1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196 
We are looking for a good, secondhand tractive unit for
Page 153
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
our low-loader. If we purchase from a trader is there any onus on him to have the vehicle tested and plated before offering it for sale ?Also, how can we assess which traders, of the many who advertise secondhand vehicles, offer the most genuine service and vehicles?
A Your questions are difficult to answer ^ specifically but there are a number of points which we can make that may be helpful. First, it is far better to approach a recognized heavy vehicle distributor for secondhand vehicles rather than a small "street corner" type of car dealer who happens to have an odd commercial vehicle for sale. A distributor with a franchise to safeguard is unlikely to soil his reputation by shady dealing.
When buying any used vehicle, however, the onus is on you to satisfy yourself that you are fully aware of the condition of the vehicle in relation to the price you are paying.
If you could persuade a trader to submit a vehicle for testing and plating before you pay, so much the better, but there is certainly no requirement that he should have this done. His liability is only to ensure that the vehicle is in a "roadworthy" condition before he offers it for sale unless he clearly states that the vehicle is sold as scrap or not for use on the road.
A vehicle that has recently been tested and plated will obviously be offered for sale at a higher price than otherwise, but it does suggest that much of the vehicle is in good order and subject to your evaluation of the condition of the engine, gearbox and other internal parts it does offer a fairly good risk.
Finally two points: check the vehicle over thoroughly yourself (or get an engineer to do it) and particularly investigate any claims by the trader that new parts have been fitted, and don't forget that the trader is bound by the Trade Descriptions Act which offers you protection.