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1. Tips for Buying Cheap Used Cars for Sale

   07/06/2011 by MYCARLADY

   I understand the need for cheap, reliable, good, safe used cars among the many used cars for sale in Las Vegas, as well as nationwide.

   

   2002 Pontiac Coupe $5999

   However, I also get to experience first hand the process of elimination when checking these cars out online and in-person, as well as the heartbreak of explaining to a first-time buyer, teen driver or hard-working bloke, the reality of why this $1000 car is now costing $3000 to repair.

   7 essential tips for finding a GOOD CHEAP used CAR in this treacherous used car market 20.11

   1. When searching online at AUTOTRADER.com, CARGURUS.com, OODLE.com FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE or CRAIG’S LIST, demand to see the front and back of the title and a Carfax BEFORE driving over to see the car.  (No see-no sale)
   2. If the title says SALVAGE, REBUILT, TRUE MILEAGE UNKNOWN, RUN LIKE H-E __  ___   away from the car.  This is a nightmare waiting to happen in 85% of the cases.  The CARFAX or AUTOCHEK will tell you there was damage but not how much.  These types of cars no longer live up to the manufacturer’s safety ratings.
   3. go to WWW.NHTSA.COM and check the RECALLS, SERVICE BULLETINS and COMPLAINTS sections to read up on all the BAD stuff about this car.  I have found lots of nasty info. on the most expensive cars, friends were selling friends… at a great price. The “friends” never knew “anything” about these problems…which might have been true… but I wasn’t going to let MY CLIENT BUY THAT CAR, no matter how good a deal it was…among friends.
   4. When making an appointment, I like to arrange to meet the seller at a fire or police station parking lot, where cameras and official public servants are never more than a cry for help away.  This deters thieves and scammers.
   5. Get underneath the car and look for rust, oil stains, dirt globs where road debris has stuck to oil and grease.  Look for anything new or mismatched, including tires.
   6. Bring your mechanic with you, for a simple once over, if it passes first glance, then ask the seller to follow you back to the garage where the independent mechanic can put it up on a lift for a more thorough inspection. The inspection should yield a list of immediate and future expenses, which can be negotiated before the sale.
   7. Contact DMV to be sure there are NO OPEN LIENS on the car. In this day and age of computers, a fake title is not a surprise., and many states do not require the bank to hold the original title until the car is paid off.  Never pay-off a car loan for the seller, the title is NEVER coming to you first. It goes to the seller who has to sign it over to you.
   8. If you have any questions about this information, feel free to contact me by using the form below.  I will be happy to answer your questions as quickly as possible.

   1. Your Name(required)
   2. Email(valid email required)
   3. Phone
   4. Message(required)

    

   cforms contact form by delicious:days

   For many people the negotiation process is as arduous as the search and test-drive of a used car.  Tomorrow I will address the negotiation of a PRIVATE PARTY SALE.

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   Sarah Lee is an automotive writer, personal car concierge and commercial fleet manager. If you need free advice on your car problem, question, issue, contact her at sarahlee@mycarlady.com for a confidential conversation.
   She has over 22+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects.
   MyCarlady offers private, auto-related services to help you maintain your personal or commercial vehicles. Call Sarah Lee for more information: 702-521-7546

   
   

   Category: CAR MAKES
   Tags: auto, autotrader, Car Buying, car buying tips, cars under $5k, cars.com, cheap used cars for sale in las vegas nevada, craigs list, National Highway safety administration, NHTSA, private party sale, usedcars
   

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2. Car Saleswoman Confessions: True or False

   07/03/2011 by

   Confessions in the car business are always about outing the dealerships tricks, profit and how to beat the dealer, yet the latest article shown here: MSNautos, have more than a few FALSE statements sprinkled among a couple Truths.

   This is the MYCARLADY car saleswoman confessions from someone who has worked almost all the sales, finance, leasing, internet, sales management and training positions along with service and body-shop.

   The TRUTH about Car dealerships 20.11

   The Truth is dealerships are struggling to make it in today’s economy, squeezed by lack of new inventory, rising used car costs, increased expenses for employee healthcare, OSHA and taxes. 

