Buying a Used Car - Do's & Checks

Buying a used car in India can be daunting. I should know, all the cars I have bought till date have been used ones and if I were to be totally honest, I am not at all averse to the experience.

Now I do have friends who will only, and I mean only buy new cars. I have asked them often enough why they wouldn't consider a used one and they always say – they don’t want to take the risk. Of buying a lemon and then being stuck with expensive repairs.

Now this got me thinking, I have an equal number of friends who are totally OK with buying used cars. But at some point have also bought new cars. 

On further investigation, I found that it’s not just an economical reason (although that does have a major factor to play in the decision – most of the people who only bought new cars were the ones with deep pockets – where a used car was just down market and not something they would ever consider because of their social standing) but sometimes just lack of ability to buy a good used car and fear of being cheated (most people would rather pay sticker price where they are sure they are paying the same price as everyone else rather that have to negotiate where they have no idea what the real value of the car is) that deters people from the used car market.

Today, this seems to have changed. A lot more people have a good disposable income and are craving the good life – having a car is one of those things that equate you with the status of having arrived (or at least it used to).

Now how does one go about buying a used car without making the common mistakes that those used car salesman are just waiting for.

First of all, you need to research what car you are looking for or which car fits your needs.

There should be a check-list where you put down what you want in a car, and select different variables/parameters, that you are looking for and the algorithm churns out the best option to suit you.

Things to Consider:

• Price Range
• Brand, Model & Year of Make
• Purpose of the Purchase

For example, if you drive in the city during the week but  like to go out on long weekend drives  or have a vacation home outside the city then you should consider a mini SUV s as the roads outside the city can be quite bad for at least 6 months of the year (monsoons till about spring) but if you  are looking only at a second car which is for running around the city then a hatchback might be the right buy (you have the options of the premium hatchbacks as well as the non-premium hatchback) Now if you have a chauffeur and only cruise around the city – a used luxury sedan might be something you could consider.

Once you've short listed the type of car you are in the market for, you should research what it costs used. Reference prices are available freely on used car websites, but ensure to double check these prices with your local mechanic.

Now that you know the car that you are looking for and the approximate price you should pay, it’s time to look for your future car. 

And you don't need to look too far to find a car that fits your needs, with the number of websites that are online today, all that you could possibly need can be found. All you need to do is look around and find a website that can be trusted. Check out JaanCar, to find a car that suits your needs.

www.JaanCar.com

PART 1 of 3

Accessibility of Medicine

As a married woman, living with my husband away from my parents, I worry a lot about my parents who now live alone, and are in the age group of 65 above, my brother is settled in another country and I am settled in another city. So worry for my parents is a given.

Given their age, medicine for Thyroid, Diabetes & Blood Pressure is an everyday affair; sometimes the ailments include antibiotics, gastrointestinal medicines, and pretty much everything that comes with growing old.

A new problem my father has developed is joint pain, could eventually turn into arthritis, but for now, it’s just painful for him to walk too much and too far.

My parents living alone was easily fixable, I decided to hire stay at home help for my parents, to take care of the cooking, cleaning and everyday chores. One thing she is unable to do is drive, which unfortunately reduces the things she can do around the house in terms of purchasing things.

So her driving to pick up medicines for my parents is out of the question, and given their age, the consumption of medicines is only going to increase from this point forward.

As a solution what I have done, is signed them up for an app called Buzzpharma, which home delivers all the medicines they need at their doorstep.

The regular medication is delivered as per schedules of when it runs out, but what’s amazing is, in emergency situations, Buzzpharma delivers medicine within 30 minutes and all one has to do is give the prescription to the delivery boy.

Recently my mother had an episode, where her nerves spasmed and froze her leg leading to a lot of pain, and the only way to relieve her pain was to pop a pill called NeuroBion, unfortunately, she had run of and had none at home to help her at the time.

And all my dad did was call for the medicine through the app Buzzpharma, and the medicine was delivered home, my mom popped the medicine and all she needed was 30 minutes of waiting time, and a prescription for the medicine.

I know the ailment wasn't serious and that my parents could have found a way to get around if they really really had to, but the fact that they don’t need to and can get their medicine sent to them whenever the need arises, outs me at ease, even though I live far away, I know this is one thing I don’t have to worry about.