[ad_1]
Driver Aimee Middleton thinks she’s found the perfect used car, Price is within budget and in good condition.
But all is not as it seems – further investigation reveals the SUV has driven far more kilometres than its odometer suggests, and Britons narrowly avoid buying one Potential money pits on wheels.
decide from leasehold Last fall, after nearly seven years in Dubai, Ms. Middleton, a teacher and triathlete, set her sights on a Mitsubishi Pajero or a Kia Sportage.
With the help of a car consultant, she found a 12-year-old Volkswagen Tiguan that had driven 75,000 kilometers “on time.”
Ms Middleton, 35, said: “I need something with five doors to put my bike in the back.” National.
“We looked at a few cars and I liked that this Tiguan has a panoramic sunroof and decided I wanted it.”
However, before making the deposit, her car specialist did a history check and found that the Volkswagen had actually driven 300,000 km and that its odometer had changed.
Ms Middleton, who lives in Dubai Sports City, said: “The car appears to be in good condition, so their mileage is reasonable.”
“If I bought that car, I’d get nothing, I’d basically throw the money in the trash. Something that could go wrong, dishonesty…I’m relieved.”
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/TLR35HRBGVC65BV5LNG2PDEBBU.jpg)
The specialist who saved Ms Middleton from financial misery and later found another Tiguan for her was Paul Willetts, a six-year-old Tiguan for AED 34,500 ($9,390) that really drove 75,764 km.
Mr. Willetts launched Gemini Automotive Solutions in January 2020 based on his extensive local market knowledge and understanding while working at two of Dubai’s largest automotive retailers.
He helps buyers and sellers navigate potential used car “minefields” to trouble-free vehicles or new owners primarily through personal referrals.
Ms Middleton contacted Mr Willetts after deciding it would be better financially to buy a car, but was wary of “seller tricks”.
“I was renting out knowing I was throwing money down the drain. I really needed to buy because I knew I was going to be here for a few years but didn’t dare to take the first step, she said.”
Mr Willetts, a father-of-one, defines his role as “advising and assisting with all aspects of vehicle ownership” in Dubai and said Gemini was set up to help motorists get a “good deal” when buying or selling a vehicle. experience”.
“Cars are one of the biggest purchases we could possibly make, so why do most people here have such a bad experience looking for their next car?” Mr Willetts said.
“Even more so when sold with all the ‘last price’ fighters and ‘tire kickers’, which make stressful times worse.”
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/6NONANCTCREXJMZWFTBDUSRKBQ.JPG)
Mr Willetts, who lives in Dubai City Square, first envisioned a fee-based service when it was mentioned that they were concerned about having to sell their car before leaving the UAE.
He offered to deal with it, listing the car and selling it for double what the owner expected.
Mr. Willetts has grown his business under the Gemini-Sell label to maximize customer returns and convenience. Meanwhile, Gemini-Buy will help people “buy quality cars at affordable prices in the safest way” for a flat fee of AED 2,500. The business can also handle finances, vehicle inspections, tires and repairs, and registration renewals.
Mr Willetts said buyers wanted a fair deal but were vulnerable to scams as supply shortages pushed up prices for new and used cars.
“People have had countless situations. Many of my friends and clients have had one or two stories of nightmare situations related to cars,” he said.
Five months after moving from Serbia to Dubai to work as a volleyball coach, Mladen Zivanovic thinks he’s gotten a fair car deal.
After deciding to end the car rental, Mr Zivanovic found a Nissan Versa on the market for AED 17,000 through an online platform.
“The seller told me that the car was in very good condition with no accidents and I trusted him,” recalls Mr. Zivanovic of Dubai Hills.
A mechanical investigation into the persistent jingle revealed that the car, from the United States, was written off in an accident and rebuilt using other vehicle parts.
The chassis number confirms this, and the odometer reading of 124,000 shows miles, not kilometers—multiply the distance traveled by a factor of 1.6.
“I’m new to Dubai and started my career and it was like my last money, all my savings,” said Mr Zivanovic, 27.
“So I decided to sell the car to find a solution, but you can’t sell it for the same price.”
That’s when Mr. Zivanovic contacted Mr. Willetts after a friend passed on his phone number.
Mr Willetts helped sell the Nissan to an informed new owner for a steep discount of Dh4,000, although some offered discounts of more than Dh3,000 to Dh4,000.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/HAP37UZULBBWVAGXQVNXA3QG2U.jpg)
Two months later, Mr Willetts helped Mr Zivanovic get a fully checked 5-year-old Ford Fiesta for Dh22,000 for Dh22,000 when the motorist had recovered from the loss And save more cash. Mr Zivanovic said the ordeal was a costly “learning experience”.
Meanwhile, Mr Willetts said “minefield” was an overused but accurate cliché when describing the used car buying process.
“It’s not uncommon for major accident and scrapped vehicles to be repaired and put back on the road for cheap,” Mr Willetts said.
“Equally common are ‘timer’ cars with reduced mileage to further increase dealerships’ pockets… This exposes owners to considerable financial risk and, most importantly, the potentially unsafe vehicle.”
It’s a regular occurrence that major accident and scrapped cars are cheaply repaired and put back on the road
Gemini Automotive Solutions founder Paul Willetts
Lauren Vayro, 27, previously owned a car in her native UK, but has been leasing it since moving to Dubai in 2020.
She wanted to buy but had “a lot of concerns” about buying a reliable, good-value car for herself.
“After hearing about some of my friends’ experiences, I was worried about going to the dealership alone to find a car,” said Ms. Vayro, a teacher who lives in Studio City, Dubai.
“I know very little about cars and I heard that buying a car here can be very complicated.”
At the recommendation of a friend, she contacted Mr. Willetts.
Ms Vayro bought a 92,000km Nissan Juke in March, which was within her “strict budget” of Dh35,000.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/S22U3VG5YRANRJ4FF72OC2QNXU.JPG)
“I definitely feel like I made the right choice. If it wasn’t for his help, I would still use rental. He has helped me a lot and has since helped recommend mechanics and service providers I can trust ,”she says.
At the same time, Gemini is expanding as demand from buyers and sellers grows, and Mr. Willetts also charges fixed fees and commissions above the agreed target price.
“I recently had to hire a staff member to help with the workload because I had a lot of inquiries from people who needed our help,” he said.
“I’ve never advertised anywhere and all the new clients are from past clients, which is great for them and me because once I explain the service, the trust and understanding is there.”
On the one hand, Ms Middleton is glad she called the experts, rather than risking the money alone.
“I feel like I’ve saved money in the long run [and] It’s also stressful in the long run,” she said.
“The whole process will take me longer and I just have to finish it.
“When you make a big purchase like this, you have to decide what’s worth the money, and I’m happy to pay for it [a fee] For that peace of mind. “
Updated: July 8, 2022 5:00AM
[ad_2]
Source link