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If you make your way to a used car dealer, you’re putting yourself into their sales territory. It’s not likely you gave up part of your busy life just to kick tires or see what they have for sale.
Shopping for a used car is often with the intent to buy, where you might shop for clothes or other items just to see what’s for sale and kill some time, but that’s not often how you shop for cars. Make sure you’re ready for some of the tactics you’ll run into when you visit a dealership.
The Hard Sell
It’s the job of a used car salesman to sell you a vehicle and the commission they can earn may pay their bills for the month or at least for the week. Used car sales aren’t often considered a volume activity at most locations which means every sale counts. Don’t be shocked when a salesman won’t leave you alone about that used Toyota RAV4. This doesn’t mean you have to buy a vehicle just to get rid of the salesman, but it’s their job to try and help you and sell you a car.
Payment Selling
If the only item a salesman wants to talk about is the amount you want to pay per month, this should be a red flag for you. A used car salesman might try to stretch the terms of your car loan as far as possible in order to get you the payment you want, which means you’re paying more interest than you should. Shop for price, not for payment and let the price and financing result in the payments that are right for you.
A Used Car Trade-In Trick
Some dealers will offer you more for your trade than its actually worth to make you feel great about how much you’ve gotten in the trade, but they will hike up the price of the car you’re about to purchase. In the end, the dealer is going to make money on the deal, it’s up to you to try and not allow them to make more than they should by playing with numbers. On the other hand, some dealers can make you a cash offer to buy your vehicle outright. This can be a good way to go, but you’ll want to check around to get the best price.
Bad Information
If you notice a bit of damage on the vehicle you’re interested in and the dealer simply tells you they will touch it up or cover it for you, it’s time for a red flag. Whether the dealer dismisses the information and damage as something that needs to be corrected or the tell you the item isn’t a big deal, you need to make sure the vehicle is inspected and bring this area to the attention of the inspector you hire.
The Waiting Game
Some used car dealers will waste hours of your time with the levels of people you need to go through in order to get the deal closed. This is done in order to make sure you stay interested and feel you’ve invested too much time not to close the deal on the used car you want to drive. If you feel this has happened, get the team moving or leave and let them wait on you.
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