With many dealerships to choose from, it can be hard at first to decide where to spend your hard earned cash. Sometimes we spot a great looking used car that seems to be priced at the perfect rate. Some dealers are reliable and will give you a great deal without stress, while others will take as much money and sanity from you as they can. While people might not have the free time, patience, or ability to shop for a car and ask all the questions needed, it’s important to know how to spot the foul dealers from the pack.
Every untrustworthy dealer will do these things so it’s best to know the general patterns. Some may be using ridiculous pricing tactics, washing up the car’s poor history, or provide financing plans that actually cost three to five times more than the car’s value to eager customers. Let’s walk through some key red flags to watch out for so you don’t feel sorry for your life decisions later on.
Car Salesmen Tricks
Often, a used-car dealer can be behaving shady because the act of selling used cars is a drawn out process from beginning to end. A customer will want to test out the car, hopefully bring it to a mechanic to inspect, check the warranty, get the car history, and so on. If you find yourself at a used car dealership, look out for the following signs to stay safe and make sure the car is good purchase.
If the used car dealership pushes a “buy now” mentality, stay away! Chances are that the used dealership prefers its target customers to be easy victims of bait-and-switch tactics, fake mark ups, or terrible financing plans that inflate the actual price of the car A lot of dealer ads can be a bit cheesy in general, but if it’s deals seem too good to be true or are pushing a quick buy, it’s often for good reason to swindle people who turn a blind eye.
If the dealership doesn’t offer a long term warranty or a free inspection with the car, go to another business. It’s best when the car dealership offers its own two month or three month warranty if possible to every car it sells to each customer. Make sure you ask the salesman the terms of their warranties and how long it lasts. If they only offer a thirty day warranty, ask to extend this timeframe and walk away if they don’t offer a protection plan at all. A wise business will make sure that their inventory is good quality and will feel comfortable allowing you to test out the vehicle of your choice. If the salesman starts to give you a fowl attitude or seems like the offer is the end all be all of the sale, start looking elsewhere.
Extra Bells And Whistles
In addition to checking up on the used car warranties and functionality, make sure that the car is able to be brought to its original franchise’s shop for fixes in the future. While many used car dealerships will include their own mechanic shop, it’s best to use an independent service to avoid product bias and paying more for problems you might not actually have. Customer reviews can usually shed light on what type of service the dealership offers. On the other hand, if buyers are regularly complaining about shady contracts, somehow damaged vehicles, or anything out of the ordinary, it’s best to avoid purchasing from the location in the first place. Pay attention to the sort of complaint each person leaves as well and whether or not it ties to the customer service or the inventory itself. If you happen to have a European car from manufacturers like Volkswagen or Mercedes-Benz, you’re better off going straight to the franchise to get a better level of service and customer perks overall. Make sure you have a franchise-owned shop in your area so your life is made a bit easier in the future.
Lastly, make sure that the used car dealership allows a recall on their cars so customers aren’t tied down to a certain vehicle even after purchase. The business should have features that allow each customer to feel safe with buying a car and taken care of after their purchase. If they feel like the car isn’t working well or is simply not up to their standards, then a good used car dealership will take it back without any harsh penalties. Make sure you do your homework on the dealership’s website for this information or strongly ask the salesmen themselves about their stance on this matter.
Future Car Buying Tips And Tricks
Even if you’ve had a poor experience with a certain dealership in the past, it doesn’t hurt to explore what other used car dealerships are out there that display a strong history in customer service. Another tactic is to protect yourself from buying a poorly used car in the future is to search the online news for the dealers you are looking it. Google news, your local newspaper, or even social media feeds are great to get enough market research done about any type of active business these days. If any stores seem to have great openings or are being investigated by the local government, you’ll know what options to take off your list.
