Just how many times have you come across that insertion while leafing through the Sunday newspaper? “Maruti Zen VXI, 2002, white, lady driven, 3,000 km only, excellent condition, Rs 1.5 lakh only. Call...” And how many times have you been tempted to pick up the phone and find out more about such an attractive offer? But wait a minute. Give it some thought before you dial the number. Second-hand cars are, indeed, second-hand cars. Remember, they have been used ? or abused ? by others before being handed down to you. And it’s best that you know what you’re getting out of the deal before you sign the cheque to grab the keys.

A good checkpoint to start off with are the car papers. Make sure that the registration record of the car, insurance documents, road tax receipts and pollution certificates are in place. If the seller doesn’t have the original documents, check for proper duplicates. Also, take a look at the servicing record of the car, if available, and the extent of insurance claims made in the past. Keep in mind that a car without proper documents could land you in serious trouble.

Try and avoid the open market unless an expert guides you through the deal. It’s a no-obligation zone and once the transaction is over the deal is sealed. However, if you still decide to take your pick from newspaper classifieds, here are a few things to remember.

First, most people selling their cars are not experts, so there are chances of them overestimating the product for sale. “In general, the price of a second-hand car is calculated by knocking off about 20 per cent of a car’s price with every passing year,” says a Delhi-based motor vehicles valuer and expert.

Going by that principle, a Rs 4 lakh car would thus be worth Rs 3,20,000 after a year, Rs 2,56,000 in the second year and so on. “This calculation would continue for about seven or eight years, after which, the price of a car would be minimum,” adds the expert. “But of course, this formula is not valid for premium cars, which have less resale value in the second-hand market.”

Other vehicles, which have less resale value are those that have met with accidents or those from companies which have downed shutters. In the latter case, therefore, you wouldn’t get the spare parts or the privilege of after-sales services. Cannibalism (in this context, fitting parts of other cars into yours for lack of spares) is not an ideal post-purchase solution.

The other problem with the open market is that the seller’s credibility and profile cannot be verified. In most cases, you won’t know if a ‘lady-driven’ (read ‘delicately handled’) car has seen four maniac chauffeurs in half as many years.

Finally, even if it doesn’t leave you with a stolen car or one that has been used for illegal purposes in the past, there is every chance that it will leave you with an oil-guzzler in return for a substantial chunk of your savings.

A good way to avoid such unwarranted hassles is to take your pick from a recognised stable. Several established auto dealers organise car melas these days, where second-hand cars are put up for sale under a recognised banner, along with certain perks like service warranty. Among manufacturers, Maruti has its True Value scheme at all its authorised outlets, where cars bought back from first-hand buyers and serviced by the company are resold to customers at second-hand prices.

A car from one of these lots is a better option in more ways than one. Maruti, for example, only sells those second-hand cars that have gone through a 120-point checklist, based on which the price is determined. “The cars are certified by the company, and the sellers’ backgrounds are verified to save customers any trouble,” says a Maruti official.

“Moreover, cars sold through True Value are covered by free service sessions and warranty that match new cars. This provides customers with the same after-sales support as provided to buyers of new cars.”

Of course, it would mean paying slightly more for the car, since most stables would want to keep a margin for themselves. But considering that you have less to worry about once the deal is sealed, it’s probably worth it.

checkpoints

• Kilometers covered: Check the odometer ? 20,000-25,000 km to the year is considered the upper limit. Avoid a car that has covered more kilometres than that.

• Add-ons: Things such as a new battery, a new set of tyres or a good music system may increase a car’s price. However, they are worth paying for.