While it is true that brand new cars sales are starting to go back up, they have dropped significantly in the recession. Although you may be tempted by all the car TV commercials and radio ads, there is no reason why you won’t find a used car with the same features for a much lower price. You need to learn to identify selling tactics of car dealers and know how you can deflect them. First of these tips is quite common: find out how much you can spend on a used car and you can check this out to learn how to set a budget. You then need to do research on the car by digging into service history reports that you can find online or gather from the dealer and sellers. Regardless of how you finance this car purchase, understand that you would pay for the cost of the car and any interest it accumulates out of your own pocket.
Said information will be useful when you start negotiating with car dealers. Now you have carefully inspect and test drive every car you are interested in. They won’t care that you lost your job or fighting stage three cancer and that you cannot make car payments because of so and so reason. This particular tip is the trickiest. Check for leaks and if car fluids are dirty. This is the perfect times to buy a car because they would do anything short of giving away the car for free just to make a sale or get rid of cars that have been sitting in their lot for a while. While there are a number of used car dealers you can choose from, you still need to do research on these dealers before buying anything from them. Test drive the used on the highway and city.
If they flat out refuse to play, tell thank them for their time and give them the impression that you have a couple of dealers waiting for your business. Check the brakes on the cars Hertz cars are selling you when you test drive. Tip number four is to be very careful what you say in front, or within earshot of a used car dealer/salesman. Keep in mind that dealers are very charismatic and engaging and they have ways to make you divulge information you shouldn’t be telling them. If the car you’re looking at has more 100,000 miles on its odometer, ask if its timing belt has already been replaced. Avoid getting too friendly with the dealers and just give the necessary information for the car’s purchase. Tip number five is to remember that the dealers are the ones that should compromise, not you. Choose a dealership that you are comfortable with whether it be with facility, the staff, etc.