RAC Approved - Nearly New & Used Cars - Ready to drive away

What is the RAC Buysure Scheme?

The RAC recognise that customers want peace of mind when buying a used car, and we at Unbeatablecar want that too.  By purchasing a car from an RAC Approved Car Supermarket, you can rest assure it comes with a Premium BuySure complete package, listed here below in more detail.

Why do Unbeatablecar feel it is important to offer RAC Buysure to its customers?

Many people buy a car on its looks, so hearts can rule heads very easily, people feel vulnerable or unsure of the right questions to ask. It can be a worrying experience and motorists can find themselves confused and unsure about who to trust.

RAC Buysure completely eliminates this problem, turning a possible nightmare into a fantastic, pleasurable experience.

What Checks are done under the RAC Buysure Scheme?

The RAC Buysure check list includes:

Vehicle History

1. VIN Inspection
2. Vehicle History Report Obtained
3. Scheduled Maintenance Performed (inc timing belt)
4. Current MOT Certificate (if applicable)

Road Test

5. Cruise Control (if applicable)
6. Satisfactory starting, general performance and behaviour of the vehicle
7. Particular attention to the operation of clutch, transmission, steering, suspension and brakes including A.B.S.
8. Listen for abnormal noises
9. After road test a visual check for fluid leak
10. Gauges operate properly
11. Check battery and starter motor start engine with ease from both hot and cold
12. Check for excessive visual emissions from exhaust
13. Check hot-starting and any evidence of over-heating
14. Check no stored faults on the OBD
15. Ensure correct operation and efficiency of the parking brake

Vehicle Exterior

16. No dents or scratches visible to the eye from a distance of 2m
17. Windscreen free from any damage that would exclude the vehicle from an MOT test
18. Check for any corrosion around paint cracks or chips
19. Operation and condition of exterior mirrors
20. Check all previous structural body repairs/accident damage has been repaired to a satisfactory standard
21. Check body panel/alignment
22. Operation of fuel filler system including petrol caps and lever release system
23. Operation of bonnet catch, safety catch, hinges, tailgate supports
24. Operation of door locks and central locking including child safety locks.
25. Inspect exterior trim for security and correct fitment

Vehicle Interior

26. Operation of door windows (manual / electric)
27. Operation of all exterior lighting equipment and respective control lights and cluster illumination
28. Operation of front and rear wipers and washers including headlight washers if applicable.
29. Operation of convertible roof mechanism (if applicable)
30. Visual check of SRS functionality
31. All warning lights operate correctly
32. Operation of audio and alarm systems
33. Operation of Navigation System (if applicable)
34. Operation of Air-conditioning, heating and demist systems
35. Operation of instruments, gauges and controls
36. Operation of all internal equipment (e.g. 12v socket, sun visors, arms rests, etc.)
37. Operation of visual and audible driver warning systems, including horn
38. Operation of parking assistance systems (if applicable)
39. All drive pedals operate correctly
40. Ensure no evidence of water ingress
41. Operation and condition of seatbelts / mountings
42. Security of seat mountings, head rests and seat adjustment mechanism
43. Operation of interior lights
44. Operation of rear view mirror /sun visors
45. Check operation and condition of sunroof mechanism (if applicable)
46. Ensure correct operation of parcel shelf
47. Inspect interior trim/dashboard for tears, holes, burns or excessive soiling

Road Wheels & Tyre Check

48. Ensure vehicle jack, tool kit, locking wheel nut and safety equipment (where applicable) are in place
49. Ensure minimum tread depth of 3mm across all tyres including spare (if applicable)
50. Ensure road wheels are free from distortion, gouges or visible cracking
51. Ensure tyres are free from cuts, bulges and inappropriate repairs
52. Inspect for evidence of uneven tyre wear or casing damage

