5 Common Used Car-Buying Mistakes To Avoid
While many sources teach you what to do when purchasing a second-hand vehicle, not enough tell you what not to do! However, it’s important to know the common used car-buying mistakes buyers tend to make because making a rookie mistake when buying a used car can turn out to be an awful experience. By learning what mistakes buyers commonly make when shopping for used cars, you can avoid them like a savvy shopper would, even on your first try!
Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
There’s nothing more disappointing than falling in love with a car, before finding out that it’s beyond your financial means. Before you even start shopping for your dream car, you’ll want to set some expectations for yourself. Used car prices are much more reasonable nowadays, but they’re still a big commitment. Thus, you should assign a budget to the car purchase, such as down payments and monthly payments.
Not Knowing What You Want
Not knowing what you want when shopping for a used car can waste not just your precious time, but the salespeople at the dealership too. While you don’t have to narrow all of your options down to a single model, make, and year, you should still have a reasonably clear idea of what kind of car you’re looking for when you enter your local dealership. What you can do instead is to create a checklist of must-haves for your dream vehicle ready, such as features that you’ll need for daily use.
Not Confirming Your Dealership’s Reputation
Nearly all car dealerships carry second-hand inventory, but not all of them play by the rules. Not checking a dealership’s reputation can lead to you having a terrible experience with troubles like bad customer service or even falling victim to fraudulent practices. Thus, as a used car buyer, you should do your homework on the dealerships you’re visiting, and avoid the ones in your area that display any obvious red flags, such as a significant amount of negative reviews.
Being Too Hasty
While you need to remain competitive to ensure other buyers don’t snatch up your dream car, rushing into closing the deal on a used car is a huge mistake. Many shoppers prefer brick-and-mortar establishments over online auto dealers, the greatest reason being the ability to test drive their soon-to-be new ride. Doing a test drive on a second-hand car gives you an insightful sneak peek into how you’ll be using the car every day, giving you the confidence to make the purchase and seal the deal!
Not Obtaining a Vehicle History Report
Keeping yourself safe is key when purchasing a new car, whether you’re buying from a dealer or a private seller. You’d want to know all you can about this big purchase and commitment you’re making, such as the car’s history of owners and any major damages suffered. By simply acquiring the second-hand car’s vehicle identification number (VIN), you can obtain a vehicle history report that helps you to understand a lot more about what you’re getting yourself into.
