Due to cars tending to have problems as they age, purchasing a used car usually carries with it a particular degree of risk. And even though this risk is constantly present, it can be minimised by only dealing with renowned used car dealers and by taking along an expert in car inspection.
- In Leicester, there are many dealers in used cars, some of them large with service departments, and others much smaller.
- Those with service departments normally claim that all of their cars have been inspected and provide various levels of warranties when purchasing a vehicle from them.
- Just knowing exactly what one is looking at, the price that’s willing to be paid, whether it’s in need of a MOT in Leicester and the payments to be made and any accessories that come along with the car.
So let’s take a little look at what to watch out for:
Trick 1. Preying on someone’s lack of information
- There’s absolutely nothing a car dealer enjoys more than the clueless car shopper. You will never be able to work out a good price for a car if there’s no knowledge of what the price should be.
- Getting the best advice from the professionals before purchasing a vehicle, it’s important to have it inspected and don’t even think about sending it to the dealership’s mechanic!
- Take along your own independent mechanic, someone that can be trusted to expertly evaluate the vehicle you are interested in.
Trick 2. The Talk
- If showing interest in a car (but still undecided over purchasing it) the salesman might try to convince a person there is a queue of people just lining up to get their hands on it.
- Another ruse here is for another salesman to interrupt with news that they have another customer who is keen on the car you are interested in, and perhaps asking to pass over the keys for the “unseen customer” to take out for a test drive.
Trick 3. Lies and More Lies
- Nearly all salesmen may lie about some small things, like the colour is not available, there’s only three of these models left, that price is only good for today, etc. etc.!
Trick 4. The Old “Bait and Switch”
- The dealer will advertise a vehicle with a wonderful price, but when you get there, they say it’s already sold! They will then try to get you to buy a more expensive model.
- The entire purpose of a bait-and-switch ad is to get you into their showroom.
Trick 5. Stickers That Deceive
- Used cars will frequently have stickers on the windshield stating their prices, but this can be exceptionally misleading.
- That sticker price is only the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price), and doesn’t reflect the real price.
Good luck if you are going out there into the world of car sales dealers, and may you have the very best of luck! Stay smart!
