Information on how to shop and buy Used Cars
With the economy the way it is today less and less people are looking at new cars, now don’t get me wrong, I know there are some good deals on new vehicles during this time, but if you’re really looking to save money Used Cars is the way to go. Used Car Sales are up nearly 60% from 3 years ago so when you start looking, look for used cars for sale at a dealer or private owner, My suggestion would be to seek out private parties, this will not only save you money but it will be less stressful not having to deal with those pushy sales people. The First place to start out if you’re looking to find used cars for sale would be either Craigslist.com or Cars.com both have used cars for sale by either a private party or dealers, your choice., I find that craigslist is the way to go for used cars, A few years back I was in the market for a used S.U.V. I went on Craigslist.com picked my location and searched used cars for sale by private parties, I entered my desired price range and within a second a page full of listings popped up. I chose a few that interested me and called and talk to the owner and scheduled a time to stop by and look at the vehicles. After a few stops I found what I was looking for and there was practically no haggling, the Price was stated on craigslist and it was within my budget, the car was in great condition and I was fine with the price and the vehicle so we made a deal and I took the vehicle home.. as easy as 1-2-3 and it was done, No headache, No yelling, No screaming, no guilty feeling like I was ripped off just an easy smooth transaction.
Now, when dealing with a dealer who has Used Cars For Sale, I usually do an online search first, this way I can browse a bit without being hounded by the salesperson, or if you prefer you can go to the dealers on Sunday’s and walk their lots and look at the cars, this is actually the best way because you can see the condition of the body and tires etc… something that you cannot really do online. Dealers will try to hit you with a high price to start to feel you out, so don’t feel funny when they tell you the price, if you opted to look on a day while they were open. Used Cars are the dealers bread and butter so to speak, this is where they make most of their money because they can mark the used cars up as high as they choose, New cars on the other hand is kind of cut and dry, you see the window sticker and start negotiating from there, New cars usually do not have a huge mark-up unless it’s a highline vehicle like a Porsche for example; Their mark-up’s can be as high as $12,000 or more over sticker price! There are many places to find used cars for sale and many of them have a website for you to browse their inventory, find a system that works for you when dealing with private owners or dealers and always remember not to jump on the first car you see or the first price they tell you, if anything haggle for awhile and let them know you’re interested and then tell them thanks for their time and start to walk out, odds are they will stop you and drop their price significantly just to make the sale. (I like this Trick)
The final thing when looking for used cars for sale is your trade. If you happen to have a vehicle that you want to trade in try going to Kellybluebook.com and get the value of your vehicle before you go to the dealer so you know what you’re playing with before you start to negotiate. You should treat your trade in just like the vehicle your buying, it should be a separate process. Here’s a good tip, When you are negotiating the car your interested in buying do not tell the salesman you have a trade until you reached and agreed price on the used car, then and only then do you tell him you have a car to trade, Now the salesman will ask for your keys and maybe ask you a few questions about the car and then get his manager so they can go take it for a ride and figure out how much they want to offer you for it, now remember because this is important, they are going to hit you low on your trade, because this is where they make their money, YES you guessed it they make their money on used cars like I stated before, they try to take yours in low and sell it high, so do not accept the first price they give you, you know what it’s worth and how much you’re willing to let it go for, so be persistent, they’ll bite I promise, they all do, their ultimate goal is to sell a vehicle, they win some (meaning hitting it big on a sale) and they lose some (giving it away for almost no profit).
So when looking for Used Cars For Sale always remember to be smart, never accept the first price, and do a little homework and you’ll save a bundle and your blood pressure will be in check. Good Luck.
For More info on how to save money along with the tip and tricks of dealing with the dealers check out the Ebook below:
