The craze of buying new cars and bikes in India is constantly increasing. Especially on festivals and special occasions people plan to bring home their favorite car. But just looking at the model, price and offers is not enough when buying a car. It is also necessary to check whether the showroom from which you are buying a car worth lakhs of rupees is an authorized dealer of the company or not.

Such cases often come to light in the market, where customers buy cars from unauthorized dealers in the lure of cheap prices or huge discounts. Later, there may be issues related to warranty, service and other features of the vehicle. So, before booking the car or paying the money, please check the correct identity of the dealer.

The good thing is that you don’t have to go through any difficult process for this. You can even find out from the comfort of your home whether the showroom you are buying a car from is included in the company’s authorized dealer network.

Check the official website of the company

The easiest way to check the dealer is to visit the official website of the car manufacturer. Most companies have an option like find a dealer or dealer locator on their website.

After clicking on this you have to select your state and city. After this, a list of authorized dealers of the company in that city appears. It usually contains the name and address of the dealer. If the name of the showroom from where you are going to buy the car is not in the official dealer list of the company, be aware before paying the money. In such a case, it would be better to confirm directly with the company.

Ask for an authorized dealer certificate at the showroom

If you are buying a car directly from a showroom, you can ask the sales manager there to show the authorized dealer certificate issued by the company. Usually an authorized dealer has a certificate issued by the company. In many showrooms, it is installed at the reception, main office or somewhere where customers can easily see it.

The name of the dealer and other important information can be given in the certificate. If the showroom staff avoids showing such evidence or is reluctant to give you the information, do not pay without confirmation.

You can also confirm from the customer care of the company

If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the showroom, you can call the official customer care number of the car manufacturing company. Inform customer care about the name and address of the showroom and ask if it is part of the company’s authorized dealer network. This way you can get confirmation directly from the company.

This method can be especially useful when the name of a showroom does not appear on the company’s website or you are in doubt about the offers available there.

Please check the receipt while paying the booking amount.

If you are paying token amount or any other amount while booking the vehicle, check the receipt carefully. The receipt must contain the dealer’s correct legal name, GST number and required payment information. Also check whether the information given in the company or dealer related documents matches or not.

Avoid making any payment with a plain paper receipt or without a proper bill. Especially when you are asked to deposit a large amount.

Don’t make this mistake before buying a car

Buying a car is a big money decision. So, don’t book in any showroom just by looking at cheap price or high discount. First check the dealer name on the company website. If necessary, confirm with the company’s customer care and take the correct receipt before paying. This little check can save you a lot of trouble later.

CAFE-3 rules will be applicable from April 2027, small cars will not get relief!