| |
|
 |
| |
The top 10 ways not to buy your next new car - December 05, 2009
Avoid any vehicle that fits your driving style and budget, and ignore safety and fuel ratings
Over the next few weeks, the media will have a field day providing best-of and worst-of lists on various subjects.
In the spirit of the season, I've prepared my own list of the Top 10 worst ways to buy a car from a franchised new-car dealership.
Here they are, in no particular order:
Pay no heed to price. Find a vehicle that looks and feels good, and make an offer to purchase, regardless of the price tag.
And don't bother factoring in the taxes and insurance costs, either.
Ignoring these minor details will speed up the sales process significantly and lead to good cheer and smiles all around.
Don't research the make and model. Once you've chosen the car of your dreams, avoid reading any reviews and consumer reports about it.
And whatever you do, don't compare the vehicle to others in its class.
Sidestepping this due diligence may result in some "shock" and "awe" after you purchase the vehicle, but isn't that part of the car-buying experience?
Choose a vehicle that gives you the warm and fuzzies. If the car looks great in the driveway and it will increase your approval ratings among friends, family and neighbours, then it's the right vehicle for you.
Avoid any vehicle that fits your driving style and budget, and ignore hard facts such as fuel economy, safety ratings, industry awards and resale value.
Don't negotiate. Agree to pay the first price that is put on the table. This could be the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), or an alternate price suggested by the dealership.
And if you want to further avoid complicating matters, don't make a counter-offer. The salesperson would be offended if you did.
Buy all add-ons or accessories that are presented. Part of the sales process involves visiting with the business manager, who will present after-market products to enhance your purchase.
Agree to purchase all of these items, even if you don't want or need them. Declining any of these offers might hurt the business manager's feelings.
Don't consult your spouse or partner before buying. Spouses are generally forgiving when their significant other makes a major purchase without discussing it.
Surprise your spouse or partner with a new set of wheels, and say, "Voilà!"
Don't check the dealership's reputation. Visit the first dealership that you come across and hope for the best.
Since all dealerships are created equal, and since reputations are difficult to determine, it doesn't really matter where you decide to do business.
Don't test drive the vehicle. As long as the vehicle looks sharp and clean, a test drive adds valuable time to the sales process.
Skip the test drive altogether and go straight to making an offer. Besides, there will be plenty of time after you buy to determine if the vehicle is right for you.
Pay a deposit – then mull over your decision. After you've paid a deposit, go home and reconsider your purchase.
Whatever you do, don't plan ahead. If you decide against purchasing the vehicle, after you've made a financial commitment, you'll only be out several hundred (or thousand) dollars at best.
Don't read the fine print. New-car advertisements contain a lot of mumbo-jumbo fine print written in smaller type for the benefit of consumers.
This information spells out the details of the offer (including added costs such as freight, licence, PDI, etc.) and it must be included, by law. If it's that small, is it really that important?
Just to be clear: the aforementioned recommendations should not be followed when buying a car!
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
Home Page
