WeBuyCars (WBC) has become a household name in South Africa with the immense scale of its used-car buying and selling operations.
While purchasing a pre-owned car is already a minefield of risks, doing so at WBC can be even trickier due to the company’s policy of buying anything and everything it gets its hands on – from rustbuckets to supercars to TLBs, and everything in between.
There are several tips you must always follow when purchasing any car, used or pre-owned, like seeing it in person and test-driving it.
For WBC specifically, the company offers a few extra points of information that give you a better idea of the condition of the vehicle you are looking at.
Obvious indicators
The first and most obvious indicator of a car’s condition on a WBC showroom floor is to look at whether it is rated a Category A or Category B vehicle.
Category A vehicles are generally in “good working order” and have a “lower risk profile” than Category B, said WBC.
Importantly, vehicles in Category A can also be financed and bought with a warranty product, while those in Category B must be purchased outright and can’t be protected from possible defects with an after-sales contract.
Another sign that you are looking at a car that is in a relatively solid shape is the Dekra Roadworthy Certificate.
Dekra inspected each and every vehicle that has passed through WBC’s doors since July 2020 and awarded all of them one of three stickers, each with their own meaning.
Looking for the golden “Roadworthy Certificate” with a check mark, or vehicles with a “Roadworthy Voucher”, will give you the most peace of mind, while a green sticker should be met with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Fine print
Apart from the larger indicators, every WBC listing is accompanied by an in-depth Dekra report detailing its cosmetic, electrical, and mechanical condition.
For a Category A vehicle, the report might state “no roadworthy relevant issues” or something minor like a “chipped windscreen.”
For Category B vehicles, the report can show all kinds of nasty things the average owner does not want to deal with, such as leaky gearboxes, cracked control arms, faulty starters, worn joints, and other serious issues of this calibre.
But don’t just look at the quick summary provided next to the pictures, also check the in-depth full report that is attached to all listings.
Here, you’ll be able to find out things like whether body panels might have been repainted or repaired, rims were chipped or dented, spare wheels are missing, or small details like the engine number being unverifiable without dismantling the engine bay – important details that may affect your purchasing decision and save you time and money.
Screenshot of Dekra report for Category A VW Polo Vivo
Lastly, if you have a keen eye for details, you might be able to find a car with more extras and features than its peers for the same price.
Rikus Blomerus, chief marketing officer at WBC, previously confirmed to TopAuto that optional extras are rarely, if ever, taken into consideration when the purchase price of a car is decided.
As such, one may find a car that has a sunroof and heated seats while a comparable example of the same model standing next to it doesn’t, and they could be selling for the same price.
Buying pre-owned cars still remains risky business and the above methods aren’t foolproof for finding one that won’t give you any issues, they are just intended as a guide for helping you avoid risky pitfalls when shopping for a new ride at WBC.
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