All posts tagged buying tips

Many people go to car dealerships to buy a car without looking for anything specific in terms of what the dealership has to offer. This is a common mistake that many make. Here are six things to look for when going to car dealerships before buying.

A Negotiable Salesman or Dealership

Regardless of whether you are buying a new or used car, you want to get the best deal possible. The only way you will get a good deal is by being able to negotiate with either the dealer or car salesman present. Usually, car dealerships are mostly focused on turning over inventory. Meanwhile, salesmen are interested in hitting their quotas, which will bring them more money. Some more expensive cars and junk cars may not have much wiggle room in terms of price, but in many cases, one can lower the price simply by negotiating. If the dealership you are at doesn’t allow you to negotiate, you can almost certainly be assured that another will.

Reviews

Do your research before purchasing from any given dealership. Many dealerships have Yelp or Google pages that can help you in seeing if the dealership is good. Talk to others in the area who have worked with them and read online reviews.

Being Able to Get an Appointment with the Sales Manager

Meeting with the dealership’s sales manager shows to them that you are serious about purchasing the vehicle in question, and you know what you’re doing. Ultimately, it will also help you with getting a better deal on your next vehicle.

They Do Credit Checks

Serious car dealerships will do a thorough and reputable credit check through a company like NCC Direct, Inc. You will want to know your own credit history, as a less reputable dealership may try to rip you off by saying your credit is not worthy of a better interest rate.

Coupons

Many dealerships will accept coupons, most likely obtained online or in a circular. Even if a specific dealership doesn’t accept coupons, it doesn’t hurt trying.

Competitive Prices

Although this ties into coupons, it deserves its own category because you absolutely do not want to overpay. A good dealership will have competitive prices, whether that is reflected in the sticker price, or a policy such as price matching.

These are six effective ways to evaluate whether one should visit a specific car dealership. While thorough, this list is by no means exhaustive, and you should do all your research before buying a car.