Can a dealer sell a car "sold as seen"?

What does "sold as seen" mean?

"Sold as seen" is a phrase a seller writes on an advert, an order form or an invoice to say the car is being taken in the condition it is in, faults included. It is not a legal category and it is not a form of words recognised by statute. It is the seller's note about condition — and what it actually achieves depends entirely on who is selling and who is buying.

Does it matter who is selling the car?

Yes, it matters a great deal. The rules set out on this page come from the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which covers a trader supplying goods to a consumer: under s.9, goods supplied under such a contract must be of satisfactory quality. A forecourt business is a trader. A car sold off a private driveway sits in a different place altogether, and our page on a dealer or a private seller sets out the difference.

Can a dealer use "sold as seen" to cancel a buyer's rights?

No. Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.31 provides that a trader cannot exclude or restrict liability for the statutory terms that goods be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. Those terms stay in the contract whatever the paperwork says, so the words "sold as seen" do not remove them from a consumer buying from a dealer. A seller can describe a car's condition in as much detail as they like — that is useful and honest. What they cannot do is write a sentence that signs those rights away.

What does "satisfactory quality" mean on a twenty-year-old car?

Satisfactory quality is measured against what is reasonable to expect of that particular car, not against a new one. Age, mileage, price and the way the car was described all feed into it. A 2005 4x4 with two decades of work behind it — our 2005 Suzuki Grand Vitara at £1,495 is a fair example — is not expected to feel like something off the production line, and the law does not pretend otherwise. That is also why "sold as seen" is usually unnecessary: the standard already takes the car's age into account.

What happens if a fault turns up in the first six months?

Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.19(14) sets a presumption: a fault found in the first six months is treated as having been present at delivery unless the trader proves otherwise. Our page on a fault in the first six months goes through how that works in general terms.

How long does the short-term right to reject last?

Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.22 sets the short-term right to reject at 30 days from delivery. Separately, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 regs 29–35 give a distance or off-premises contract a 14-day cancellation right — which is what applies to a car bought online and delivered rather than collected from a forecourt. Returning a used car to the dealer covers both routes.

What if a repair does not fix the problem?

Consumer Rights Act 2015 s.24(10)(b) provides that after one failed repair or replacement the consumer may reject the goods, and that a deduction for use may apply after the first six months. Again, the wording on an invoice does not change that, because s.31 keeps the underlying terms in place.

Does "sold as seen" cover something that was never mentioned at all?

It is not a licence to leave things out. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 Part 4 prohibits unfair commercial practices, and misleading omissions are among them. So a phrase on an invoice sits alongside a separate duty not to mislead by leaving material information out.

What is worth looking at before anything is signed?

A short list of things that are available to anyone, free, before money changes hands:

• The MOT history. Anyone can check it on GOV.UK with the registration number: every test result, the advisories and failures, and the mileage recorded at each test. Our guide on checking a used car's MOT history shows how to read it.
• The advert itself. Photographs and a full spec tell you what is being described, and the description is one of the statutory terms.
• The paperwork. What should come with a used car lists it.
• The car, in person. What to check when you view and how to test drive it are both worth ten minutes before a forecourt visit, along with the questions to ask.

How does ONECARS sell its cars?

We do not use the phrase, and the way we are set up means we do not need to. Every ONECARS car is checked on 34 points by ONEFIX, our own workshop on the same site at Plas Acton, Wrexham, and the list is published at how we check our cars. Where that check leaves work outstanding, the car is not handed over to its buyer until ONEFIX has put it right — that rule sits in the ONECARS system rather than in a sales promise. Every car page carries the car's photographs, its full spec and, where the car is old enough to have been tested, its MOT history from the DVSA, test by test, with the mileage at each test.

There is no admin fee: the price shown is the price paid. A reservation holds a car for fourteen days; inside those fourteen days it can be cancelled for any reason and the fee comes back in full, and if the buyer goes ahead it comes off the price. Every car comes with a free three-month warranty on the engine and gearbox, up to 2,500 miles, with repairs carried out by ONEFIX on the same site, and longer paid cover is available. After the sale, ONEFIX — next door — services, repairs and MOTs the car, so the people who checked it are the people who look after it.

We are at Plas Acton Garage, 282 Chester Road, Wrexham LL12 8DU, with a second forecourt at Ruyton near Shrewsbury. Viewings are by appointment, Monday to Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 10 to 4.

Where to read next

• How we check our cars — the 34 points, in full
• What our warranty covers
• Buying a used car in Wrexham
• Part exchange explained
• Our used cars or get in touch