Buying a car at a car dealership: pitfalls when selling a car at a dealership

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Of course, a new car is new in the North, and therefore, if you have sufficient funds, it is optimal to buy a car at a car dealership rather than buy it on the automobile market. Of course, buying a car at a dealership also has its own nuances and features that will help you make the right choice. When buying a car, it’s worth remembering that the cost of a car at a dealership can depend on many factors and nuances, and if you want to purchase it at a dealership with a significant discount, then this information is for you.

Options and equipment - car components

Once you have decided on the make of the future car and its model, we begin to find a responsible dealer to conclude a deal. It is enough to immediately make a reservation - the cost of the basic, main set of the selected car is equal to 2/3 of the entire budget for purchasing a car.

What is directly included in the basic package itself - here we will analyze the main terms that often confuse the client when visiting a car dealership:

1. Options represent each and every additional component in the machine, its device, which is installed on the machine itself, either individually or in a package.
2. The basic configuration is the subsequent installation and installation of a certain number of options in the machine, with a specifically prescribed configuration.

Each car model has in its design several variations of the main equipment packages, which come in a strictly defined, increasing hierarchical sequence and which significantly affect the cost of the car. Manufacturers themselves call their own configuration systems differently, and to understand this, it is worth considering the main ones:

1. Basic equipment - it can be either an economy class or a comfortable, more expensive system. Here the choice is entirely yours, but the price is minimal.
2. Average in cost, budget configuration system - this can be a standard and family-sized kit, or an interactive, volume-intensive kit.
3. The package comes in a luxury format - it can also be a sports category package, an ultimate package or a high-tech package.

Each configuration, as well as the components of the entire configuration system, are individual for each individual brand and can often be replaced with each other. To stand out from the general lineup, some manufacturers introduce their own unique and inimitable options into the package.

Among other things, it’s worth distinguishing between the options that come in the cabin in 2 types:

1. Options coming from the manufacturer's factory - in this case, at the production site, the required minimum of certain components and assemblies are introduced into the car and its design. It will not be possible to change it to a lesser extent, but it is quite possible to supplement it in the salon itself.
2. Options that are installed directly at dealerships and make the driving process more comfortable and the interior more designer. They can be installed into the structure directly by the dealers themselves at the request of the customer or on their own initiative.

The purchase procedure - all the details

First of all, it’s worth considering who you will buy your new car from - of course, these are dealerships, official representatives of a particular automaker. The main thing to remember is that you should not buy a car in those showrooms where the price is lower than the level of the official manufacturer. You should not trust such dealers - most often in their work they use gray and semi-legal sales schemes, black schemes when a car is sold with a criminal record and, accordingly, this promises you many problems and legal proceedings.

When exactly is the best time to buy a car at a dealership? First of all, you should focus on the season:

• In the winter period of the year, when the demand for sleeping cars decreases and dealers give in on prices and offer good discounts, but all this is only for outdated models, so to speak. If you have chosen a car from the updated range, there is nothing special to count on.
• In the spring months, when many official manufacturers of the model range are updating, and the price of last year’s models drops accordingly.

During these periods, you can count on excellent discounts and price reductions in the official showroom. If we take the selection criterion by reporting periods, for example, for a month, quarter or half a year - a year, then it is best to visit the salon in the last days of the month, since discounts are unlikely at the very beginning.

Buying a used vehicle

Buying a used car is by default cheaper than a new one, and the main task for the buyer is to find a car that does not have hidden defects (you can find out more about how to check a car before buying here).

Visiting auctions

If the buyer is aiming for a bargain, it is worth turning to pawn car auctions . They sell cars that were seized from loan holders as debt repayment. At auctions there are very “appetizing” offers, plus the seller in this case will provide the buyer with all the necessary documentation. In other words, the legal purity of such a car will be higher than when purchasing a car from a private person directly.

Read more about how to buy a car at auction in this material.

Bargain

Bargaining works wonders, so it can and should be used to bring down the price. We advise you to pay attention to advertisements with the note “urgent”, plus, in a roundabout way, find out how interested the seller is in quickly selling the car.

The faster the owner wants to sell the vehicle, the more accommodating he will be . In no case should you make a decision rashly; during negotiations you can use many tactics. For example, initially demonstrate your readiness to buy a car and only then declare that the price is still a little expensive.

Having decided that the matter is in the bag, the seller, after such a statement, will most likely still decide to lower the price tag, because he has already dreamed of how he will hold the money in his hands.

Where can I find it cheaper?

In large cities, prices may be higher ; on the other hand, due to competition, it is in large settlements that private individuals may decide to lower the price. To understand which cost should be considered overpriced and which is optimal, study car markets in other cities. It’s not a sin to go to a neighboring city for a good offer.

