Untrustworthy used car lots are all over. Unfortunately, one of the most exciting things you’ll ever do can rapidly turn into the worst experiences you’ll have. Don’t fret. Reliable used car dealers are still out there. You just have to know what to look for and what to avoid.
What to Look For
There are a lot of signs of a good used car dealer like fair prices and a friendly sales staff. It’s common sense that if you run into rude staff or ridiculous prices at a used car lot, you should walk away. But there’s more to it than that, so let’s dive in.
Fair pricing is more than just reasonable prices. It’s fair and honest pricing that reflects the dealership’s good intentions. You won’t be forced to play games just to haggle the price down to where it should have been to start with. The upfront honesty of the dealership when it comes to pricing will leave you confident that they want to give you a good deal, but they also stand by the quality of their cars.
A friendly staff is also respectful and professional throughout the transaction. They listen to what you want and have an interest in finding it for you. They don’t waste your time with something that doesn’t meet your needs simply to make the sale. They sell you the car you want to buy, not the one they want to unload.
A reputable used car dealership will be transparent when it comes to the car’s history. They don’t attempt to sell cars with a bad history, and they will go above and beyond to ensure that the cars they sell are worthy of upholding their reputation.
Online reviews will tell you a lot about a dealership, whether they’re good or bad. You can usually trust a forum or review site where people talk openly about their experience with a particular used car dealer. Even when the dealership has negative reviews, if they respond positively to these in an effort to provide excellent service when things go wrong, you know they genuinely care.
What to Avoid
When looking at what to avoid, you may look at the opposite of what’s happening above. High pricing, rude staff, a reluctance to show you the vehicle’s history, or terrible online reviews should make you run the other way. Below are some other things to avoid.
False promises aren’t always easy to see, but you should always follow your instincts. Any dealership can say they sell Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, but the only people who can genuinely offer these certifications are dealerships bearing the brand of the car. Many used car dealerships will perform lengthy inspections, but they can’t certify the vehicle.
If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Many disreputable used car dealers will have bright signs, flashy ads, and promise rock-bottom sales prices only to crush your hopes as soon as you walk in. They can’t offer what an honest dealership can, so don’t be lured in by the flashy advertising.
Used car dealerships generally cannot offer a true manufacturer’s warranty, so don’t believe that they can. A few cars might still be under the manufacturer’s warranty, but most are not. For those cars, while the dealership may stand behind the quality of the cars they sell, and they may offer extended warranties, they can’t actually offer you warranty is backed by the automaker itself.
Don’t be lured by the bad guys. You can protect yourself from these terrible tactics by visiting Southwest Motors of Pueblo for a huge variety of quality used vehicles, friendly staff, honest pricing, and transparent communication.
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