SIMI garages

I'm in the market for a second hand car, is there any way of checking up on a garage/ car dealer to see how reliable they are?
Are SIMI registered dealers accountable to buyers in any way?

wino

"Accountable" only to the warranty you receive. IMO if you can buy it private do so, much better value and as most dealers are only offering 3-6 months warranty anyway its not worth the extra few grand.

IME SIMI is there solely to protect the interests of the motor traders who pay membership fees. The SIMI logo on a premises should not be taken as an indication that the business concerned places any more emphasis on customer satisfaction or accountability than a business that does not display the logo. Ask for details of the SIMI dispute resolution / arbitration process you agree to when signing one of their contracts.

Happy car shopping - go to places, whether SIMI member or not, that friends / family recommend based on experience.

Being a main dealer means something. Being a member of SIMI does not.

Thankyou all for those replies.
I have a car to get rid of so a private sale isn't really an option for me. I would agree that perhaps going through a main dealer or by word of mouth might be the best way forward.

Thanks again

wino

Wino, I just want to agree with what matheac and purple said - main dealer or someone recommended by a friend is the way to go - SIMI affiliated, on it's own, means nothing - a few years back I bought a car from an Simi garage, not a main dealer though, and it turned out to be clocked - not worth 1000 let alone the 13000 I paid for it. I was EXTREMELY lucky that I managed to get my money back out of them, would have been tough if I didn't happen to have a bro a solicitor, but I tell ya, I will never forget the lesson I learned!! I had to go to the gardai and inform them because if that car was in an accident in future, i had been an owner and needed it recorded that I was not the one who clocked it and put a deathtrap out on the road.

FYI, I wrote to Simi at the time to inform them an never heard back - obviously not too concerned!

FYI, I wrote to Simi