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Buying
A Used Car
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Check
list for buying a Used Car
There's over 2 million
wrecks a year. Chances are that you are buying one of
them. If you plan on buying a used vehicle from a
private seller, there's a lot of data you need before
you can properly negotiate the price of the car, so
when you call the seller, ask these basic questions
and use this check list as a guide.
- Have a mechanic put
the car up on a lift for inspection and to check
for accident damage. Normally when buying
privately, there are no guarantees, so it is
advisable to have vehicle inspected by a qualified
mechanic.
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Why
you are selling the vehicle?
Put them in a defensive position and they must answer
quick. If they hesitate, they have something to
hide. .Is there anything mechanically that it needs
right now? If the seller begins by telling you that
the car is great but needs a tune-up, the AC needs
topping-up, or that the front brakes aren’t so good,
skip it. Chances are good that the car needs much more
than that, and that’s why the work hasn’t been
done.
Apply
for a car loan today!
How many miles are on it?
The moment of truth for most sellers. This
can really reduce the selling price if there's too
much mileage. The standard is 12000 miles per
year. If they have more than that, the pricing
sites shown above have charts that deduct off the
market value of the car.
Has
the car had any body or paint work?
If
it’s a two-year-old car that has already been
repainted, don’t pursue it further.
Have you owned the car long?
Many people these
days, more than you think, have unofficially gone into
the used-car business. They may fix up as many as 20
cars a year and sell them out of their houses. As many
as one-third of the cars you call will often be sold
by private dealers.
Do they have all the
maintenance records, proof of tune ups, and oil change
receipts?
You just nailed them
with 3 defensive questions in a row. I'll bet no
one will have this. The seller might say "No, no
one keeps that stuff". Your reply will be
"I do, everyone I know does", and without
it, I have no validation that you properly maintained
the your car, and now you want me to pay all this
money for it?"
What is the condition of the
tires, brakes, A/C and interior?
Bad tires and bad
brakes make for a car that has not received regular
maintenance. You want to find the type of owner who
tells you the vehicle has good tires and who knows the
condition of the front and rear brakes.
Have them describe the condition of the interior, the
seats, make sure the dash is not cracked, find out
about the paint, tires, A/C compressor, ask if the A/C
runs cool. Is there any other known issues or needed
repairs that you should know about?
Go check out the seller's
used car?
Make an appointment to see the car during
the day. At night you can't see all that's wrong
with it. If you make an appointment with a seller,
show up 15 minutes after the agreed time. Always show
up with at least one other person, and make sure you
have your license with you, most sellers won't allow
anyone without a valid license to drive their
car. Once the agreed time has passed, the seller
is now going through total hell, thinking you are not
going to show. By time you show up, his confidence has
already been knocked down a notch. You are using the
combination of psychological tactics and, legitimate
methods of pricing a car.
Test
Drive the Car?
If you visit a seller to test drive the car and they
don't let you drive it, leave immediately.
There's no reason to stay because you are not buying
that car
Get
An Extended Warranty for your used Car
Get
an extended warranty for your used car. There
are many best car warranty sites offering
extended warranties on use cars.
Negotiating
With The Seller?
You can start negotiating price, or go
home, study all the data you collected, then when you
have all your ducks in a row, go back to the seller to
negotiate .Your offer will be based on sound research
yielding the fairest price possible, ignoring the
asking price altogether. Get ads from car pricing
sites, newspapers, or Auto Trader for the same year
and model as the car you are looking at. Choose
ads that are lower priced than the seller's car, to
prove he is asking more than others.
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