There's now a way to avoid sleazy used car dealers and their hidden charges

Ask anyone who recently bought a used car and the general consensus is that the experience is far from pleasant.

Never mind mileage tampering (it happens more often than you think), rarely you can find a used car dealer that will sell you a used car at the listed price, and we're not talking about insurance cost.

Enter Carsome and its newly-launched used car platform, which aims to alleviate the sore experience many used car buyers face.

Pricing – What you see is what you pay

While the prospect of shopping for a used car may seem rosy on the surface, the harsh reality kicks in once you ask the dealer for more details, including the price you’re expected to pay.

Often times, the final amount you pay for the car won’t be the advertised price, as used car dealers notorious for excluding hidden ‘processing fees’ from the listed price of their cars. As such, you can expect to pay an additional RM 4,000 to RM 5,000 in 'processing fees' when buying from a used car dealer.

Taking a 2015 Honda City 1.5 E as an example. In Carsome’s used car section, the City is priced at RM 48,500. The price includes:

• 1-year warranty
• Road tax
• Puspakom inspection service and fee
• Ownership transfer service and fee
• Loan application service

The only additional charge here is the insurance, which varies from person to person.

While a similar-aged City listed on other used car platforms go for RM 45,000 to RM 53,000, it is worth noting that these prices do not include the customary 'processing fees'. Add in the 'processing fees' and you’ll be paying a fair bit more than the original listed price, on top of its dubious history. Unless you have the full service record, it's quite likely that the mileage has been tampered.

Condition – Transparency is key

Another plus point of buying a used car from Carsome is its “Carsome Certified” promise, as cars listed on their site have passed their stringent 175-point inspection, ensuring that the car they sell has no major accident, no frame damage, and has not been through a flood.

Carsome also lists the imperfections with each car, noting the damages on the car.

In the case of the City we mentioned earlier, Carsome has compiled a list of fixes they did to the car.

On top of inspecting the interior and exterior of the car, Carsome also conducts a road test of the said car to ensure that everything works well. One of the cars listed had abnormal engine noise and Carsome is transparent with that.

With a used car dealer, you would either need to inspect the car yourself, or entrust a friend that knows how to check it.

Aftersales – Peace-of-mind for the buyer

If everything checks out and you are ready to commit to that particular used car, Carsome also offers a 5-day money-back guarantee. Not happy with that car you just bought? You can swap it for another car or get your money back. Zero hassle.

In addition to that, Carsome also offers a 1-year warranty for every car that leaves its lot.

Carsome will even deliver your new purchase right to your doorstep.

Tough luck getting anything fixed with a used car dealer, as most of them may not entertain you after you leave their lot.

Conclusion – Maybe buying used isn’t so bad after all

Shopping for a used car can be a pain-free and straightforward process, as Carsome shows with its latest solution.

Although the number of cars sold by Carsome isn’t a lot, at least the cars they sell offers much better peace-of-mind than other used car platforms – something that should be enough to convince any potential used car buyer.