   Don’t think I am defending dealers, I am simply setting the record straight on where the money is, and is NOT. Dealers pay a finance fee on their inventory so the profit gets chopped up the longer the car sits on the lot. HOLDBACK, a common misnomer of dealer profit, is virtually washed out as the car sits on the lot.

   1. The average profit on a new car deal in most dealerships selling mid and low-end vehicles is $800.00a car. The salesmen or saleswomen make between $100-$200 a car commission only when they make a sale, yet they are required to spend off-shift hours getting trained and certified on the cars they sell, in addition to giving tire kickers, car shoppers and first time buyers the benefit of their best efforts and expertise.  Used cars may bring them an average $400.00, and the national average is 12 cars per salesperson work 50 hours a week.
   2. The actual dealership/business works on margins as slim as grocery stores, hoping volume between all divisions: sales, service, parts and finance come together to generate enough profit to keep people employed, many of whom are support staff handling the multitude of paperwork required by the various government and corporate entities.
   3. Auto manufacturers test the dealership experience by sending in mystery shoppers, silent callers and surveying pre-and post dealership guests to be sure the brand is properly represented.
   4. Meanwhile, car shoppers have access to alot of information to educate themselves on the various makes, models, ratings and dealership reputation before stepping foot on the lot.
   5. Women are great shoppers, lousy car buyers, or so they think… Many women do their car research but lose confidence when dealing with the male-dominated auto dealership. Find someone you are comfortable talking to or leave. Car saleswomen can be a great resource, but are less than 10% of the car sales professionals.*

   The Biggest FALSE-hoods in the CAR DEALERSHIP.

   1. Dealers are always accused of being liars, cheaters and worse, some of this reputation earned from years of less than proper behavior and greed dating back to horse-traders and riders claiming the animal was lame when he bought her.  In today’s web-world, most dealers understand the microscope is on them and the tables have turned to the consumers favor, IF you know your car needs and limits.
   2. Dealers don’t control your credit, you do, and as such the banks will determine what the rate is, length of loan and how much down. Dealerships are limited to the amount of profit they can make on a car loan, but CASH IS NOT KING, good credit on a finaced auto contract is.
   3. NO two people pay the same price for the same car unless all the circumstances are identical. When you factor in a trade-in, credit, down payment, age of the new car and manufacturer incentives at a specific time of the yaer, day of the week and time of the month can vary a car deal by thousands.  If buying a car was as easy as buying groceries, you still have competition in the marketplace.
   4. Used cars are unique and every dealer pays a different price based on the condition and marketplace. CRAIG’S LIST may be a great place to buy or sell a car, but only a dealership has the responsibility of attesting to the condition of the vehicle and the burden of correcting a problem should one occur within a reasonable time, as governed by the local laws.

   In my years working in, around and outside the dealer network, I always chose to do business with dealers and sale people I KNEW WELL AND TRUSTED.  in today’s car business, it is hard to almost impossible to find professionals who know their product and their clients.  I have found most people in the car business truly love cars, and enjoy people, they don’t wake-up in the morning saying “who can I screw today.” Those guys are gone or going out of business as we speak.

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   *Disclosure: In additon to offering car buying, selling and personal car concierge services as MYCARLADY*. Automotive Business Services Inc. of which MyCarlady is a div. also  works with dealerships around the country to implement best practices for social media and sale integration including selling to women, developing a pro-diversity vendor relationship and reputation management.
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   ———————————————————-
   Sarah Lee is an automotive writer, personal car concierge and commercial fleet manager. If you need free advice on your car problem, question, issue, contact her at sarahlee@mycarlady.com for a confidential conversation.

   She has over 22+ years of experience. She writes about Cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects.
   MyCarlady offers private, auto-related services to help you maintain your personal or commercial vehicles. Call Sarah Lee for more information: 702-521-7546
   
   

   Category: CAR MAKES
   Tags: car sales, confessions, dealership tricks, saleswoman, true or false
   

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