Avoid Purchasing The Wrong Vehicle

Many people make the common mistake of buying a vehicle that is not appropriate for their situation. For example, young families buying sporty hatchbacks that are barely big enough to fit the children in, let alone the shopping! It is vital that in the initial stage of buying a car, that consideration is given to the actual type of vehicle before taking it on.

When you go to the vehicle dealer, do not be pushed around by smart talking salesmen who will all too readily sell you a car that they do not want hanging around on their lot any longer. They may offer you a free extended warranty or additional options on a new vehicle free of charge, to get you to sign on the dotted line. In short, when dealing with salespeople, preparation is everything.

With so many people going into car dealerships without any form of preparation, the consumer leaves themself wide open to all kinds of manipulation and badgering from the hard-sell sales people. As a consumer, it is your responsibility to make sure that you have made your mind up with regards to how much you are ultimately prepared to pay. Also be well aware of your current credit scoring, and if it is poor, so something about it prior to taking out a loan of any kind, this is very important as it will affect your repayments if you have a low credit score.

1. Do your homework - Do not take any salespersons words for granted, it is not worth the paper it is printed on! Whereever possible, get a bottom line figure and find out the EXACT amount you will be re-paying on a loan should you take one out. Find out how much the capital repayment is, the interest amount, the amount repayable in total credit charges and so on. You need to know all of these figures inside out before even thinking about picking up that pen and signing your name on the dotted line.

2. Take the vehicle out for a drive before buying it - This should be obvious, but some people believe that because the vehicle is brand new, that it will be fine and they will enjoy driving it. Be it a car, a van, or otherwise, you really should get inside the vehicle and make sure that it is fit for the pupose that you are buying it for. What if you find out the seats are uncomfortable, or that the brakes aren't very good ? Drive it before thinking about buying it.

3. Make sure you set your mind on what options you want with the vehicle (assuming it is a new one), prior to buying it. Shop around across a few dealers before buying as you may well find that they are prepared to compete on price to get the sale. In some cases you may find that a dealer will throw in an option complete free or at a greatly reduced price. This is great news for the consumer and remember that you have the upper hand at all times because you are the one spending the money.

4. Make sure that you are able to get a line of credit from your finance company by way of a loan BEFORE stepping foot into a dealer. This way you can ensure that you will be concentrating on buying the vehicle rather than worrying about being able to afford it once you have made your mind up what car you want.

5. Whereever possible, sell your vehicle privately. Usually you will get a far better price for it, and you will be safe in the knowledge that you are definitely getting more than what a dealer would offer you for it as a part exchange. The only downside is that selling privately may take some time in order to secure the figure that you want for it. It is worth it in the long run though.

6. Dealers have sales targets to meet and the salespeople are hungry at the end of the month to ramp up sales as much as possible to meet them. Avoid going into a dealership at the weekends because there is additional pressure on the salespeople and you may well end up getting hassled constantly. The last weekdays of the month are probably the best time to go and have a look around.

7. Never be afraid to walk away from any deal. If you feel that the deal is a little too expensive, the options being offered are not flexible enough, or even if you simply think the coffee machine in the dealership is awful. Walk away. The thing to remember is that there is no shortage of dealerships willing to fit you up with a deal that suits you, all you have to do is find one!