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Already know what you
want? New or
Used? Price Range? Using
the Internet to find a vehicle allows you to shop hundreds of
sites all over the nation.
How far are you willing to travel for the right car?
Hard to find vehicles may require several hours on the road and
in some cases a plane flight.
| Two
Great places to start your online search! |
| AutoNetUSA
Free New and Used CarFinder Service
Rather than driving around searching. Type in as much information
as possible about the car(s) or truck(s) you are looking
for on our CarFinder Form. Be sure and include your e-mail
address and/or phone number. Your requests are sent to Member
Dealers that will contact you back via e-mail or phone with
the information you need. |
| AutoNetUSA.Classifieds
with Photos.
We feature new and used vehicles with actual
photos.
Rather than walking around dozens of dealers lots and wasting
weeks searching, bring the car lot to your desktop. Find
the vehicle you like and contact the seller direct without
spending a second of time on the street. |
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Testimonial from AutoNetUSA.com CarFinder Service user: Just wanted to let you know that I drove past 5 other Honda dealers to get to this
dealer. I was treated professionally from the start and the extra distance was well worth it. Tom in Florida
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There
are many different car buying services, classifieds, Dealer
web sites etc... online. Use as many different services as possible,
because it will give you a broader range of responses from dealers,
and you will have more vehicles to choose from .If you are not quite sure about the exact
vehicle you want, go to your local dealers and test drive different
vehicle(s).
Take good notes and narrow down your choices.
Qualify
Dealers and hit the street. After filling out and sending
CarFinder request forms, you should start to receive responses
from Car Dealers regarding your requests. This is where
information gathering begins, and you must determine how
far you are willing to travel to buy, and also compare prices
quoted by dealers with online services such as kelly blue
book.You may find several vehicles that you like, so keep
track of your prices, contact the dealers about availability,
and go test drive them.
Be prepared to
travel!
If a dealer refuses to give you a price unless you come
in, or won't answer your email questions, do business elsewhere.
You
may live in an area where the Dealers refuse to work with
you on price, and you must use the Internet to get a better
deal down the road. You will find that there are many Internet
Sales Professionals online that are more than willing to
give you the info you need, so be patient. Using
e-mail and the telephone
should enable you to work with numerous dealers and put
together your deal before leaving home. Ask the Internet
Salespeople you contact if they have a digital camera to
send you actual photos of their current inventory. |
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Visit all the dealers
on your list and do not be pressured into buying anything unless
you are 100% certain it is a good deal and it's what you want.
Use common sense and do not let your emotions get the best of
you. This is one of the main reasons many people end
up buying a type of vehicle they regret several months later.
If a salesperson tells you it won't be here tomorrow, don't worry,
if it is gone, buy something else, but do it under your time frame.
When shopping online, in many cases you can narrow it down one
dealer, and only make one trip to purchase the vehicle.
Important: Bring your notes with you when you go to the Dealer.
Bring a pen and notepad with you and write down notes, prices,
stock numbers etc..
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TIP:
Is there an Internet contact at the Dealership? When shopping online for cars
and trucks,always try to note the contact person's name listed on the Seller's web site. Many Internet deals should be made through these
Internet contacts. Contacting this person(s) or department, may save you time and money.
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Use all your information gathered, eliminate dealers that won't
work with you, and purchase after you have made your best decision.
Doing more research will help your efforts when negotiating a
good deal.
Important areas to
address when finalizing your deal are: Have
your notes with you to avoid mistakes.
Selling price of vehicle: At this point you should have already researched the value of the vehicle you are buying. New or
used, you should be aware of the blue book on used and the dealer invoice on new. Not knowing this will cause you
to overpay for the vehicle.
New Car pricing: Dealerships
are required by law to provide the MSRP on the vehicle window sticker. It is also referred to as the Sticker
Price. MSRP means "manufacturer's suggested retail price."
