Buying new and used cars in Italy from abroad How to deal with anxiety – and dealers – when it comes to a remote purchase

INDEX

• EVERYTHING LOOKS ALL RIGHT AT FIRST
• SO YOU LOWER THE BAR
• AND THEN YOU NEED A LAWYER HELPING OUT

EVERYTHING LOOKS ALL RIGHT AT FIRST

We’ve all been there before: after a full evening of scrolling, you found the right one – humongous spec, low mileage, full service history, paint-to-sample. It’s not been signed by Horacio Pagani, but you got the picture.
The car is listed abroad, in Italy, but you lay out the plan. You do your homework. You’re dealing with a reputable garage, maybe an Official Dealer. You’re getting yourself a CPO vehicle – a “certified pre owned” – with a bunch of years of warranty still attached to it. That’s something worth stretching the budget – just a little bit. You have faith in the product, you trust the brand (EVO magazine highly praised it, and Henry Catchpole has one). Judging by the pictures, the car’s in great shape, fully detailed – that’s it: you find yourself drawn to it like Sauron to the One Ring.

SO YOU LOWER THE BAR

This is the moment you lower your guard: you hear all the bells and whistles and without noticing you leave aside all the caution you started the process with when your missis left and you got back to the classifieds.
First, you skip the pre purchase inspection – after all, it’s a CPO, isn’t it? Why should I bother?
Then, you sign the paperwork like the seller mistook you for a rockstar, twisting your arm for a quick autograph.
Finally, on your maiden voyage, you overlook the grinding noise coming from the gearbox because the seller told you they all do it: they’re sporty, you know.

AND THEN YOU NEED A LAWYER HELPING OUT

That’s when you get in touch with us asking for help in the form of legal advice; the thing is, though, more often than not it’s too late.
If you’re interested in buying a nice car, an expensive vehicle, a rare sportscar in Italy, get in touch with us as soon as possible: show us the listing; let us drop a line to the dealer on your behalf; let us go through the contract with an expert eye; let us handle the PPI for you.
This way the dealer will know immediately there’s no way they can screw you since your lawyers are involved: they know us, they know we’ve been in the business for almost twenty years.
Spare yourself the inconvenience and let your lawyers get their hands dirty in your stead.
Check our website and find more about our services.

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