How to buy a car profitably?

Having chosen a car model, its color, it is worth visiting the showroom, finding out their initial terms of purchase, and so on. The main thing in this case is not to let the manager of the dealership take the initiative into his own hands, but to dictate his own terms, because this is the only way to count on a successful purchase of a car at a discount.

What can and should be said to the manager? First of all, note that if there are discounts on a more expensive package, you are ready to consider them, which will encourage the manager to reveal all his cards and current promotions and discounts to you. We can say that their competitors just called you and offered more favorable conditions than theirs, with elite and expensive gifts, and therefore you are wondering if they have anything like that now?

This will make you not a victim who can be controlled, but rather a client for whom you need to fight with competitors and defend with all possible promotions and discounts. And you will definitely become insolent and want to bargain - you should not miss out on a potential buyer, the dealer will not lose anything, and even less so from the auto center itself.

When communicating with the manager in the showroom, let him clearly understand that this is not the first time you are buying a car and therefore you desperately need an advantageous offer here and right now. If you are asked to come tomorrow and drink coffee and talk calmly, answer reasonably that you have no time to drink coffee and all you need from the salon is a car, and not idle chatter. The main thing is to demand a verdict on discounts here and now.

You should not fall for all kinds of discount cards and cumulative bonuses - they are not considered discounts and therefore you should not respond to such admonitions from the dealer if he is carried in this direction. Dealers want to tie the buyer to their network with such discounts and bonus cards, and therefore you should not be particularly interested in them.

If you call certain salons in advance, immediately clarify everything you need, whether there are certain configurations, discounts or promotions. In some salons they will immediately answer that no, in others they may ask you to wait a while, promising a bonus for this. If on the first round of calling you did not find the discount options you need in the salon, we repeat everything from the very beginning, again and on the third round. Yes, that’s exactly how discounts are made, through hard work.

By communicating with dealers in this way, you will learn their positions and by driving them into a corner, you will achieve what you want. Upon completion of calling each dealership, thank each employee for communicating with you and providing you with information, auction offers and promise, if anything, to call you back after talking with several more dealerships on your list.

If you do this, you should wait a few days. Quite often, after a day or two, or even less, dealers themselves begin to call you and offer car options with discounts and gifts. Here you can stop your adventures and winning gifts and discounts and go directly to choosing the final dealership from which you will buy your car.

Buying a used car from advertisements

the method of buying a used car through advertisements the optimal combination of price, quality and quantity of the car when purchasing This method provides the greatest opportunity to buy a car in good condition for reasonable money, which is its significant advantage. However, do not forget that salvage and stolen cars are sold not only on the market, so before you start inspecting suitable examples, do not forget to study How to buy a used car from advertisements.

The second advantage of buying a used car through advertisements is a truly large selection of models and trim levels. At the car market and in a used car store, only a limited number of cars can be presented at a time, from which you have to choose something that is most suitable. According to advertisements, you can choose almost any configuration, with any possible parameters, almost the same as when buying a new car, although this greatly depends on the activity of sellers in your region. However, even if a car with the required configuration is not on sale now, this does not mean that it will not appear in a week or month. Buying a used car isn't hassle-free. It’s quite normal when it takes several weeks to find a good option.

This method of buying a used car also has its disadvantages . It is not always possible to find out the true condition of the car from a telephone conversation, since the seller may try to hide it, in the hope of luring you in for an inspection and “selling” you a car that for some reason he really wants to get rid of. Therefore, communication skills with people and the ability to identify falsehoods already at the stage of telephone conversations are very important here. It’s good if the seller lives on the next street, then inspecting the car can be considered just a walk, but what if you choose a car you came tens or hundreds of kilometers away? In this case, it is necessary to prepare several backup options in order to choose the most suitable one.

Here are the main disadvantages of buying a used car from advertisements: a lot of time spent inspecting options and the inability to inspect several cars at a time , in one place, as is usually done in a car showroom and car market.

Advantages of buying a used car through advertisements:

• High chances of buying a good car inexpensively
• Large selection of models and configurations

Flaws:

• A lot of time and effort spent examining options

Conclusions:

The method of buying a used car through advertisements is perhaps the most universal . The value of this method is the opportunity to personally see the owner of the car and, in a calm atmosphere, without the inevitable fuss in the market, study the documents and ask the seller about the history of the car. At the same time, this method allows you to find the right model in the right configuration, rather than choosing from a narrow assortment presented on the market or at a car dealership.

