Buying A New Or Used Vehicle Don't Get Scammed

Betty has been driving her car for more than ten years and her vehicle has over 180,000 miles. Lately she has been having mechanical problems with her vehicle over the past two months. She's already taken her vehicle to her local mechanic three times this month and five times last month for various mechanical problems.

Unfortunately each time she's taken her car in for repair she's paid over a hundred dollars at each visit, Ouch! The cost of these repairs is really taking a toll on Betty's bank account. She's paid over eight hundred dollars to have her vehicle repaired and her vehicle doesn't seem to be getting any better. In fact, just this morning she thought she heard a strange noise coming from her engine that she never heard before and it definitely did not sound good.

Betty's fed up and knows that she will need to start looking for another vehicle to replace the one she currently has. Her problem is that she dreads the entire process of buying a vehicle. It's been a very long time since she purchased a vehicle and Betty is not quite sure what to do before she starts looking for her next vehicle. In addition, she's not looking to spend a lot of money on her next vehicle purchase and she wants to ensure that she gets the best deal possible without getting scammed.

Well, Betty has the same dilemma as many people do when they are looking to purchase a vehicle. Most people want their buying experience to be as carefree as possible with no hassles. They certainly are not looking to be scammed. So, you're probably wondering what you can do to avoid being scammed when you're looking for your next vehicle to purchase, consider these tips before you start looking:

Tip One:

Secure your credit score and credit report before you start looking for your next vehicle in order to know where you stand with your credit. This will help you in negotiating the interest rate you will pay for your vehicle if you need a loan.

Tip Two:

If you have a vehicle to trade-in make sure you know the value of your vehicle and negotiate this component as a separate transaction from the purchase of your vehicle. In other words, ensure you're getting what your vehicle is really worth. If you're not being offered what you believe your vehicle is worth then consider selling it on your own via a private party sale.

Tip Three:

Focus on negotiating the price of the vehicle you want to purchase instead of the amount you can afford to make in a monthly payment. This will probably aid you in lowering the overall costs incurred with the vehicle you want to purchase.

Tip Four:

If you're planning on purchasing a new vehicle, try to find out the actual invoice price of the vehicle you want to purchase. Meaning you want know more about the price of the vehicle other than the sticker price or what is know as the manufacturer suggested retail price or MSRP. You should see if you can find out what the dealer actually paid for the new vehicle. By knowing the actual invoice price this gives you a starting point to negotiate the price you are willing to pay for the vehicle you want to purchase.

Tip Five:

Avoid the rollover. What's this you say? Rollover means trading up for a more expensive vehicle before you have finished paying off your existing vehicle. The result is a purchaser rolls their existing payments into the new vehicle. Unfortunately, this usually results in you owing more on the new vehicle than it's worth in the long run.

Tip Six:

If you're purchasing a used vehicle have your own independent mechanic inspect the vehicle before you purchase it. In addition, get the maintenance records for the vehicle from the owner or the dealership you're considering purchasing the vehicle from. If their unwilling to allow an inspection of the vehicle by your own mechanic and providing the vehicle maintenance records than it's time for you to move on. There are plenty of vehicles out there for you to purchase where you can get the information you need to make an informed decision.

Tip Seven:

Make sure when you have decided to purchase your vehicle instead of leasing, your contract actually reads that your vehicle is being purchased and not leased. That's right, be sure to read your vehicle purchase contract in it's entirety and know and understand what you've signed before you sign it. You do not want any surprises later on down the line.

Looks like Betty may be ready to start preparing for the purchase of her next vehicle and maybe you are too. So, get ready, get set, and let's get started with preparing yourself for your new or used vehicle purchase by using some or all of these tips to assist you along the way to make an informed decision about your future purchase.