Buy A Car: Should You Buy Online?

There can be many advantages to buying a new or used car online. The internet, of course, is a
useful resource when you begin your car buying journey, regardless of where you decide to buy
your car – you can compare makes and models and determine what kind of car you want before
heading to the dealership. This is important because car salespeople will often try to sell you
what they want to sell you, not necessarily the car you want. (This can be especially true of
used car salespeople – who has not been to a used car lot and told that hey, this may not have
been the exact car you wanted, but look at what a nice color it is?)

For many people, the advantages of the internet can go one step further and they decide to buy
a car online. When buying a car online, it can be difficult to do things like a visual inspection or a
test drive, so an important thing is to buy from a website that is reputable. Read the feedback
that other people have left. Go to car websites or message boards and try to talk to people who
have bought cars online, to compare their experiences with different websites. Buying a car
online can offer advantages such as the greater choice in make, model, and color you can have
over going to a dealership, especially in used cars.
Remember that even over the internet, salespeople are still salespeople. Just because the voice
and face on your webcam are pleasant and you want to be nice, remember to act the same as
you would if you were at the dealership. Ask questions, and do your research.
Be certain that even after the car is shipped, there is a way you can return the car. If you need
to return the car, you may end up paying some of the shipping costs. Be sure to budget for this,
as you do not want to be reluctant to return a car that is not perfect for your needs.
Many people have happily bought and sold cars online. If you decide to buy a car online, make
sure you are one of the happy buyers by doing your research, choosing the right car for you,
and buying from a reputable website where there is a venue for complaints.

Buy A Car: Should You Trade In Your Old Car?

Trading in your old car often knocks quite a bit off the purchase price of your new car, and can
be a convenient way to get rid of your old car at the same time, without having to go the hassle
of finding someone to buy it. Trading in a car, however, tends to give the most advantage to the
dealership, as they will pay you the wholesale price or less for your used car and will sell the
used car for retail price or more. Their profit margin is often higher on the traded in car than on
the new cars they sell.
A trade-in can still be to your advantage, as many states calculate the sales tax on the new car
as the price of the new car minus the trade-in value, so you would be paying less tax. Not all
states do this, so you should check – any dealership in your state will know what your state’s tax
policy on trade-ins is.

Another option you may wish to look into if you don’t want to privately sell your car is to sell your
car back to its own dealership. If your car is a Volkswagen, and you’re buying a Toyota, sell
your car back to the Volkswagen dealership. You may be able to get more for it than you could
from the Toyota dealership, because a Volkswagen is worth more to a Volkswagen dealership
than it is to a Toyota dealership.
To find out the value of your car, you can ask your insurance agency. They have access to the
Kelly Blue Book, which you may also be able to get a hold of, which tells the values of each car
based on its model and year. You can also look online to find cars of similar makes and
compare prices and mileage. Make sure you know all of this information before you go to tradein
or sell your used car.
A small but important detail when looking to trade-in or sell your used car is cleanliness. Before
you take the car in, spend a bit of time removing all of your personal belongings, vacuuming the
car, and airing it out. As a bonus, you may find some coins in the cushions. A professional detail
job may also increase the perceived value of your car. A clean car can sell for a couple of
hundred dollars more than a messy car, and dealers are people too. They too are affected by
the appearance of a car, even if they will detail the car again before they put it out onto their lot.
Trade-ins can make your new car buying experience easier. You won’t have to worry about
what to do with your old car, and it definitely feels better to have a lower price on your new car.
But don’t forget that you paid money for your old car, too, and you deserve some of the value.
Also, don’t let a trade-in damage your negotiating power – try to keep the negotiating about the
trade-in separate from your negotiations about the purchase price of the new car.

Buy A Car: Make A Visual Inspection

When shopping for a used car, it is important to be able to recognize the signs of a potential
lemon. A visual inspection can be enough to steer you away from a bad deal. It should not
replace a proper inspection by a qualified mechanic, but the visual inspection can tell you if you
should continue to that point.

The first thing to consider is whether the odometer is reasonable. The average car is driven
about 15,000 miles each year. Now the world may be filled with little old ladies who only used
their car to drive to church on Sundays, but there are also those who will roll back the odometer
to try to get a higher price. If the mileage seems low, check to see if the dashboard shows any
sign of tampering, like scratches or missing or mismatched screws. Check the wear of the
driver’s seat and floor mat as well as the steering wheel and pedals. Does the amount of wear
seem to match the reported mileage? Try to find an oil change sticker and see if the information
on it matches the odometer.
Every vehicle has a unique VIN, or vehicle identification number. You can use this number to
obtain a vehicle history report. This report will be able to tell you the vehicle's complete history,
including its place of assembly, accident, repair, and odometer history, whether the vehicle has
been leased or used as a rental car or taxi and whether there is a lien paced against it.
Before purchasing the report, however, it is a good idea to check to see if you have the correct
VIN. The VIN can be found in three places, on the vehicle registration card, on the bottom of
the windshield on the driver’s side and on the manufacturer’s label, which is usually found on
the driver’s side door or door jam. Check that the VIN is in all three places and is the same.
Also, check to see if any of the labels show signs of tampering. A missing or altered VIN is a
sign that the vehicle may be stolen.
Next you should look for signs that the vehicle has had bodywork done. These signs include
paint splatter or over spray in the seams between panels, areas where the paint doesn’t match
or feels rough to the touch, and bumps, dents, or ripples in the paint. Recent bodywork is
evidence that the car has been in an accident.
Other things you should look for in a visual inspection include signs of rust, leaking fluids and
excessive tire wear (tires may be expensive to replace, especially immediately after purchasing
a vehicle). Also check the condition of the interior. Make sure that the lights and signals have
not burned out, and that all the switches and fittings work as they are supposed to. Your goal in
doing a visual inspection should be to find that the vehicle appears to have been properly
maintained. If everything looks good at this point, you can ask to take the vehicle to a mechanic
for a proper inspection.

