Where to buy a used car: the main UK websites

The three kinds of used car website

A marketplace introduces you to a seller. The sale is between you and that seller. Several of these sites say so in their terms.

Classified sites: private sellers and dealers

• Auto Trader carries adverts from dealers and from private sellers. It says every car gets a basic history check, run on the registration the seller gives.
• Facebook Marketplace is meant for sales between individuals. Facebook says its Purchase Protection doesn’t cover vehicles or anything collected in person.
• Gumtree calls itself a top choice for private car sellers. Its advice to buyers is to always insist on seeing the vehicle.
• eBay sells cars by auction, at a fixed price and through classified adverts. An auction bid is binding. eBay says it runs no vehicle protection programme on its UK site.
• PistonHeads labels each seller Private or Trade and runs auctions as well. It says it offers no payment or transaction protection.

Auto Trader: used carsFacebook Marketplace: vehiclesGumtree: carseBay: carsPistonHeads: cars for sale

Dealer marketplaces

• Cazoo is a different business from the one you may remember. It merged with Motors.co.uk in June 2026 and now lists dealers’ cars. Its own site says Cazoo does not deliver or sell cars.
• CarGurus lists cars offered by sellers and says it is not a party to any sale.
• AA Cars lists cars from dealers who have signed up to its standards.
• RAC Cars lists cars from partner dealerships. Any agreement is between you and the dealer.
• Carwow puts you in touch with dealers in its network.
• Drive is where heycar UK went. It lists cars from selected dealers.

Cazoo: carsCarGurus: used carsAA Cars: used carsRAC Cars: used carsCarwow: used carsDrive: used cars

Online retailers

cinch sells its own stock online and delivers the car or lets you collect it. It offers a 14-day money-back guarantee, with limits on mileage and condition.

cinch: used cars

Dealer or private seller: what changes

Auto Trader’s own safety guidance puts it plainly. A car bought from a dealer is covered by the Consumer Rights Act. A private sale gives you less protection, though the car must still match its advert.

Citizens Advice says buying from a trader may give you a legal right to a repair or to some or all of your money back. It calls auctions probably the riskiest way to buy a used car.

Citizens Advice: Buying a used carAuto Trader: safety and security centre

What the sites tell their own buyers

• See the car before you send any money. Every one of the classified sites says this in its safety advice.
• Be wary of a price well below what the car is worth.
• Match the registration, the VIN and the engine number to the V5C logbook.
• Get a history check. Facebook’s advice for car buyers is to get a vehicle history report and an inspection before buying.

How to spot a cloned carHow to check a V5C logbook

How to search several sites and keep track

1. Take the registration from each advert. If it isn’t shown, ask the seller: GOV.UK tells buyers to ask for it, with the make, model and MOT test number.
2. Put every registration through the free check. Each site checks different things, so one check of your own keeps the comparison fair.
3. Save the cars worth a second look to your garage. Add each asking price and the link to its advert.
4. Compare them side by side. The one you choose then gets the full checks.

GOV.UK: Check a used vehicle you’re buyingFree reg checkOpen your garageHow to use CAR ConfidenceUsing ChatGPT or Claude to search for you