Legal Protection for Online Buyers of Used Cars

The two very striking features of the used car market in India are:

The market is being dominated by unorganized players
The influence of digital channels is increasing

With the proliferation of internet in our daily lives, buyers today do not hesitate to look for online used Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 in Bangalore. However, the ignorance level for legal aspects of such online dealings is always low. A lot of buyers do not even realize how law protects them in online dealings. Here is a quick snapshot.

Law and Buyer of Used Car

Law treats the online buyer of a used car in the same way as it treats the offline buyer. In the eyes of law, the channel does not matter. However, there are a certain points that have to be kept in mind.

The validity of your claim will depend on the condition of the car. So the faster you lodge the claim the better it is because with time the condition can deteriorate.
You have to be able to prove that the car was sold to you with the defect identified.
The said defect cannot be detected with naked eye.
The seller despite being given an opportunity to disclose the defect did not do so and kept it hidden from the buyer.
You paid the amount to the seller believing the description of the car sold to you.
There was a malafide intention on the part of the seller of the car.

If the car is still under warranty then here is what can happen:

If the car is under manufacturer’s warranty then that warranty will get transferred to the new owner of the car.
If there are extended warranties applicable then they would expire with the change in ownership of the car.