In general, the majority of vehicles will sell for less than MSRP. But the salesman will try to keep you on the
sticker price and negotiate down. Cars in demand and new releases (the PT Cruiser) may sell for several thousand
dollars over MSRP. Remember, MSRP is a suggested sales price and you are by no means required to pay it. Once you
have the Dealer Invoice that is what you will negotiate with. (Dealer Invoice is the price that the dealer pays
for the vehicle)
Used Car pricing: Used
car selling prices are often compared to Kelley Blue Book values. The Kelley Blue Book values and NADA are used
as measuring sticks for many lenders when determining your loan amount. You should always check the high and low
blue book values and try to stay at or below the lowest value using excellent condition as the standard. Check
the classifieds for similar vehicles, and what they are selling for. Another great place to look: AutoNetUSA.com Classifieds with photos
Your trade in value:
Again, you must know what the book value is on your current vehicle. When doing a blue book rating, make sure you
are honest about the true condition. If it is not in excellent condition don't put that down. A dealer will give
you an online trade evaluation based on what you tell him. If once you get to the dealership the vehicle does not
match the description you gave, it will slow down the process. Click Here to link to Kelley Blue Book Trade In Values
Do not expect a dealer to give you top dollar for your trade. If you
absolutely want top dollar for it, you will have to sell it yourself. When researching book value for a trade in,
you must use the low blue book not the retail value.
Interest rate:
This will effect your monthly payment and the amount of interest you pay, so make sure you are aware of what is
the current rate in your area. Call your bank or credit union for current rates.
Length of loan:
If you need a 6+ year loan to get the payment you need, you are probably getting in over your head. A lot of things
can happen in six years, marriage,children, divorce, job transfers, layoffs, promotions, injuries. Try to purchase
something that allows 2-4 years on the loan. DO NOT TEST DRIVE
VEHICLES YOU CAN'T AFFORD AND THEN STRETCH OUT THE LOAN TERM SO YOU CAN! Stretching out the years will lower the payment but it will cost you more over the long run.
Example: Same Vehicle 4 year loan VS. 6 year loan.
*
The table above is just a guideline to help you get an idea
of what the difference is when stretching out your loan.
Less monthly payment and more overall debt.
| Loan
amount $20,000
Interest
rate 8%
Length
of loan 48 months
Payment
$488.25
Total
you will pay including interest
48
months X $488.25 = $23,436 |
Loan
amount $20,000
Interest
rate 8%
Length
of loan 72 months
Payment
$350.66
Total
you will pay including interest
72
months X $350.66 = $25,247 |
Down payment:
The amount you put down will directly effect your monthly payment. If you want to bring down the monthly payment,
increase your down.
Insurance rate for that vehicle: Too many people forget about this until it is too late. Make sure you check the monthly rate for
the vehicle you are buying. Some types of vehicles carry much higher rates so check ahead with your agent or go
online to one of the services and get a free quote. Do not buy a vehicle until you know your insurance rate.
Check all paperwork and contracts carefully, and get all promises
in writing. If they verbally tell you something and it is
not in writing you may not get it. Never leave blank spaces on a contract to be filled in later. If you do not
understand parts of the contract don't sign until you do! Remember, no one is holding a gun to your head so don't
buy until you are 100% sure of your decision.
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We
cannot stress the importance of doing your own homework.
No online service can guarantee you the lowest price.
Only you can do that. How? By having all your information
in order, and using your computer instead of your car
to search for the best deal. Even if you are paying
a local broker to secure your vehicle, you should still
check the numbers.
We hope you are able to save time and money using the AutoNetUSA.com Network of Web Sites, as well as the many other resources the Internet has to offer Car
Shoppers. There are many people like yourself that just want to make sure they are getting a good deal, and a fair
price for the trade in. If you do your research, put your best deal on the table, stand firm, and let the seller
know that you want to buy on your terms, you should remove most of the stress that car buyers dread so much. Plus,
you should be able to spend less time at the Dealership.
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