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How to keep from getting ripped off when you go to buy car online.
Would you
consider car buying online...or selling one for that matter...over the
Internet? The BIG 4 car buying online review.My advice is to use the below buy car online websites, as well as edmonds.com, kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book) and jdpower.com, to do your research on the value of the car you're looking for, what you should be paying for it and what the auto industry and consumers say about the vehicle in the reviews.Here are the features I like the best about the big four... Autotrader.com - This is a classified listing site. Most of their listings are car dealers with a few private owner listings sprinkled in between. There's very helpful tips on buying new, certified pre-owned or used cars. Good place to visit to research seller asking price or to get retail and invoice pricing. Cars.com - This is a classified listing site. Most of their listings are car dealers with a few private owner listings sprinkled in between. It has an awesome shopping advice section, particularly the manufacturer's incentive programs, which is most useful when doing your research on cash back and special financing offered on your new car. eBay Motors - You already know this...but I'll tell you anyway...this is an auction site. Their listings are a 50/50 mix of car dealers and private party used car sellers. Here you'll find a great tips and advice section that completely describes the car buying online process for both buyers and sellers of vehicles, and check this out...in the left column is a "Search Options" section that allows you to query "Completed Listings". By using this handy feature for the car you want, you now know what others have paid for the same vehicle...and therefore...what you should be paying also. Yahoo Autos - You can view beautiful photos of the car you like...up to 19 outside and inside shots organized extremely well for easy, pinpointed, new car research. I really like their new car quick facts too...just click on the make, model and year your interested in and up pops the quick facts page where you can see what Cash Back or Special Financing is available. A "Total Cost To Own" calculator is also available where you can see what it will cost you to own the vehicle you're looking to buy over a five-year period...and it's based on your local area. Another useful feature is the owner reviews that you can use to determine ownership satisfaction. Used car listings for Yahoo Autos are provided by Autotrader.com. Side Note: Here's a link to a great buy car online site I found where you can do a meta search on most, if not all, the car sites for the vehicle your looking for on just one query. It saves you time -- you don't have to visit each site and type in the information over and over again each time...click here to go to the site. Online car buying tips for buyers.The tips here are primarily for eBay auto auctions, but you can use most of them for the online classified sites as well.Once you know what you should be paying for the car you want by checking out what others are paying on eBay Motors, you can query the online, car classified sites with the car specifics and price. If you get a hit on your buy car online search criteria and you like the vehicle, contact the classified listing owner and make an offer. But read these important tips first... Focus on one car. Choose a make and model, then hit the buy car online market place. It's easier to make frequent checks on the buy car online market by using an exact model in the search field. Then narrow things down further by year -- "from and to", for example: from 2003 to 2004. Watch the auctions for a while before bidding. Use the "Watch This Item" feature to track sales. Search "Completed Listings" to track final sale prices. This is good advice before you make a purchase at any car buying online site. Get familiar with the eBay buyer tools. Check the feedback from other buyers regarding the seller. Read the auction description carefully and request more clarification or photos by e-mail if necessary. 
Some
"experts" recommend you stay away from sellers with no feedback or that
you make sure the individual is rated as a seller, not a
buyer...balony! For example...what if I'm a buyer and a seller at the same time, that is to say, what if I'm in the market for a new car and instead of trading in my existing car, I want to sell it online and make some money instead of giving it away (almost) to the new car dealership? This may be the first time I've attempted to sell a car online, therefore, I would have no seller feedback. This is a good thing in my estimation; I'd rather buy from a private party individual with no feedback than a dealer with bookoo (that's a lot) feedback. You are typically going to pay thousands of dollars less buying a used car from a private part vs. a car dealership. Call the seller with questions. If you can't develop a rapport with the seller over the phone, why would you buy his/her vehicle site unseen? It all starts with building trust...and if it doesn't feel right over the phone, then it just ain't right. Look for low reserve or no reserve auctions. Reserve price can often be as high as the car's retail value. Low reserve should be some where between wholesale (or trade-in value) and private party price. Some recommend looking for "No Reserve" auctions to bid on, but I don't agree with this because if the highest bid is below fair market then the seller can cancel the listing before the auction ends, and eBay policy allows this. Does the seller allow you an out? Bid only on car buying online auctions where sellers allow you to cancel after you inspect the car. Don't buy car online until you've had it inspected first by a mobile vehicle inspection company...especially sight-unseen. Obtain a vehicle history report. A vehicle history report can provide useful information, such as who holds the title to the car and whether the car has been in an accident reported to authorities. You'll also find out whether the car was ever reported stolen, salvaged or damaged. Click here to learn more. Then, go with the best at carfax.com. Get the car inspected by an ASE-certified