Buy A Car: What Not To Do

There are a lot of important considerations when buying a car, and a lot of things you can do to
make it easier for yourself. There are also a lot of things you shouldn’t do, either because it will
mess up your negotiations, or could end up more directly costing you money.
• Don’t let your car buying be an emotional choice. Just because your Uncle Bob is selling
a car, and hey, you need a car, does not necessarily mean that Uncle Bob’s old car is your best
choice. Uncle Bob may have smoked. Uncle Bob may have driven a car big enough to fit your
high school soccer team.

• Don’t give out your personal information. Especially if you are buying a car from an
individual who is selling their old car, all they need is for you to fill out the information on the
transfer papers. If they are concerned about your check, go to the back and have a certified
check done. At the car dealership, they only need numbers like your social security number if
they are going to be doing your financing, and then only once you have actually agreed to buy
the car.
• When negotiating, don’t talk too much. Once you make your offer, let it sit. Wait for them
to say something. This can be difficult, as you may feel the urge to add something onto your
offer, such as “…or maybe we could go a bit higher” when the salesperson doesn’t say
anything, but let it sit. Smile and wait for them to respond, and when they do, ask them why they
can’t meet your offer. Go through their offer fee by fee and charge by charge.
• When negotiating, the salesperson may leave his or her desk momentarily, perhaps to
talk to someone else. While they are gone, don’t say anything that you wouldn’t say in front of
the sales person.
• Don’t express excitement about the car. Sellers can sense this, and will exploit it. If you
feel like you’ve appeared too eager for the car, leave and come back another day.
• Don’t sign anything until the entire deal has been negotiated. Treat your signature as
the end of negotiating, even if it isn’t, and don’t sign until you’re willing to accept the terms – you
can make the deal conditional on an inspection
• Avoid paying a deposit. Deposits, while they may be refundable, usually aren’t. Or it’s just
very difficult to get the deposit back.
• When buying a used vehicle, don’t skimp on the background checking. Make certain
that the car does not have a lien against it.
Buying a car is a very exciting event. Avoid buyer’s remorse by researching carefully and
making certain that everything is right. Be sure that this is the right car for you and that you’ve
gotten the best possible price.

Getting The Best Automotive Service

Just as clear communication between you and your doctor can equal better care for your body,
communicating carefully with your mechanic means the best care for your body of your car!
When you think about it, you know your car better than anyone else. You drive it every day and
know how it feels and sounds when everything is right. So don't ignore its warning signals. If
something doesn’t feel quite right, get your car checked out.
The following tips should help you along the way:

“Preventative Medicine”
Follow the recommended service schedules.
Keep a log of all repairs and service.
Check your car for:
 unusual sounds
 odors
 drips
 leaks
 smoke
 warning lights
 changes in acceleration
 changes in engine performance
 changes in gas mileage
 changes in fluid levels
 worn tires, belts, hoses.
 difficulty in handling, braking, steering
 unusual vibrations
When there is a problem…
 Write the information/symptoms down to give to your repairman.
 When did the problem first start?
 Exactly when does the problem occur?
 Is it constant or does it occur now and again?
 Does the problem happen when the vehicle is cold or after the engine has
warmed up?
 Is the problem noticeable when you accelerate? When you brake?
 At all speeds? When shifting?
Remember to let the technician diagnose and recommend a remedy, even if you think you
already know what the problem is. Plus, it’s important not to demand an on-the-spot diagnosis.
The technician needs to thoroughly examine the vehicle before knowing what’s really going on.
Stay involved. And don’t be shy about asking as many questions as you need to understand
the problem. Mechanical terminology can be confusing to the layperson.
Ask for simple definitions of technical terms you’re not familiar with.
It’s hard to be patient, as most of us feel completely incapacitated without our vehicles. Make
sure you ask to be called and informed of the problem, recommended action, and costs
BEFORE work begins.
Before you leave, ask about labor rates, guarantees, and what methods of payment are
acceptable.
Leave a telephone number where you can be called.
The information you share with your auto technician will enable him to more easily locate the
problem, diagnose it, and repair any damage. Then you and your car will be on the road again!