Tuk Tuk Dealer Checks when Buying a Three-Wheeler

When buying a Tuk Tuk there are many things you should take into consideration and one of the main ones is the dealer.

The dealer is the one you will turn to if you have any problems with your three-wheeler so it is important you choose a good one that is able and willing to support you the customer.

Things to check for and questions to ask a Tuk Tuk Dealer

The first step is the easiest and that is to check the dealer’s feedback online.

If they have a lot of comments from unhappy customers it is advisable to give them a miss and find another Tuk Tuk dealer, if not you might end up being one of the unhappy customers.

However, I will say if there are just one or two bad comments these should not be used as a basis not to deal with them, the reason being in any business you will get the odd moaner of a customer that blames the dealer when it has nothing to do with the dealer.

So look for a pattern if the pattern is lots of complaints find a different dealer.

How long does it take for them to get the OR/CR

This is a very important one, the reason being is it is illegal to drive a vehicle without an OR/CR (Official Receipt and Certificate of Registration) LTO will accept an Official Sales invoice for the first 7 days after that you can not drive it on any road.

Legally the dealer should do the OR/CR within 7 days. A dealer that fails to do it in 7 days may be violating the Consumer Protection Act for employing unfair or unconscionable sales acts or practices.

So ask them how long you will have to wait for the OR/CR and if you know anyone that has bought a vehicle from them ask them how long they had to wait for the OR/CR.

If the answer is not 7 days find a different Tuk Tuk dealer if not you might find yourself owning a vehicle you can not legally drive.

It is very possible for them to do the OR/CR in just 7 days and I can assure you LTO will do it in that period so if they try to tell you it will take weeks or months because of LTO, that probably is not true.

Do they stock spare parts?

Ask the Tuk Tuk dealer if they have a good stock of spare parts and ask to see their spare parts department.

There is no reason why a dealer would not let you check for yourself that they have a good range of spare parts unless the truth is they have very few and trying to cover that fact. So asked to see the parts department.

No matter what vehicle you buy there will be times when you need parts.

Do they have good mechanics?

Check if they have mechanics and try to find out if they are good mechanics by speaking to other customers.

Also, ask to speak to the mechanic so you can find out how much knowledge they have on Tuk Tuk you are planning to buy.

Free Servicing

When you buy any brand of Tuk Tuk it will normally come with free service vouchers these can normally be found in the back of the owner’s manual.

The free service vouchers normally cover the first four services and mean you get free labour for the first four services.

It is important that you use them and not do the servicing yourself because the warranty normally has a clause that services must be carried out by an approved mechanic.

Sadly it seems some dealers do not adhere to the terms of the vouchers and I have heard of cases where they remove the vouchers from the manual before selling the vehicle.

What is included in the services?

This one is another important thing as a service is far more than just an oil change, it is a vehicle check-up and depending on the number of kilometres the vehicle has done there are specific checks that should be made.

If all they do is change the oil you will start getting problems with your vehicle and it could put your life in danger.

How does the dealer treat you?

If the Tuk Tuk dealer seems like they don’t have time for you and do not treat you like an important person it is unlikely they will treat you well when it comes to aftercare.

Think about it if they seem like they can’t be bothered when they are looking at a possible sale, then it is unlikely they will be bothered when you have a problem.

What is the condition of the Tuk Tuk when they sell it?

You might think “well the condition will be new” but this is not what we mean.

When a person buys a new car it is normal for it to be very clean and polished, with no marks from marker pens, tape or other things stuck on it.

The same should apply to a Tuk Tuk and if the Tuk Tuk dealer can not even bother to clean it for you and remove markings and tape from when it was built in the factory it is unlikely they will do a good job looking after it for you.

How much does it cost to buy a tuk-tuk in the Philippines?

While this is an important one and is probably the first question you ask it is not as important as you might think.

The reason being is all brands have a set retail price so there will be no difference in price at dealers, however, if one seems to be undercutting the price of other dealers it might be a sign they are making cuts elsewhere.

There is very little profit on Tuk Tuks for dealers so if they are giving discounts under the recommended retail price they need to find other ways to recuperate the discount they have given you.

So the answer to How much does it cost to buy a tuk-tuk in the Philippines? is it is better to pay the recommended retail price