auto mechanic, if you brought the vehicle at a buy car online auction or through a private party. Schedule a mobile vehicle inspection with a professional mechanic or an auto inspection service that will go to the car if it's not located in your area. An auto inspection can identify hidden problems and help you avoid a costly mistake. Follow this link for tips on how to select the right mobile vehicle inspection service. However, keep in mind that an auto inspection isn't a warranty and won't guarantee a car is free from defects or that the inspector has identified all existing problems. But do keep in mind that sometimes, though, an auto inspection will uncover problems not reflected in the vehicle history report that could cause you to walk away from the purchase. So don't rely solely on the vehicle history report to make your purchase decision. Check out these auto inspection tips, then... Contact a mobile vehicle inspection service like carchex.com and arrange for a mobile vehicle inspection at a nominal cost. Get the seller's OK to do this, and then provide the auto inspection service with the seller's contact information. Confirm seller's contact information. Before you send payment, verify the seller's proper name, full address, phone number(s), email address, etc. Do a quick background check; visit netdetective.com where for a one-time charge of $29.00 you'll get 3 full years of unlimited searches. Here's what to look for in a background check services company. ...So everything should match up. Be wary if the seller is located overseas; my suggestion is if you aren't in the international auto business or into buying expensive, exotic foreign cars, then deal only with U.S. sellers. You should be able to find the vehicle you want state-side. Pay for the vehicle. Use PayPal to send a deposit for eBay auctions. Use a reprutable escrow service, like escrow.com to protect yourself against fraud when paying for a car you purchased at auction or through a private party. You can use traditional methods of payment if you purchase through an established, brick-and-mortar car dealership you verified to be legit. Check with the Better Business Bureau. Get a detailed receipt. Ask the seller for a receipt that states whether the vehicle is being sold with a limited warranty or "as is." If it's as-is, then you may want to purchase an extended warranty yourself for protection against the unseen. Revisit the Automobile Warranty section for purchase tips. Get title to the vehicle. Make sure you know what's required in your state to transfer title to the vehicle you're buying. You can use an online title transfer service, such as that provided by escrow.com who can handle everything or revisit the Used Car Buying section for title transfer tips to do it yourself. Factor in travel or delivery costs. Remember, you have to pick up the vehicle. If you're local, then it's not a problem. If it's in another state several hundred miles away, then you also have the option of having it shipped. Include gas, hotels, food, lost work time, and plane tickets, etc. in the cost, if you're picking it up long distance. Part of car buying online from someone halfway accross the U.S. is the adventure...and the savings! It's not worth the trip if you're not saving more money than it's costing you to obtain the vehicle. Pick up your car. If you're going to fly, buy round-trip plane tickets. Round-trip airfare is often cheaper than a one-way ticket, and it gives you flexibility if you decide to back out on the purchase. If you don't plan on getting the vehicle yourself, arrange for transport via a reprutable auto tranport company. Follow this link for tips on how to select the right car moving company. Online car buying tips for sellers.Confirm all contact information. Be very wary of buyers willing to purchase your car sight-unseen, especially buyers located overseas. Always verify the buyer's complete contact information.Secure payment first. Do not transfer the title until you have payment in hand or in escrow at the agreed upon price. 
Verify that a certified check is
genuine. Before you deposit a certified check, verify
authenticity with the
issuing bank -- not just your bank. Make sure the account contains
sufficient funds and the issuing bank guarantees payment on the
check. It may take a week or more for the check to clear. It hasn't cleared just because your bank has accepted it and credited your account. Beware of overpayment or other complicated payment schemes. Don't agree to any plan where the buyer asks to send a check for more than the sale price and requests that the seller refund the difference. And be suspicious of any buyer who proposes making payment through a friend, agent or any other third party the buyer wants to designate. Protect personal information. Never give personal information out via a website, email or over the phone unless your absolutely have to and you are sure it is safe to do so. If you are conducting a transaction using your credit card on a website make sure it is legitimate first. Don't arrive at the site through a link in an email; type the web address directly in the address bar yourself. Make sure your transaction is secure via a secure server; look for a logo such as Verisign or check that there's a lock icon in the lower right corner of your screen. Prepare your car for transport. Whether the buyer is picking up the vehicle themselves or having it picked up by a car moving company, prepare the vehicle for its journey. Check here for some tips on how and what you need to do. Internet crime schemes alert.Here's a list of current and ongoing Internet trends and schemes identified by the Internet Crime Complaint Center along with its description:
...for some added insurance and peace of mind, visit netdetective.com and run a background check on anyone. Learn more about protecting yourself from Internet crime schemes by visiting these site links:
Copyright© & Trade Mark™ 2006 All Rights Reserved. |
eBay
Motors is so big, It's the most visited used car buying online website
on the planet! There are more unique auto shoppers every
month at
eBay Motors than all the other major players, like Cars.com,
AutoTrader.com, and Yahoo Autos combined...let me say it again...that's
COMBINED.