If you know a little about people and know how to conduct telephone conversations, then this method will suit you better than others, otherwise the benefits of buying a car through advertisements may be useless for you.

You should only buy a used car from advertisements if you have enough time to search for and inspect suitable options. There is no need to rush when choosing a used car, and even more so when buying from advertisements. The more time you are willing to spend searching for a good car, the greater your chances of finding just such a car.

In any case, you need to prepare for buying a used car from advertisements by studying the rules of How to buy a used car from advertisements . By strictly following these recommendations, you can reduce the likelihood of an unsuccessful purchase to almost zero.

Purchasing process

After you have chosen a profitable dealer for yourself, you should definitely check with him one last time about the availability of a specific car, make and color, equipment and discounts with gifts, payment method. Afterwards you can go to the place and there you can look at your own swallow in person. If the car is parked on the street, be sure to ask for a wash, and then proceed to inspect the body, it is best if you use a thickness gauge.

The body itself should not be damaged or scratched, and if there are certain defects that you can fix yourself in the future and that do not affect the operation of the car, or corrections that are hidden from you, ask for a discount. So you will have to come to the dealers at least twice - the first time you will inspect the car, make a deposit and leave your own coordinates. And be sure to write down the license plate number of the car you have chosen so that the dealer is not tempted to exchange it for another car.

When they call you from the dealership and say that the car is ready and can be picked up, you will come to pick it up on the appointed day. Be sure to check the number of the body and internal unit with your notes and then proceed to sign the contract. Before autographing documents, read all the terms and conditions of the car purchase and sale agreement, especially those written at the very end in small letters. At official dealers, you can immediately, so to speak, without leaving the cash register, and arrange insurance for your car on the spot. CASCO or OSAGO – it’s up to you to choose.

After all the documents have been signed and you have paid for the car, the salon itself must conduct pre-sale preparations. And this program necessarily includes washing the car and polishing it with paste, as well as inflating the tires and removing the preservation applied by the manufacturer from the car.

When you leave the salon, you must have a passport for the car and insurance, a package of warranty documents and certificates, a service book filled out in the salon, as well as a book describing the car and its operation.

How to buy a car in Russia profitably and cheaply?

A car purchase and sale transaction always involves two parties - the seller and the buyer . The benefit of the arrangement also depends equally on the seller and the buyer.

Let's give a simple example - the future owner of a car is diligently looking for a specific model and brand, he is literally in love with it, which means he will agree to overpay, roughly speaking, “for the brand.” Or another situation - a potential buyer talked with his friend and he recommended one of the salons to him.

A positive recommendation from another person makes the car dealership more attractive in the eyes of the buyer and he does not pay attention to possible pitfalls.

In order to remain objective and true to your needs, we suggest that you find out the main criteria for the transaction before going to the salon or viewing advertisements.

Decide on the cost

How much is a buyer willing to pay for a new car and how much for a used one? What additional “chips” will be needed, and which ones are completely unnecessary? Marketing these days is truly ruthless and works flawlessly, making the buyer think that “this”, “this” and “that” are exactly what he needs.

To avoid becoming a victim of a cunning seller, decide in advance on the maximum and minimum amount , if possible, analyze the main characteristics of the car and highlight what you are willing to pay extra for. The advantages and disadvantages should resonate with your needs, not with the seller's praises.

Find out the cost of service

When choosing a car, it is important to look several steps ahead, because during operation additional expenses are inevitable - on repairs. It is advisable to find out in advance how much car servicing and parts cost. How difficult is it to get spare parts and how much do they cost?

Remember that used cars need repairs more often than new ones . And on this note, it’s time to move on to the third important issue when buying a car - choosing a new or used one.

Know the pros and cons of a new car and a used one

Often the main criterion when choosing a new or used car is the cost of the desired car and the amount of money available for purchase. If desires do not coincide with possibilities, the buyer turns his attention to the used car market. Both salon cars and used ones can be a good buy, but both have their advantages and disadvantages.

The new car has a greater safety margin; there is a possibility that for several years the new owner will not be bothered by serious breakdowns. Such cars are suitable for people who do not understand how cars work. Although, of course, when buying a car in a showroom, you will have to overpay a little for a “new product” . If desired, in the showrooms you can order a warranty, service and other accompanying services, which again will facilitate the operation of the car.

A used car means saving money, sometimes very significant, and an opportunity to purchase a car of the desired brand with a limited supply of funds. At the same time, a used vehicle may hide unpleasant surprises - breakdowns that will manifest themselves after some time. If the new owner is mechanically savvy, he can fix any imperfections found on his own.

