March 2012 - NCA's market research finds that 35% of consumers in Ireland bought from an independent garage/dealer, 33% from authorised dealerships and 28% from private individual sales

1. National Consumer Agency
Market Research Findings:
Second Hand Car Sales
March 2012
Research Conducted by

2. Table of Contents
2
 Key Findings
 Second Hand Car Sales
Making Complaints
 Research Background and Methodology
 Profile of Sample
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3. 3
Key Findings
Making Complaints
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4. Key Findings - I
4
• In the past 7 years 40% of consumers have purchased a second hand car, of
these:
• 35% bought from an independent garage/dealer
• 33% bought from an authorised dealership
Making Complaints
• 28% purchasing from a private individual sale
• 15-24 year olds tend to buy more from independent garages/dealers
(39%) and private sales (39%)
• 55+ age group are more likely to buy from an authorised dealer (43%)
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5. Key Findings - II
5
• Car Checks Prior to Purchase
• 11% of purchasers did not perform any checks before buying the car.
• 29% did not check all documentation/service history
• Making Complaints
45% did not check/ask if the car was crashed
• 46% did not have a mechanic check the car
• 62% did not check/ask if odometer reading was genuine
• 63% did not check if there was any outstanding finance on the car
• 83% did not complete background checks (motorcheck.ie etc.)
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6. 6
Making Hand Car Sales
Second Complaints
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7. Experience of Purchasing Used Cars
7
Incidence of purchasing
within the Past 7 years? Where Purchased From?
(Base: All aged 15-74, 1,000) (Base: All who purchased a used car within the past 7 years - 397)
%
Authorised
Yes 33
dealership
No
60%
40% Making Complaints Independent
garage/dealer 35
Private individual
sale 28
Auction –
Other
4
2 in 5 have purchased a used car within the past 7 years; of which almost 7 in 10 purchased through
either a dealer or an independent garage. It was found that the younger age group 15-24 year olds tend
to buy more from independent garages/dealers (39%) and private sales (39%) with the 55+ age group
more likely to buy from an authorised dealer (43%).
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8. Checks Completed Before Purchase
8
(Base: All who purchased a used car within the past 7 years - 397)
Check all documentation/service history 71
Check/ask if car was crashed 55
Had a mechanic check car 54
Making Complaints
38
Check/ask if odometer reading was genuine
Check if any outstanding finance on car 37
Completed background check (motorcheck.ie etc.) 17
No checks 11
Other * 4
One in ten (11%) did not perform any checks prior to purchasing a second hand car. Consumers are
most likely to check documentation and service history (71%). 55% checked if the car was crashed
and 54% had a mechanic check the car.
* All other mentions 2% or less
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9. 9
Research Background
Making Complaints
and Methodology
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10. Research Background and Methodology
10
Nov/Dec Nov/Dec May/June
Aug 2008
2007 2008 2009
Benchmark Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3
Nov/December
Nov/Dec 2009 June 2010 May/June 2011
2010
Wave 4 Making Complaints
Wave 5 Wave 6 Wave 7
Nov 2011 Current Wave
Wave 8
 The research was conducted by means of face-to-face interviewing with 1,000
people between the ages of 15-74.
 To ensure that the data is nationally representative, quotas were applied on
the basis of age, gender and social class.
 Interviewing was conducted over a four week period in November 2011.
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11. Profile of Sample
11
(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)
SEX AGE REGION SOCIAL CLASS
% % % %
15-24 17
Dublin 28
Male 49 ABC1 48
25-34 22
Making Complaints
F50+
Rest of
Leinster 26
35-44 19
45-54 16 Munster 28
Female 51 C2DE 52
F50-
55+ 26
Conn/ 18
Ulster
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