Pre-purchase vehicle inspection

FAQ

WHEN CAN I BOOK THE PRE-PURCHASE CAR INSPECTION?
You can book the pre-purchase car inspection as soon as you found the perfect car and have received the permission from the seller to carry out the inspection.
CAN I BOOK SAME DAY PRE-PURCHASE CAR INSPECTION?
Sometimes it may be possible to arrange a same day inspection, depending on the mechanics’ availability but please note that we require 24 hours' notice to cancel or amend the booking without penalty charges. Please refer to the booking policy for the full breakdown.
DO I NEED THE PERMISSION FROM THE SELLER?
Yes, you need to ask the seller for the permission to inspect the car. The seller must consent to the mechanic inspecting the car, carrying out a road test and a diagnostic check.
WHAT IF THE SELLER DECLINES THE PRE-PURCHASE CAR INSPECTION?
The seller has no obligation to allow the inspection, but we would advise to be cautious when considering buying a used car from such sellers. If the seller has nothing to hide, then there should be no issues with allowing an independent car inspection.
DO I NEED TO BE PRESENT AT THE PRE-PURCHASE CAR INSPECTION?
You do not have to be present at the car inspection. In fact, you can be in a completely different part of the city or even country. Once the car inspection is completed you will receive a notification with a link to the full report. You will be given an option to instruct the mechanic to negotiate the price of the car on your behalf.
HOW DOES THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS WORK?
Once the car inspection has been completed, you will receive the Inspection Report from the mechanic. If you are happy with the Inspection Report, you can confidently proceed with your used car purchase. If the Inspection Report has identified issues with the vehicle which have not been reflected in the asking price, you can instruct the mechanic to negotiate the price of the vehicle with the seller.
HOW LONG DOES THE PRE-PURCHASE CAR INSPECTION TAKE?
The inspection usually takes between 60-90 minutes.
DOES THE PRE-PURCHASE CAR INSPECTION COME WITH A WARRANTY?
Our pre-purchase inspections do not come with a warranty. If they did, then it would make them prohibitively expensive. Our job is to inform you about the potential faults and upcoming repairs and prevent you from overpaying.
DO I PAY FOR THE PRE-PURCHASE CAR INSPECTION UPFRONT?
You won’t be charged until the car inspection is completed. We pre-authorise the amount at the time of booking. The amount will be shown as “Pending”. The funds are only released once the full inspection is done and you have received your report.
DO YOU USE A SECURE PAYMENT SYSTEM?
Yes, absolutely! We use a secure payment processor - Stripe. It is a well-known, established, and secure global payment provider. Stripe payments are PCI DSS1, PSD2 and SCA compliant.
HOW MUCH DOES THE PRE-PURSCHASE INSPECTION COST?
All pre-purchase inspections at My Car Inspectors cost a fixed fee of £ 60.00.
If the Mechanic is successful in negotiating a reduction to the purchase price of the vehicle, the Mechanic is entitled to a success fee. The success fee is a variable charge, amounting to 20% of the cash amount you save following the negotiation. The calculation of the success fee is set out below:
Success Fee = (Original Vehicle Sales Price – Final Vehicle Sales Price) x 20%
DO I NEED A RAMP FOR THE PRE-PURCHASE CAR INSPECTION?
No. Our inspectors can carry out the car inspection roadside. Anywhere where you can park a car is suitable if it is on a flat, solid surface and allows to open all doors and to inspect the car from all sides.
DO YOU HAVE VEHICLE MAKE SPECIALISTS AT MY CAR INSPECTORS?
All our mechanics can inspect any car make. If you are looking for a specific make specialist, please check the mechanic’s specialisation in their profile.
WHY ARE MY CAR INSPECTORS’ PRICES SO COMPETITIVE?
My Car Inspectors has taken proven, accessible technology and applied it to the used car sales market. This simple model of connecting customers and mechanics is efficient and does not require expensive overheads. This allows us to deliver the savings directly to the customers and increase the earnings of mechanics at the same time.
DO YOU COVER MY AREA?
We operate UK-wide. If you do not see any mechanics in your area, please let one of our agents know and we will do our best to find you one.
WHY CHOOSE MY CAR INSPECTORS?
My Car Inspectors is the most affordable pre-purchase car inspection provider in the UK today. We provide no-frills, quality service. We help you buy your dream car at the best possible price thanks to our unique negotiation feature that incentivises mechanics to get higher price reduction than the buyer can themselves.
CAN I AMEND OR CANCEL BOOKING?
You can cancel or reschedule a booking without charge up to 24 hours before the scheduled inspection date/time. If you cancel or reschedule a booking less than 24 but more than 3 hours before the scheduled inspection time you will be charged £40.
If you cancel or reschedule a booking less than 3 hours before the scheduled inspection time you will be charged £60.
WHY CHOOSE MY CAR INSPECTORS?
My Car Inspectors is the most affordable pre-purchase car inspection provider in the UK today. We provide no-frills, quality service. We help you buy your dream car at the best possible price thanks to our unique negotiation feature that incentivises mechanics to get higher price reduction than the buyer can themselves.
CAN I CONTACT MECHANIC AFTER BOOKING IS CONFIRMED?
Yes. Once the booking is confirmed you will be able to contact the mechanic via the app.
WHAT IS THE BOOKING PROCESS?
To book a pre-purchase car inspection you need to download My Car Inspectors App and sign up as a customer. After the registration you can search the mechanics in your area by entering the details and the location of the car you wish to inspect. Then send a request to a mechanic of your choice with the proposed date and time. Once mechanic has agreed on the date and time you will submit the payment details to secure your booking. You won't be charged until the inspection has been carried out.
I HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY BOOKING CONFIRMATION.
Please check you spam or junk folder. The inspection booking status is also displayed in the app.
CAN I GET A REFUND?
Once the pre-purchase car inspection has been carried out and you have received your car inspection report we will not be able to issue a refund.
If you are requesting a refund for any other reason, please contact us to discuss the matter.
DO YOUR INSPECTORS CARRY ID?
Yes, they do. Please feel free to ask the inspector to validate their identity.
THE INSPECTOR DID NOT TURN UP, WHAT CAN I DO?
Please contact us if this happens.
IS INSPECTOR ALLOWED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE?
Yes, all our inspectors are insured to test drive the vehicle, but you must ensure that you have the consent from the seller.
WHAT IF I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH INSPECTION?
All our inspectors are fully qualified and experienced mechanics and would carry the pre-purchase car inspection to the same high standard. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the report then you should seek a price reduction from the vendor.
Please contact us if you were not satisfied with the standard of the inspection.
WHERE AND HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW ON MECHANIC?
You can leave a review on the mechanic in the app after the inspection.