Buying a New Car: Its Time We Are as Vigilant as Ever
It seems as though everyone is out to get our money. Costs are skyrocketing and more and more products and services are out vying for our attention. Media is focusing its attention on “rear attacks” by directing its advertising on our children, our needs, our fears and emotions. Okay, well, that part’s not new, but it’s certainly more effective.
Brand recognition is critical for highly competitive retail items and customer service and reputation is the variable that either makes or breaks the deal.
So, why hasn’t any of this competition changed the way we buy cars?
Remember back in the 70’s? The good old days when buying a new car meant strolling down to the nearest cheesy car lot, getting battered by a slick, fast-talkin’ dude all decked out in his disco best.
How is it that, even though the attire and cheese-factor have changed, the slick, fast-talkin’ dudes still exist? And seem to be doing better than ever.
Today’s car dealerships boast increased customer support and service; touting special employees that are there to serve only you. They preach their employees are very customer-focused and are there to serve your every need.
But are they?
As consumers, we really have developed a false sense of security when it comes to car dealers and buying our cars. Surely things can’t be the way they were just a few decades ago. Companies that don’t adhere to the growing customer-is-always-right mantra are certainly companies that don’t last long.right?
Well, I’m here to say that the wolf has certainly stepped out of the disco-70’s garb.and is now wearing a clean white dress shirt, slacks and tie. Folks, the wolf is alive and well and is waiting for you to come fall victim to his fake loyalty to you.
How did they slip through the cracks? How did they manage to maintain their huge profitability through all of society’s demands for increased customer service? How is it that we still have to endure the experiences we do when we go to buy a car?
I’m here to say, the auto dealers have adapted quite well. No longer are they wolvesnow they are lions.
Our generation of car buyer has been given a false sense of security due to the internet. We think that simply by knowing what the internet says the dealer invoice is that we have some sense of power over them. Well, actually, all we know is what they supposedly paid for the vehicle. That doesn’t mean they are going to gnash their teeth and say, “Oh darn it, Frank and Betty Smith found out our hidden secret invoice amountnow we HAVE to sell it to them for that!”
Not at all, my friend.
Sure, the dealer is motivated to sell cars. If they don’t sell you a car, they don’t make any profit. But, if they don’t make and profit, they don’t sell you a car.
The myths surrounding the dealers still exist; the secrecy is what has kept them so profitable through the turn of the millennium.
Who monitors the car deals to make sure it was all handled fairly and you paid a fair profit for the car? Who watches out to make sure those people with bad credit are really put back on the right track to rebuilding their life with their auto loan?
It’s like putting the witch in charge of Hansel and Gretel’s health regimen; the “what’s in it for her” is much greater than the “what’s in it for them.”
The only people watching out for you when you are car buying is YOU. It is up to you to be vigilant and protect yourself, your credit, and your money. You can count on the lions stalking you when you call or go in to the lot. You can count on them wanting to still make more money off of you than you make in a month or two at your job. Count on it. And if you aren’t careful, it’ll come true.
It’s going to take more than the internet to protect you from these predators. You will need to look at buying a car in a whole new light. A new breed of car buyers needs to emerge to keep these dealers in check and not let them bully and trick us into handing over all of our hard earned cash and credit rating.
Tags: Attention Media, Brand Recognition, Buying A New Car, Car Dealerships, Car Lot, Cheese Factor, Cracks, Disco 70, Dress Shirt, Emotions, Fall Victim, False Sense Of Security, Garb, Loyalty, Mantra, Money Costs, Profitability, Sense Of Security, Slacks, White DressRelated posts
Buying a vehicle can be quite an ordeal. You have to find the money in your budget for the new vehicle. Often you have to decide whether you want to sell your existing vehicle outright or trade it in. Then that decision is based on if you buy through a dealer or private party. You have to decide what you like.
Should you buy new or used?
Financial advisors say that the best way to get your money’s worth is to go used. However, the decision isn’t quite so simple. There are a lot of considerations.
Start by looking at your finances. If your only option is buying used, then do it wisely. But if you are choosing a used over a new, you have to remember that there will be no warranty of the vehicle in most cases. If the car needs a lot of maintenance, repairs or other modifications, you could find that your savings by purchasing used aren’t there.
