What is the best way to pay for your new car?
When buying a new car figuring out the best way to finance the deal is crucial writes Geraldine Herbert Hire Purchase (HP) Finance With a hire purchase agreement, you pay an initial deposit and pay an agreed amount in monthly repayments and the balance is divided equally over the finance period. Once all the payments have been made you own the car. HP finance agreements range from three to five years. The main difference between using...
The risks of buying a car privately
It’s a tricky business and if something goes wrong, you have little legal protection, writes Geraldine Herbert A former Olympic athlete has highlighted the perils of buying a used car privately. Shane Healy told Claire Byrne Live last week that he had been scammed out of €2,000 in a terrifying ordeal at Tyrrelstown, Dublin when buying a second-hand car. Healy, who reached the semi-finals of the 1996 Olympic Games, revealed how...
Electric Car Owners to Pay for Fast Charging
A new scheme to charge electric vehicle drivers for using the fast public charging network will begin from November 18th writes Geraldine Herbert What are the new charges? The ESB is to introduce charging costs for existing Fast Public Chargers (50kW DC) from 18th November. This will be followed by the introduction of pricing for High Power Chargers (150kW DC) once the first high power hubs are installed in early 2020. The standard...
Our top tips to buying a car at an auction
Avoid getting ripped off and learn to be a savvy car buyer with our top ten auction tips writes Geraldine Herbert 1) Do your research – it’s always a good idea to attend a few auctions before you think about buying. This will give you an idea of how auctions work and an understanding of the terms used and the conditions of sale. 2) Choose your car – know what you want to buy beforehand and have a good idea of what...
Seven frequently asked questions about Electric Cars
Many car buyers are wary of electric vehicles due to lack of information writes Geraldine Herbert Electric vehicles are essential to our efforts to tackle climate change – we’ve all heard it many times. While sales of all-electric vehicles are up 300% on last year, buyers continue to be wary and remain unconvinced about the number of charge points, the time it takes to recharge or how far can they can drive before they...