Found a car at another dealership?
You do not have to choose a car from our website to enquire. Nationwide Motor Finance can also arrange finance for vehicles at other dealerships, subject to status, affordability and the finance provider accepting the car and supplying dealer.
Choose “I found a car at another dealership” on our callback form. Have the advert link, dealer name, vehicle details and advertised cash price ready for the conversation. We can discuss the next steps without assuming that the car or your application will be accepted.
Confirm availability and any reservation, delivery or warranty terms with the supplying dealer. Cover advertised for cars in our listed collection must not be assumed to apply to a vehicle elsewhere. A callback does not reserve the car, run a credit search or produce a finance decision. Read the other-dealership finance process and buying checklist.
1. Set a budget for the car and its running costs
Start with what the car needs to do: commuting distance, passengers, parking space, gearbox and likely mileage. Keep essential requirements separate from desirable extras. This makes the shortlist more useful than selecting the most expensive car that fits an illustrated monthly payment.
Review regular household spending and existing commitments before choosing a finance budget. Check an insurance quote for the actual model and allow for tax, fuel or charging, servicing, tyres and unexpected repairs. A lower purchase price does not automatically mean lower ownership costs.
Use our affordability checklist privately, then explore the used car finance page for the commercial journey. The checklist is a planning aid, not a lender assessment or advice that a particular payment is suitable for you.
2. Shortlist a car and confirm what is available
Browse listed cars and monthly illustrations, then open the full vehicle page rather than deciding from a thumbnail. Record the vehicle reference, cash price, mileage and specification. If a detail matters to you, ask the team to confirm it against that particular car.
Availability can change. Before planning a journey, paying a reservation or relying on an offer, confirm that the vehicle is still for sale and ask about the proposed viewing arrangements. A website listing is not an agreement to reserve the car.
If you have a car in mind but do not know what happens next, request a callback. Keep the initial conversation focused on the vehicle and the question you need answered; you do not need to send identity documents to ask about a car.
3. Check the vehicle separately from the finance
Ask what service records are available, when the next service is due, what the warranty covers and whether anything needs attention before handover. Read condition information and ask about equipment that is important to your intended use. Arrange an inspection or viewing where appropriate rather than treating a finance decision as a vehicle inspection.
Use the official GOV.UK MOT history service to review recorded tests, mileage and advisories where available. An MOT record is not a complete service history or a guarantee of present condition. Follow up any discrepancy with the seller.
A provider may set vehicle age, mileage or term criteria, including limits at the end of an agreement. Ask whether the actual car and proposed term can be considered. Do not treat a term displayed by the calculator as a confirmed lender offer. Our used-car buying checklist helps organise the vehicle questions.
4. Compare the whole finance illustration
Select the car, deposit and term in the finance calculator. Read the cash price, amount of credit, APR, repayments and total payable together. Change one input at a time so you understand why the result changes; the output is an illustration, not a quotation or acceptance decision.
Do not reduce a comparison to “which monthly figure is smallest?” Keep the term and deposit alongside the payment. If a later proposal differs, ask which assumptions changed, whether fees were added and what the full repayment schedule now requires.
Keep insurance and running costs outside the finance comparison so they do not disappear from your budget. Our quote checklist is designed for reviewing the written figures once they are available.
5. Clarify any part exchange and existing finance
Obtain a valuation for the car you may part-exchange and, if it is financed, a current settlement figure from its lender. These are separate numbers. Ask how they affect the transaction rather than assuming the whole valuation becomes a deposit.
If the settlement is higher than the valuation, there is a shortfall to resolve. Do not assume it can be added to a new agreement or that an advertised payment includes it. Get the proposed arrangement explained in writing and check that the settlement figure remains valid for the intended date.
Our part-exchange finance information explains the questions to bring to the conversation. Do not arrange a transfer or sale of a financed vehicle without establishing the lender’s requirements and how its interest will be settled.
6. Choose a callback or prepare the full application
The short callback route is for discussing your plans with our broker team. If you are ready to supply the fuller information, review the application process and documents guide. Enter accurate details; do not adjust income or omit commitments to make an application appear stronger.
Our website forms send information to the Nationwide Motor Finance team. They do not themselves carry out a credit search or give a lender decision. Ask what provider checks are proposed at the next stage and read the relevant information before proceeding.
A request for evidence is not approval. Confirm which documents are needed and the protected route for sending them. If you are waiting for a response, contact the team handling the existing application rather than repeatedly submitting the same details.
7. Read the proposal and confirm handover arrangements
When a proposal is available, compare it with your original budget and vehicle brief. Check the deposit, repayment schedule, fees, ownership point, any final payment and the consequences of missed payments. Ask about the broker’s role and commission disclosure. Resolve unclear terms before signing.
Keep vehicle-sale arrangements separate from the finance documents. Confirm what is included with the car, any agreed preparation, the warranty information and the handover date. If delivery is discussed, obtain confirmation of its availability, cost and arrangements rather than assuming it is included.
Do not book travel or insurance to begin on an assumed collection date. Wait for confirmed arrangements and keep copies of the agreed documents. Nationwide Motor Finance is a credit broker, not a lender. Finance remains subject to status, affordability and lender criteria.