Buying a used car is a gamble sometimes. You have to make sure that the title is clean. There should be proper documentation with the vehicle. Don’t trust anyone who says they will mail it to you. Never pay for a vehicle without a title, you could be in deep trouble later.
If you test drive the car and aren’t sold on it, you should keep looking. If you aren’t comfortable with the car, used or new, after driving it, it wouldn’t be a good deal for you. Don’t just buy the only car in your price range. Keep looking for one that will fit your budget and your needs.
When you buy used, you should take the car to a mechanic and have it checked out. This doesn’t guarantee that there won’t be any problems, it just helps you from buying a junk car. You might also consider doing a online check on the vehicle. You simply need the VIN and around $10. You should get a history of the vehicle. For example, we checked a vehicle out and found out that it was in the gulf when the hurricanes hit. It didn’t say it was damaged, but warned of the potential.
Even if you aren’t choosing to buy used — you have to — you should take the time to consider the purchase just as you would a new car purchase. Test drive several vehicles and shop around. Buy car trader and truck trader magazines and search online to see what other vehicles are bringing. If you are looking at purchasing a car from a dealer that is $5,000 cheaper than you have ever seen one priced for, you should probably be a little curious as to why it is so cheap. Make sure you know what the blue book value is and understand the process of buying.
When you buy a vehicle, you are spending money that you probably will never get back in your pocket. Do it wisely.
Tags: Budget, Buy Car, Buying A Used Car, Car Buying, Car Lot, Car Maintenance, Car Mechanic, Car Price, Deep Trouble, Financial Advisors, Hurricanes, Junk Car, Mail, Maintenance Repairs, Ordeal, Private Party, Proper Documentation, Purchasing, Vin, WarrantyRelated posts
Buying a new car is a major purchase with major amounts of money leaving your pocket. Ask an honest car salesman and he will tell you that he is trying to get his potential customers to buy something they dont really need. Ask a dishonest salesman and he wont tell you why. That about sums it up plus it opens the door for all kinds of scam artists to try to use tricks to get you to buy a new car. Arm yourself with all the information you can when buying a new car. Here are some tips:
There are some classic scams that car salespeople use to get you to sign the dotted line on a sales contract. Get on the internet and see what these scams are. Car salespeople are probably the most persuasive type of salesmen/women (most tend to be men) that you will come across. It is very tempting to give into their hype.
Dont be afraid to say No.
If there is ONE thing you dont like about a car dont buy it. That one thing will bug you down the road as you make those expensive car payments and the honeymoon has worn off. Often, people find the need to purchase another car than keep mending the current one, because of their poor decision making when purchasing the existing one.
Dont give the salesperson a feel for what you like and dont like. Dont get too personal with the salesperson. Scam and con artists are skilled at getting into you head and detecting something you have an emotional or preference stake in. Keep focused on buying a car and try to avoid the small talk with the salesperson.
How much is that car really going to cost you in terms of maintenance, insurance, and fuel? There are web sites where you can get this information. Another bit of knowledge to arm yourself with is knowing how much that car loan is going to cost you in terms of interest.
Check your credit report and correct any errors that may be there. It will help to get your loan approved faster.
Read reviews on various cars and educate yourself before going to the car lot. The internet has a wealth of information resources for buying new cars.
Today, there are many places where you can purchase a car. There are classifieds in your local newspapers, local car dealerships, car magazines, the internet, with a huge array of sites, also offers many great deals. Ebay is also an increasingly popular destination to find cars and not necessarily just to from it. Ebay can also be used for researching the car you are looking to buy. You can use it to gain an idea of how much cars in general go for based on your specifications and conditions. There are many, many new listings every hour that you can browse through to help find your new car.
Tags: Buying A New Car, Car Loan, Car Lot, Car Payments, Car Salesman, Car Salespeople, Con Artists, Decision Making, Dotted Line, Expensive Car, Honeymoon, Hype, Maintenance Insurance, Poor Decision, Sales Contract, Salesmen, Salesperson, Scam Artists, Scams, Stake