Top 10 tips for buying second-hand vehicles

1. Get the car's service history, which will tell you whether it has been maintained regularly and, if so, by whom. If the car has undergone accident repair, the information might be in the service booklet too.

2. Ensure that the car is mechanically sound by having it professionally assessed at Vicom, AAS or Star Automotive Centre. Certification is cheap and it makes the car more marketable.

3. You should not have to pay administrative fees, agreement fees, or GST separately. The salesman's commission, where applicable, has already been worked into the advertised price.

4. Do bargain. At the very least, get the seller to absorb or share the transfer fee, which can cost anything from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.

5. It is best to patronise firms with the CaseTrust certification. It would be even better if the set-up is also a member of the Singapore Vehicle Traders Association (tel: 6743-0269).

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