Looking for car – How to make a successful car purchase!
The least people are seasoned when it comes to buying a car. It does not matter whether it is a new car or a used vehicle, the project “Looking for a car” can be somewhat a tricky decision, as there is a broad variety of offers and dealers. Especially on the internet a lot of people, inclined to buy, are at risk of meeting dubious sellers and of selling a way too high price for the object of desire. With our guide, we would like to render you assistance so that you can avoid risks and so that your car search does not turn into an exhausting procedure. With our tips and tricks you will distinguish reputable dealers from „black sheep“ better and you will get a better idea of what you are really looking for at the same time. We give you an overview of the car market and show you ways to find a suitable vehicle for you in the big pool of car makes. So if you also would like to run an advertisement titled “looking to buy a car” you better read this article first. In case you want to find out “Which car suits me?” you’ll find your answer in our guide.
There are different ways on how to approach a car search. In this guide we give you an exact overview of all the advantages and disadvantages every single purchasing method has. That way you will know which method will be the right one for you.
- Licensed dealer
Though a licensed dealer is primarily specified in a certain manufacturer, who also represents the majority of his offer, you can also find cars of other brands there, especially in the pre-owned vehicles section.
One of the big advantages of licensed dealers is that they often offer, in addition to the legally required sellers’ warranties, warranties for both new and used cars. Normally the guarantees of a new car are often defined by the manufacturer and not by the dealer. Furthermore you can assume that their business is usually reliably operated, which leads to a lot of confidence among many customers. Besides that licensed dealer often have easily access to company and staff cars and to cars from leasing contracts. Consequently relatively new cars, especially employee’s cars, can be acquired here at a fairly worthwhile price.
Promotional sales, as known from independent dealers, are however pretty rare. It should be added that there eventually might be room for negotiations but this room is dictated by the manufacturer and has to be complied with by the dealer.
- Independent dealer
The assortment of an independent dealer quite often covers all known brands. But therefore the expert knowledge regarding one particular brand is very rarely present. A guarantee on top of the warranty is offered only in a few cases. But on the other hand independent dealers are not restricted by any regulations from certain car manufacturers. Other regulations dictated at licensed dealers, e.g. loyalty to certain car workshops, are also inapplicable. The biggest disadvantages by far for both customers as well as for the reputable independent dealers are the few “black sheep”, which create quite a bad reputation for the whole sector by unfair practices.
- Advertisement
There are different forms of advertisement in which cars are offered for sale and which are helpful when doing car search. This can happen via newspaper ads, leaflets, radio or also TV commercial. Normally every sense is sharpened for all distribution channels available to the advertising industry and is paid more attention to as soon as you are actively looking for a car. Since the digital revolution newspaper ads seem to have gotten out of style in the course of this. But they offer – especially in car magazines and regional papers – a lot of advantages which speak for this way of car search. Interested people can get a quick overview of offers. Especially through regional ads, long access routes and the associated costs are avoided. On top of that, you also support a regional seller. Leaflets are basically worded in general terms and use illustrations to show the advantages of the up for sale car, so they can encourage more interested people to buy. Radio and TV commercials are an increased version. They can be used to send even more intense messages at an even bigger range to prospective buyers. Your advantage as a potential buyer is that the vast variety of commercials offers you the opportunity to react to suggestions and the possibility of comparison to find out which make and model meets your expectations.
- Advertising portals
So called advertising portals on the internet make it possible to buy a car fast and easily, just like classified newspaper ads. However they are not only specialized in car selling ads but offer all different kinds of goods for sale. This most likely offers a wide choice which is often well-assorted and asks you to grub and compare. The disadvantage is that you cannot be sure to what extend an offer is reliable and to what extend the information provided by the seller to the portal are true. Everyone who already had a bad experience in this area knows that extreme caution and carefully reading can prevent very bad mistakes.
- Online car markets
Online car markets work similar to advertising portals. The only difference is that they exclusively focus on buying and selling cars. Car owners and potential customers can meet and come to an agreement here. Through a search mask particular parameters regarding the idea of the dream car can be entered. The price as well as the brand and the date of first registration can be stated, whereby the search will be narrowed down and an exact overview of the offer is created. On top of that different car markets also offer a variety of information sources, like guides and own car magazines, in which they report on a lot of things to know regarding the automobile industry besides the car search.
Pay attention to how many search criteria you can select on each portal. The number of possible search parameters should be around 50 to offer you a detailed idea of your dream car. Fees for a successful sale, well known from certain advertising portals, shall not be charged, as there are more than enough reputable providers, which offer this service for free. Meanwhile they are financed by the ads of business clients as well as the use of ad banners.
Rules for a successful online car search
Based on the diverse offer regarding car search, it is possible for dealers and private sellers, who publish dubious offers, to mix in with the many reputable and professional providers. A lot of them sell their cars for dubious or unreasonable prices or simply omit essential vehicle data in their online ads. That’s why it is important to always check the provider soundly first and not let yourself get carried away with a rashly purchase. Our checklist covers the best ways to differentiate between a reputable car dealer and a shady one and also covers what makes your car search safer.
- reliability when making agreements (sticking to appointments for test drives and inspections)
- Sound explanation of the object (details in the profile description)
- appropriate price proposals (do price research beforehand)
- Integrity of all vehicle documents
- Seller can answer all customer questions and does not push for payment
- Investigations regarding the selling history (are good reviews / critiques available?)
- purchase agreement, written proof
When you follow the recommendations on our checklist regarding a reputable seller, then you can take advantage of the countless opportunities the internet has to offer. The World Wide Web has a high information potential. Even if using the online platforms does not lead to a purchase, drivers can still inform themselves explicitly, scour the offers, and review car brands. The advantage of this procedure is that the car search proceeds more manageable and the current offers can constantly be accessed. On many car portals functions such as contact forms and review systems round off the offers. The abundantly variety of purchasable vehicles make the internet an important platform for car purchases.