“Matt's the car guy, he'll go shopping with you. He's the man for the job!” While this may be true, the car-guy part, buying a used car is something I'm no longer very familiar with.
Between 1998 and 2004, I worked for the Automobile Protection Association (APA) and back then I revelled in the challenge of facing off with a used-car sales person. I was extremely well-versed in the laws, contracts and negotiations surrounding this important transaction. That, and car fuel flows through my veins.
That was then, this is now. I've not forgotten everything, but I've certainly lost my aggressive, offensive touch. I was recently asked to accompany a family friend to a dealership to “oversee” the procedures. Well, in no time flat, my friend had signed on the dotted line, applied for credit and we were being ushered through the front door as it was well past closing time.
“What the hell happened?”
I could not help but feel violated as the person on the other side of the desk had the right answer for every enquiry I could come up with, the required documents for everything from the window sticker to the car-proof statement, and I felt as though I had been taken for a ride.
To be fair to me, this dealership was suggested to the friend by a good acquaintance of hers whose husband worked at the shop. I did set up an inspection with the APA's accredited Inspector, and took the car's VIN number and emailed it off to my contacts at the make's Canadian headquarters. I'm not totally useless.
The point of this blog is that these guys are good, very good. Our sales rep had been selling used cars for 22 years. We, on average, buy a car every 5 years or so. In other words, we buy as many cars in a lifetime as they deliver in a week.
When embarking on this adventure, make sure you have compared pricing with other dealers, request an inspection, proof of mileage and most importantly: Remember that you are in charge. You do not have to do ANYTHING until you feel up to it. There are other cars out there like the one you are considering. Same goes for sales people looking to take your money.
Between 1998 and 2004, I worked for the Automobile Protection Association (APA) and back then I revelled in the challenge of facing off with a used-car sales person. I was extremely well-versed in the laws, contracts and negotiations surrounding this important transaction. That, and car fuel flows through my veins.
That was then, this is now. I've not forgotten everything, but I've certainly lost my aggressive, offensive touch. I was recently asked to accompany a family friend to a dealership to “oversee” the procedures. Well, in no time flat, my friend had signed on the dotted line, applied for credit and we were being ushered through the front door as it was well past closing time.
 |
“What the hell happened?”
I could not help but feel violated as the person on the other side of the desk had the right answer for every enquiry I could come up with, the required documents for everything from the window sticker to the car-proof statement, and I felt as though I had been taken for a ride.
To be fair to me, this dealership was suggested to the friend by a good acquaintance of hers whose husband worked at the shop. I did set up an inspection with the APA's accredited Inspector, and took the car's VIN number and emailed it off to my contacts at the make's Canadian headquarters. I'm not totally useless.
The point of this blog is that these guys are good, very good. Our sales rep had been selling used cars for 22 years. We, on average, buy a car every 5 years or so. In other words, we buy as many cars in a lifetime as they deliver in a week.
When embarking on this adventure, make sure you have compared pricing with other dealers, request an inspection, proof of mileage and most importantly: Remember that you are in charge. You do not have to do ANYTHING until you feel up to it. There are other cars out there like the one you are considering. Same goes for sales people looking to take your money.