Engine Compartment

53. Check engine oil for correct level and dipstick oil sample is free from contamination
54. Check coolant for correct level and that coolant is free from visual contamination
55. Check vehicles charging system for minimum output
56. Ensure correct gearbox fluid levels manual / automatic (where applicable)
57. Check all Fluid Levels: e.g. brake, clutch, power steering, washer reservoir and battery (including security)
58. Inspect auxiliary drive belts, condition and tension
59. Check engine mountings for security and condition
60. Inspect wiring, pipes, hoses, oil and fuel feed lines for routing, check for damage, chafing and leaks (where visible)
61. Check for oil and water leaks
62. Check condition of cooling system radiator and engine oil cooler/intercooler are free from damage or excessive corrosion
63. Ensure no evident undue engine noise
64. For hybrid vehicles only:
65. Check operation of Hybrid cooling system
66. Inspect switchable powertrain mount Hybrid entertainment and information display
67. Check entertainment and information display

Underbody

68. Check exhaust condition and mountings
69. Check clamps and security
70. Ensure no evidence of fluid or exhaust leaks
71. Check Catalytic Converter
72. Check operation and condition of steering for leaks and security
73. Check tie rod ends, CV boots and rack boots condition
74. Check condition of front and rear suspension
75. No visual evidence of faults to braking components
76. Ensure brake pads have a minimum of 50% material remaining
77. Check underbody for excess corrosion and ensure that the chassis is free from extensive structural repairs
78. Ensure transmission/driveshaft is secure and free from excessive play

Convenience

79. Fully cleaned and valeted vehicles
80. Owners Guide
81. Keys and remote fobs
82. Service history (if applicable)

What benefits do Unbeatablecar customers get from RAC Buysure?

• As standard each customer will receive a certificate to confirm that the vehicle has passed its 82 point RAC Buysure Inspection.
• Every Customer will receive a 3 month RAC Warranty that is easily extendable for up to 3ys of comprehensive cover.
• 3 months RAC Roadside Breakdown including home start & Recovery for every customer.
• Enrolment into the RAC Accident Management Service, supporting the customer in the event of an accident.
• RAC Car Passport certificate to confirm that the vehicle has a clean history with no outstanding finance or major accident damage.

What is RAC Combined GAP and RTI Insurance?

GAP stands for Guaranteed Asset Protection, and that’s exactly what is does.

In the event of a total loss, Gap insurance is designed to cover the difference between your motor insurance and the amount you originally paid for the car, or the amount outstanding on finance – whichever is greater.

RAC Combined GAP and RTI Insurance is intended to provide financial protection against this loss, when buying your car, regardless of how you originally funded the purchase.

How does RAC Combined GAP and RTI work?

• Return To Invoice (RTI) cover will ensure to you get back what you originally paid for the car.
• Finance Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) will cover the “gap” between the amount paid out by the motor insurance provider (the settlement) and the amount still due to be repaid on the finance that was taken out to purchase the vehicle.
• Combined Guaranteed Asset Protection covers for all eventualities and will pay out the greater of the Finance GAP or RTI amount, up to the purchase price of your car.

An Example

If you bought your vehicle outright and paid £26,500 for your car and your motor insurance pay-out is £14,000, RTI can pay up to the difference of £12,500 to top it up to the original £26,500. If you had an outstanding finance payment of £17,500 Finance GAP insurance may pay out up to £3,500.

In this instance the Combined GAP and RTI payment would be £12,500.

Benefits

RAC Combined GAP and RTI Insurance can provide protection for a term to suit you from 12 months up to a maximum of 60 months for GAP cover and 36 Months for the RTI cover and will pay out up to the purchase price of the vehicle or the outstanding finance, whichever is the greatest.

RAC GAP and RTI Insurance is fully cancellable. If you wish to cancel, providing no claim has been made, you may be entitled to a pro-rata refund on the remainder of the policy calculated monthly for each full month left to run subject to terms and conditions.

