Hello fellow Nairalanders! Please what does buying a registered car entail? After purchase, what's the next thing to do? Is there any further documentation required? Please further light on this would be really appreciated. Thanks

There's a lot question you have to ask the seller before paying for the car no matter how clean the car might appears to you , like if the original owner bought it tincan cleared , if its not tincan cleared maybe from cotonou ask if the custom paper have been fixed because documentations matter most in purchasing a vehicle if not police will get exactly the amount you purchase the car from you within a year you purchased it , there are sellers on here like a guy i could remember trying to sell a toyota camry 2001 for 720k i called him and asked if the documents are intact he said the car has been used for 2 years and how could i be asking for documentsimagine does it mean he is going to give the buyer a receipt after payment like he purchased a dvd be very very careful while purchase a car , when it appears too cheap there's surely a serious issue with the car

And i think this a good question good car dealers like FHEMMY motors , inspired and siena should please respond , safest way to  buy a registered vehicle other things to look into apart from inspecting the vehicle thanks

Thanks a lot Purefela: really appreciate the info. Would like to hear what Fhemmy and other car dealers have to sar about this.

Interesting.

I deal in all categories; new, tokunbo and registered.

The important tips when buying a registered car is to concentrate on its papers, mechanical and its electrical functions.
Ensure that the documentation is in order before or after  inspection is carried out especially when the sellers action is relatively
non-assuring. Never rush into the deal or be carried away by the good state of the car. Always insists on complete documentation.
You can ask any knowledgeable person about the requirements to demand at the point of purchase.

Let me share an experience with you, a guy bought a 1999 baby boy, registered but did not know that the former owner
have changed the engine of the car after doing the vehicle registration. Therefore, the engine number on the paper was different from what came with
the engine. The innocent buyer had to cough out 9,000 to the hungry officers (policemen) before he was allowed to go. To forestall
future embarrassment he had to correct the anomaly immediately.

When you are comfortable with the papers then you can move  to the next stage which is the inspection by an experienced hand.

Buying a registered car may be assuring than tokunbo (though not in all cases) ones cashflow and oyther factors will influence the
decision.

a_petra:

I deal in all categories; new, tokunbo and registered.

The important tips when buying a registered car is to concentrate on its papers, mechanical and its electrical functions.
Ensure that the documentation is in order before or after  inspection is carried out especially when the sellers action is relatively
non-assuring. Never rush into the deal or be carried away by the good state of the car. Always insists on complete documentation.
You can ask any knowledgeable person about the requirements to demand at the point of purchase.

Let me share an experience with you, a guy bought a 1999 baby boy, registered but did not know that the former owner
have changed the engine of the car after doing the vehicle registration. Therefore, the engine number on the paper was different from what came with
the engine. The innocent buyer had to cough out 9,000 to the hungry officers (policemen) before he was allowed to go. To forestall
future embarrassment he had to correct the anomaly immediately.

When you are comfortable with the papers then you can move  to the next stage which is the inspection by an experienced hand.

Buying a registered car may be assuring than tokunbo (though not in all cases) ones cashflow and oyther factors will influence the
decision.

Nice share and we need auto dealers on here to please explain better to us because most Nigerians are not so educated about this and it's not a good thing

Thanks A Petra. Your post was real informative. On further research, someone advised that I must insist on meeting the owner of the car: explaining that the owner will understand both mechanical and electrical issues, even more than a professional mechanic, or a 3rd party dealer who just wants to sell the car on the owner's behalf: what's your take on this?

Still awaiting comments from other car dealers. Thanks

@miccheck,

That is not always true! In some cases the owner might not be available or involve in the transaction especially when he has transferred
the ownership of the car to the dealer. What is key is the attitude of the party you are dealing and not a function of meeting with the owner.
Most Nigerian sellers love to hide the truth just to get rid of the car.

As for me, I disclose all the facts to my prospects in order to allow them make an INFORMED DECISION which to me is the bane of
business continous success.

Presently, I have an Honda Passport (if its your choice) on ground. it was bought in Feb 2011 and reason for sale is
that the seller wants to upgrade. There are no issues with the suv.

Regards.