Car sourcing and pre-purchase inspection: experts' prices
Why an inspection costs less than a mistake
When you buy a used car, the seller knows more about it than you do. Hidden accident damage, repainted panels, a tampered odometer or gearbox trouble are often invisible to the naked eye. A car-sourcing expert checks the car systematically and helps you avoid a purchase you will regret.
On BlaBlaPrice you describe the car you are looking for or have already found, and the experts send offers with prices and a list of checks.
Full sourcing or a one-off inspection
There are two different jobs. In the first, you ask the expert to find a car to your criteria: they shortlist listings, go to viewings and negotiate. In the second, you have found a specific car yourself and only need it checked before you buy. The second is cheaper, the first saves you time. Pick yours and say so in the request, because offers will differ a lot.
What to put in your request
- service — full sourcing or a one-off inspection;
- make and model, for example Hyundai Creta;
- year of manufacture or a range;
- budget for the car — for example, up to R 230,000;
- where the car is — the city or area to search;
- what to check — paint thickness gauge, computer diagnostics, underbody check on a lift, registration and service history, test drive;
- engine and gearbox — petrol 1.5, automatic;
- where the car is from — your own city, another state or an import;
- number of viewings — how many cars need checking.
Example: “I'm looking for a Hyundai Creta, 2018–2020, petrol 1.5, automatic, budget up to R 230,000. I need full sourcing in Durban: paint thickness gauge, computer diagnostics, underbody check on a lift and a check of the registration and service history. No more than 3 viewings.”
What the inspection should include
- Paint thickness measured on every panel, to spot repainting and accident repairs.
- Computer diagnostics of the control units and fault codes, including the engine and gearbox.
- A look underneath on a lift: suspension, leaks, the condition of the body and frame.
- A check of the papers and history, including any loans or hypothecation on the car and the mileage records.
- A test drive: how the engine, gearbox, brakes and steering behave.
For a car from another state or an import, ask how they check its history and any damage before it was brought in.
How to compare offers
Experts reply in chat: what is included, the price or what it depends on, the timeline, the report. BlaBlaPrice compares the offers and shows the best one first, and you can see the reviews next to each expert. Experts can see where they stand among the others and can improve their terms.
Ask whether you will get a written report with photos, whether the expert has their own equipment, and whether they have any link with car sellers, as that can affect how impartial they are. After the purchase you will need registration and re-registration and car insurance. For imports there is car import clearance.
