Buying a Vehicle from a Company

[BigStack]

Hi,

I am looking to purchase a vehicle from my employer. It hasn't been used for a couple of years and nobody can be sure what condition it is in (it has been sitting in the corner of the garage collecting dust for a few years now).

According to Finnish competition and Consumer Authority: "When a used car is bought from a car dealer or another business, the buyer’s rights are protected under the Consumer Protection Act."

Is my understanding correct here - even though my employer is not a car dealership, as it is a company (and not a private person) I am still covered by the same laws which cover car dealerships e.g. if any faults are discovered that are not disclosed at the time of sale then they would be liable to fix it?

If this is the case, I'm sure my employer would want me to sign a disclaimer that I agree to purchase the vehicle "sold as seen" - are such agreements legally binding in Finland?

[betelgeuse]

I am looking to purchase a vehicle from my employer. It hasn't been used for a couple of years and nobody can be sure what condition it is in (it has been sitting in the corner of the garage collecting dust for a few years now).

Has the vehicle passed inspection? If not, that's what you want to start with before making any deal.

Is my understanding correct here - even though my employer is not a car dealership, as it is a company (and not a private person) I am still covered by the same laws which cover car dealerships e.g. if any faults are discovered that are not disclosed at the time of sale then they would be liable to fix it?

Since it's not offered to the public you might want to verify the information from consumer authorities. Even if you are covered, not all faults cause the seller to be liable to fix it:

" if the car is in worse condition than the consumer had a right to expect based on the age of the car, the mileage driven, the price, and information provided by the seller on the car in general."

If this is the case, I'm sure my employer would want me to sign a disclaimer that I agree to purchase the vehicle "sold as seen" - are such agreements legally binding in Finland?

I am thinking that the default for buying used cars is "as seen" so I don't think it makes much difference.

[BigStack]

Thanks for your comments Betelgeuse!

The vehicle hasn't passed any inspections and I think this would be too much hassle for the seller to arrange. It's of relative low value and just driving it to the test center would be a hassle with insurance, finding somebody with time to do it etc. Hell, I'm not sure if it is even licensed to drive on Finnish roads (it was primarily used at private events)!

All of which strengthens my hand when it comes to negotiating a price I guess, although I would be agreeing to shoulder a lot of risk.

[betelgeuse]

The vehicle hasn't passed any inspections and I think this would be too much hassle for the seller to arrange. It's of relative low value and just driving it to the test center would be a hassle with insurance, finding somebody with time to do it etc. Hell, I'm not sure if it is even licensed to drive on Finnish roads (it was primarily used at private events)!

All of which strengthens my hand when it comes to negotiating a price I guess, although I would be agreeing to shoulder a lot of risk.

The price reflects what the expected condition is. When you buy it with low price and knowing that it's probably not road legal, your case for fixes is not that strong.