RAC Combined Guaranteed Asset Protection insurance is subject to terms and conditions. You should note there are certain limitations in terms of the maximum amount you may claim. 

What is RAC Car Passport?

Before any vehicle can become an Unbeatablecar, its pedigree has to be proven to be of the highest standard.

More complex that the standard run of the mill history check, the RAC Car Passport combines information from Experian, Glasses, WhatCar, and the Driver Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), to provide the most comprehensive report currently available in the UK.

About RAC Car Passport.

Launched in February 2016, RAC Car Passport has been an incredible success. It has excelled in taking on existing services such as HPI, Experian and CDL, the RAC Car Passport has delivered, to both the dealer and the customer, something that has been lacking in the market place for years.

Some of the RAC Car Passport standard features are;

A complete car history check, including 10 alerts:

• Outstanding Finance
• Written Off
• Stolen
• Scrapped
• Mileage Discrepancies
• Exported
• Imported
• Number Plate Changes
• Colour Changes
• Interested Parties

Up to £30,000 of guarantee to cover your car history check data.

Why have the RAC developed RAC Car-Passport?

A thorough RAC Car Passport check can help you avoid the cars history coming back to haunt you. In the UK an average of 1 in 200 cars are sold despite having been marked for scrap. Motorists can potentially find their new car costing far more than they thought, and in many cases having to spend money on repairs they could have avoided. Additionally, driving a scrapped car is extremely hazardous and can potentially result in a dangerous accident, often with the driver being uninsured as a consequence.

Write-offs are another concern for the safety of drivers. It is illegal to drive a written-off car if it hasn’t been repaired properly, or had the appropriate Vehicle Identity Check (VIC) by the DVLA. To avoid being caught out by a miss-sold car, whenever buying from a private seller, it is important to personally confirm the car’s history to avoid any legal difficulty. The fact that 1 in 6 cars is an insurance write-off means that there are a lot of vehicles out there to be wary of, and failure to make the appropriate checks will mean you could be driving a car that could be illegal to be on the road.

There are a number of products currently available, which produce reports similar to the above, however none are as customer friendly and as simple to understand as the RAC Car Passport.

HPI check.

At Unbeatablecar we have used HPI Trade Check for over 30 years, and have been very happy with the great service and the excellent results. HPI is integrated with our central Dealer Management Software, and forms a key part of our pedigree check process. As HPI uses different databases and different ways of sourcing information, we feel our customers are best protected if we use both RAC Car Passport and HPI Trade Check systems, when checking our vehicles provenance. We have found the systems complement each other well, to give the highest level of history coverage.

What IS RAC Service Plan?

It’s quite common for motorists to take advantage of the savings to be had by bulk purchasing several services at a time in advance. The RAC Service plans we offer allow you to spread the cost of the servicing over many months as opposed to forking out a large sum when the time comes for the maintenance.

With an RAC Service plan you can be certain that genuine original equipment or manufacturers OE equivalent parts are always used – oils, consumables and fluids are all included in the monthly price.

What are the benefits?

When you chose to buy your service plan through Unbeatablecar there are several advantages, the cost of the parts and labour within the plans are fixed at today’s prices, so sudden seasonal changes in the market won’t affect how much you’re forking out keeping your new car in a safe tip-top condition.

Another advantage is that a service book correctly stamped will improve the residual values of the car on the used market, New & Nearly New car warranties will usually only remain valid if you use the recommended parts and follow the manufactures servicing guidelines.

Is there a real saving to be had?

The main reason to purchase an RAC service plan is to take advantage of the savings to be made against the cost of having your vehicle maintained at a franchised dealership, the labour rates at Unbeatablecar are usually 30 - 50 per cent less expensive than the main dealer, combine this with the increased buying power Unbeatablecar now have when negotiating discounts on bulk parts & oil purchses, all results in reduced servicing prices, but still with the excellent quality & attention to detail you would expect from one the UK's largest RAC Approved Dealerships.