Recommendations for buyers

• Even at the car dealership, determine how much gas is in your tank - this will help you not to end up halfway on the road, in the middle of active traffic on the way to the garage.
• Documents such as the MTPL policy, PTS and your driver’s license should always be kept in a separate folder in the car, or at least with you in case you are stopped by a traffic police officer.
• Before leaving the car dealership, be sure to adjust the seat and, of course, the steering column to suit you and your height, check the serviceability of all systems and chassis, and warm up the engine.

To summarize, we can draw the following conclusions:

1. The purchase will be successful if you select the right components and choose the options you really need. If funds allow, you can supplement the main composition at your discretion.
2. The success of the discount is determined by the season and your own persistence, drive and ability to find a common language with the manager.
3. You should buy a car exclusively from an official dealer, but at the same time personally check everything and everyone, documents and the car, so that in the future you will not have problems either with the traffic police or with the service stations themselves, where you will have to drive your swallow.

If you have your own secrets for buying a car at a car dealership, we will gladly take them into account and share them with all our readers.

Buying a used car at a car dealership

myth among car enthusiasts that buying a used car in a store is legally safer . This misconception is caused by the solidity and impressiveness of some car dealerships, as well as their high prices for used cars. In fact, it is just as difficult for a car dealership to identify a used car as it is for an ordinary buyer, but the car dealership is not even interested in this, its task is to buy the car cheaper and then sell it as quickly as possible and for more money. If a used car store is offered a car at a bargain price, then the car dealership accepts it and, with its own markup, quickly sells it to the new owner.

official dealers should be included in a separate category of used car stores . Typically, they use the so-called “trade-in” scheme, when the buyer trades in his old car to pay for a new one. A car that is often rented out is 3-5 years old and is sold by its first owner, who has serviced the car at the same official dealer for the entire period. Such a car can be a very good option for the next owner, but the official dealer will set the price for it 10-20% higher than the market price.

It can be assumed that buying a used car at an official dealer's showroom is sometimes safer , but this cannot be taken as an absolute truth. There are known cases when, after handing over the car to a trade-in, the first owner returned to the car dealership to pick up a personal item left in the car and discovered that the mileage on his car had been halved, and the service book had been replaced and completely rewritten in accordance with the legend .

Among other things, to hide a large number of previous owners, car dealerships also use replacement PTS. After replacement, the duplicate PTS will contain only one entry with one single, current owner of the car, which is why it is extremely undesirable to buy a used car with a duplicate PTS . It is almost impossible to find out even the approximate history of such a car; it is unknown how many hands it has passed through, whether the original was really lost by the owner or left for easy sale of the car after its planned theft from the new owner.

The main, if not the only, clear advantage of buying a used car in a store is the higher convenience of inspecting cars . But the choice here is usually much inferior to car markets, although large automobile supermarkets are already appearing in large cities of our homeland, allowing you to inspect up to several thousand cars in one area.

The main disadvantage of buying a car from a used car store is the inflated price . Typically, a car dealership inflates the price by 10-20%, explaining this increase by the high costs of pre-sale preparation, which serves, first of all, to hide the car’s shortcomings from a potential buyer. Of all the ways to buy a used car, the dealership is by far the most expensive .

Used car stores must carry out pre-sale preparation , polish the car until it shines, and, if possible, remove all kinds of dirt and operational defects. Thanks to this, the car begins to shine like new, blinding the naive buyer with its brilliance. Particularly striking is the perfectly clean engine compartment, which gives the impression that the car is completely new. In fact, washing an engine is only a visual imitation of quality , not allowing one to determine the presence or absence of an oil leak, which a worn-out engine in a new car may well suffer from.

Sometimes car dealerships provide their own warranty on a used car. However, in reality, as in the case of purchasing a new car from an unofficial dealer, this guarantee is usually valid only for inexpensive breakdowns. While everything is going smoothly, the car dealership lures you with a loud, promising and at the same time vague concept of “warranty,” but as soon as it comes to warranty repair of an automatic transmission or engine, it may suddenly turn out that the “warranty” does not apply to this unit. Therefore, dear readers, when buying a car in a used car store, do not take the seller’s words at face value, but rather carefully read the terms of the contract.

Advantages of buying a used car from a car dealership:

• Ease of selection and inspection of machines

Flaws:

• Overcharge
• Imitation quality

Conclusions:

If you don’t understand and don’t want to figure out how to buy a used car, then a used car store is the second safest way for you to buy a used car, after the “ from friends ” option. Buy a used car from an authorized dealer with a good reputation, so you will at least slightly reduce the likelihood of buying a problem car. If the simple rules for selecting used cars do not scare you, then a much more reliable and less expensive way would be to buy a used car through advertisements .