main expenses inherent in car ownership. But in reality, there are many more. Even a relatively ordinary car will cost you at least a few tens of thousands of crowns a year.
And if you don’t take out quality insurance, theft, vandalism, or natural disaster can also surprise you.
An overview of the costs associated with car ownership:
- Car Insurance,
- Accident Insurance,
- Technical and Emission Control,
- Oil and Oil Filter Changes,
- Air Conditioning Maintenance and Possible Replacement of the Cabin Filter,
- Replacement of the Washer Fluid,
- Tires and Spare Tires,
- Replacement of the Air Filter,
- Purchase of a Road Sign,
- Laundry and Cleaning,
- Parking (Private Garage, Parking Zones, …).
In older cars, sooner or later you can also expect to replace brake pads (or entire brakes), distribution boards, shock absorbers, and other parts of the chassis. More extensive repairs can more than double your normal annual costs.
Defect or accident?
Similar to the difference between a defect and wear and tear, a seller may use the words defect and accident when making a claim. Defects caused by flying rocks are considered – as we mentioned in the article about new car warranties – to be an accident.
If the buyer gets angry at the air conditioner because of a hole in the radiator, it will be difficult to prove that it was already there when he bought it. You will almost certainly learn from the seller that it was created only during use. On the contrary, corrosion of painted parts of a car is quite well advertised.
Keep the confirmation with you at all times
At a traffic check, police officers will ask to see your vehicle documents and will also ask to see your green card. This is just a document and a receipt for the car insurance. The standard validity of this card is one year, and it is now printed on white paper.
Top tip: touch and then drive!
In short, unlike new cars (factory warranty), you can’t expect great miracles from a used car (the seller is responsible for defects). A proper “check” of the car at the beginning will help the most: that is, an independent check at a service center immediately after buying a car at the market or by advertisement.
After all, according to the law, the customer must complain about defects as soon as they are discovered. So, if he drives the car further – and thus increases the damage – the responsibility passes to him.
Compulsory liability insurance: price comparison can be handled by a layman
Comparing compulsory liability insurance prices is a matter of a few minutes. Usually, it is enough to enter some basic information about the policyholder (driver) and the car for which the compulsory insurance is being arranged.
In order to make the comparison of compulsory insurance prices as accurate as possible, many calculators will also require you to enter your personal details (sometimes even your birth number), based on which they will verify the amount of your bonus/minus and the truthfulness of the information you have entered.
You should know: of course, there are also calculators and comparators that can compare the cost of compulsory liability insurance without personal data. However, these calculations are often very inaccurate.
Price comparison: choose compulsory liability insurance based on other parameters
The biggest pitfall of these comparison engines and calculators is the pressure on the resulting price of compulsory insurance. Many drivers choose the cheapest in an attempt to save money, which can backfire badly.
Therefore, when choosing, it is necessary to bet not only on the price, but above all on the scope of insurance protection, covered risks, and the limit of insurance benefits. Remember that in the event of an accident, the driver is obliged to pay for any damage above the agreed limit in the contract out of his own pocket!
Comparing compulsory liability insurance prices is useful if you know how to do it
Compulsory third-party insurance and comparing prices definitely make sense. It not only saves you money but also time. In addition, many insurance companies can offer the driver an interesting discount or a better price if they take out the policy online.
However, to avoid disappointment, don’t pick a third-party insurance policy based on price alone. Pay attention to the extent of the cover and, in particular, to the sufficiently high policy limits.
For each product, you can usually click on the additional information and also on the terms and conditions of your chosen insurer. These also include exclusions on the basis of which the insurer may reduce or even refuse benefits altogether.
The various calculators and online comparisons are therefore not marketing gimmicks, but practical tools that can be great advisors and helpers if you know how to use them.
Fixing, Not Registering = Making Mistakes
A big, but surprisingly common mistake is that the owner starts repairing the broken car. But this is a frankly bad procedure in terms of complaints. A complaint requires that the car remains in its original, i.e., damaged, condition.
The correct scenario is to take the car to a service center for inspection, request a technical report for the market, bring the car there, and focus on writing a complaint report with an accurate description of the malfunction and condition of the car.
From the moment the report is drawn up, a thirty-day period begins, during which the bizarre is obliged to resolve the complaint. If it fails to do so, the buyer may withdraw from the contract. It sounds simple, but it is absolutely necessary to insist on a protocol for a quality collection. If a person allows himself to be picked up only with a confirmation of receipt of the car and a verbal promise of repair, he de facto gives up his rights.