Some people don’t know when to trust a dealership or when they are being duped. It’s not easy to tell, and the salesmen don’t just out themselves. You have to know what you’re doing, and you need to be prepared. Consider the helpful tips you’re about to read in order to get you better prepared for next time.
Anytime you are thinking about purchasing a car, you first need to know the true value of the car. This can be done by searching online for the MRSP and comparing it with the offers you find in your area. Be sure to check at many different sites first of all.
Before beginning your car shopping journey map out exactly how much of a payment you can afford. Take the time to write out a budget and see how much money is left over each month. By doing this one step, you can avoid getting into a situation where you put a financial strain on your budget.
Before you visit a dealership, view your car loan on the Internet. Getting a car from a dealership takes a long time because your dealer needs to find you a loan. By securing an auto loan beforehand, you can streamline the process at the dealership.
Prior to even stepping foot in a dealership, you need to know what kind of car you want. If you have kids, maybe you should be looking for a van or large SUV. If it is just you, maybe you want something more sportier. Either way, knowing what you want will make the whole process of shopping for a car easier.
Demand a safety report and vehicle history report from the dealer. Any good car dealer will have these items available for any vehicle on the lot. This is information that will tell you how safe the vehicle is as well as any major accidents or work that has been needed on the car.
The car industry makes money on any margin of profit. If you can find out how much the dealership is generally buying their cars for, it will make it much easier to find their bottom line. This means you need to do some research on your local car market.
It is illegal for a dealer ship to roll back the odometer on any car they sell. Even if they put a new motor in the car, it is still illegal. If you suspect that a dealer is not stating the correct mileage on a car, leave and shop elsewhere.
A dealer with a great reputation may offer you a better deal than one which advertises great prices. You may find that a dealer who people like to buy from offers perks which aren’t available elsewhere, including reduced pressure sales tactics and lower overall price due to freebies thrown in to the sale.
When in the finance office, read your final contract thoroughly. Many dealerships will try to rush you through this step, and they may change important information or financing terms as a result. Make sure the terms are exactly what you agreed to. If they are not, ask them to make changes before you sign anything.
If you’re buying a used vehicle, you need to make sure you get a record of any accidents it may have had with previous owners. Just because a car looks good doesn’t mean that it’s in tip-top shape. The dealerships have a nasty habit of making things look better than they really are.
Do not fall for the sales pitch that the deal will not be available if you wait until the next day. More times than not, you will be able to walk back into the dealership and get the same price, if not a better one the next day. If you feel that the salesman is pressuring you, walk out the door and come back the next day.
Check your credit score before you head to the dealership to make a car purchase. Even if you are doing well financially at this time, you may not be able to afford the high finance charges that are associated with less than stellar credit. It would be difficult to go to a dealer, fall in love with a car and then fond out you cannot afford the finance charges.
When looking at specific used cars, know about the blue book values. If you have to, leave and come back, having researched the resale value, life, and blue book value of the car you’re interested in purchasing. This will help guide you towards what you know that you should be paying.
Don’t overdress when going to a car dealership. You will have an easier time getting a good deal if you don’t look like you can afford to toss away millions.
Make sure you inform yourself not only on the car industry, but also the specifics of the car dealer industry. They have some tricks they use to take advantage of unsuspecting customers. Be sure to keep an eye out for things like unneeded warranties, or insurance straight from the dealership.
Call a dealership before you visit and get set up with a salesman. Let that person know what car you are interested in seeing and make sure it is ready for the day you will test drive it. This can save you a lot of time and hassle when you are actually out shopping.
Always look under the hood when searching for a new car. Even if you do not know a lot about cars, you can certainly look for certain things. There should not be rust and all of the hoses and wires should look mint. If this is not the case, do not purchase the vehicle.
It’s a wonderful thing to know what you’re doing when you go to buy a car at a dealership. Now that you know more of what to look for and do, you will be much better prepared the next time around. Put everything you’ve learned together, and make sure you are one step ahead next time.