In our green week we bring you another reason for supporting The City Car Club.
Recent figures from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reveal that motorists buying second-hand cars are now spending an average of £425 just to make them roadworthy. And those figures have to be added to the initial cost of purchase.
Complaints about used cars have increased by a massive 18% in the first half of this year, topping the complaints charts above mobile phones and TVs. Those who buy a car from a private seller have very little protection when things go wrong leaving many motorists out of pocket.
Buying from a dealer might give you greater come-back, but some people are not aware of their rights. Consequently, many people end up forking out for expensive repair bills almost as soon as they get the car home (assuming they make it!).
The City Car Club argue that this repair bill alone would buy you 8.5 years of City Car Club membership! Add to this the average purchase cost of a second-hand vehicle* and this works out at the equivalent of 1,250 hours of driving in a car club car!
They say that the argument for joining a car club instead of purchasing a second-hand car could not be stronger. City Car Club has over 550 brand new cars and vans located in cities right across the UK, parked in reserved on-street parking bays, which can be booked by the hour. All cars in the fleet are brand new, the latest models, and have low mileage. Members simply book online or by phone and unlock the cars with a membership card. All servicing, MOT, maintenance and cleaning costs are taken care of by City Car Club so members only pay for their car use.
James Finlayson, City Car Club MD, commented “These latest figures from the OFT make for compelling reading. Buying a second-hand car can be a risky business, and it seems that more and more motorists are losing out. The increasing availability of car club cars right across the UK provides a real alternative to those wanting access to a car without the hassle, expense and risk of private car ownership.”
City Car Club has cars and vans across 14 UK cities and a membership base of approaching 20,000. Membership has been increasing at almost 100% year on year and last month saw the club’s greatest number of new members join, These recent figures from the OFT may prompt even more motorists to avoid the second-hand car purchase and opt for car club membership instead, adding to the already soaring number of car club members across the UK.
*Average cost based on British Car Auctions report in January 2010 which gave the average value of all cars sold in December 2009 as £6188
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
