Reliable Internet Buying Tips And Tricks: Is It Safe Buying A Car On The Internet?
In this day and age of everything being available on the Internet, does it seem improbable that you can actually buy cars online?
No but then on the other hand, is it safe to buy a car on the Internet?
Some say not in light of the numerous scams that have cropped up.
But does that mean that it isn't safe to buy a car on the Internet?
No....but.....with all the scams going on, it's really important to know a little bit about buying cars online.....what to look for and what to walk away from!
With a little knowledge behind you, it is possible to buy a really good car and get a sweet deal on the Internet.
I know because two people I know have done it and never regretted it. They got super good deals and great cars so that's why I personally know it's possible!
Let's take a look at some of the do's and don'ts of buying a car on the Internet.
Is it Safe Buying A Car on the Internet
Let's examine how it is safe to buy a car on the Internet.
Do your homework. Know what the car
you're wanting to buy is worth.....bottom line...and then you can't be taken. Check sources like the Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds True Market Value. Know how much you can afford. That doesn't mean how much
you WISH you could afford. Have it
calculated out to the penny....if you pay it off in 3 years you obviously are
going to save a heap of money. Know the
best interest rates you can get and know how many years you want to carry the
debt for if you're not paying cash. You notice this is the first suggestion. Without doing your homework you should never go online to shop for a car.
Avoid dealers. Well, actually yes and no! Some people say to avoid them at all costs but actually if you know that the deal is "sound" and the only place you can get the car online is from ebay (they have dealers listing cars from all over the country), you just need to be street smart about how you check to make sure the deal and the car are legit.
No photo, no deal. Don't even
consider cars if there isn't a picture!
I know it's prejudiced but let's face it....if someone isn't computer
savvy enough to post a picture, and they're selling on the Internet....hel-lo? About the only time I'd take a pass on
this is if the car was right in my neighborhood and listed on CraigsList where I
could actually go there and see it for myself. No picture, no deal!
Be prepared to be overwhelmed! Especially if you're shopping on ebay, you are going to have your car socks knocked off. There are thousands of cars to choose from. There are dealers from all over the country but to avoid being victim of a scam, just don't buy a car that needs to be shipped. That's simple. Arrange for shipping yourself and payment so you can't be the victim, or better yet, buy a car in a city that's within driving distance to where you live. Go pick it up yourself. I have a friend who drove to Portland, Oregon and got a beautiful Subaru off CraigsList. They took their loan with them and were ready to talk turkey after speaking with the people on the phone. They had an inspection lined up and a test drive, and having seen the car online, they put a "hold" deposit on it. They drove 2-1/2 hours to check it out and drove home with it!
Be realistic and use your head! If the car is older, don't be surprised if it needs some work. But make sure that the work doesn't' exceed what the car is going to be worth or if it is seriously a good deal. If there is a story about how it needs minimal work, probably should think why wasn't it done before they put it up for sale? Likewise, if it sounds to good to be true, it usually is !
Some Tips on Buying Cars on the Internet
Buying a Car On the Internet
You can download a carfinder that a lot of folks use to search craigslist with. You can perform multi-city searches,
nationwide searches or state searches. Check it out at this carfinder search engine.
You can also download a desktop classified search tool to search both eBay and Craigslist.
Most of all, in thinking about purchasing a car on the Internet, use the best tool of all....your intuition. It's free and it has a pretty high success rate!
Just use common sense as in most things in life and you'll find that it is safe buying a car on the Internet as long as you exercise proper caution and know what you're looking for, what it should cost, etc.
If you think something isn't right about the seller or the deal, just take a walk. There'll always be another car! It beats being scammed.
Most of all, don't fall for the shipping the car to you gimmick and making payment up front. Arrange things yourself and make sure that you will actually get the car!
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