Worry is the chief reason consumers typically eschew the used car lot or person-to-person used car sales. But, worry not. By taking certain precautions, consumers can protect themselves from dubious purchases and the wallet-squeezing lemons that dominate used car myths—and what's more, patrons then leave with a quality item at an affordable price. So, pay attention.
A top resource for researching used vehicles is the official homepage of the Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com). An automotive authority for decades, the Blue Book helps determine the ever fluctuating field of a car's worth. Dependent upon a routine and cursory examination of an auto's condition (usually as bland as fair, poor, and mint), consumers can evaluate the proper asking price of various models of used cars. Therefore, if the Blue Book value of a mint condition 1989 Honda 2-door Civic is $4,450 and the asking price of the Civic you were considering (in fair condition) is $5,500, you know exactly how to counter bid. With standardized values so readily available, your chance of being scammed or swindled, in terms of asking price, becomes virtually nil.
Another imperative point of procedure when deliberating upon car sales is obtaining a VIN or Used Car History Report. Internet websites, like www.carfax.com, provide potential car buyers an invaluable resource to evaluate whether they're about to purchase damaged goods. A VIN or Used Car History Report informs buyers of the various (and potentially backhanded) accidents, repairs, and general practices of maintenance. For instance, VIN reports can catch odometer rollback, or lapses in changing oil (which immeasurably damages an engine), or bodywork done after an accident. Basically, thanks to the informational capacities of the internet, consumers can instantly inform themselves as to their purchase's past—essentially making used auto sales a much safer bet for the buyer.
The running of certain tests (compression test, etc) and always bringing a prospective buy into the shop for a check-up are another two keys to assuaging the risk of used car sales . Some ultra-conservative buyers even opt for the additional protection of an extended used car warranty. Typically, used car warranties are only offered through dealership buys (meaning that it is quite difficult to locate a warranty provider willing to insure a person-to-person buy). Aside from the possibility of an extended warranty, the dealership provides an additional advantage: most of their used cars originate not from trade-ins (as many consumers believe) but from rental car agencies and formerly leased cars. While by no means a hard and fast rule, generally speaking these types of autos were cared for much more carefully (since rental cars are not driven as often, and lessors tend to take painstaking care since they must pay fines for damages incurred under their tenancy.
When it comes down to it, used car buyers do not have to be taking shots in the dark, their transactions should be well calculated and thought out purchases that require some investigation and a little elbow grease. If getting a deal was an easy task, it would cost an awful lot more. So, get out there and start looking for that dream car. Just take a little time to make sure life isn't handing you more lemons than you can handle.
By Jean-Pierre Lacrampe