Free Report

I know when you shop for a vehicle it can be frustrating and sometimes intimidating. How do you make sure you are getting a good deal? How do you make sure you get the right vehicle? Should you buy new or used?

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2) You want to make sure you purchased from the right salesperson and dealership so that you will be taken care of during the whole ownership of the vehicle.

3) You don’t want to find out that the salesperson lied to you and made promises they couldn’t keep.

4) You want to make sure your new vehicle fits your family’s needs and budget. Read on….

GREAT NEWS: By reading this report it will put you in a much better position so that you are more prepared. Then you will know what to ask and what a good deal is.

Since you don’t know who I am, let me share just a couple of things about myself so you know why I feel I am qualified to share with you “10 Things to Know Before You Purchase Your Next Vehicle.” I’ve been consulting for over twelve years now. I started out in the Agriculture and Construction Industry before moving to Automobiles. I honestly feel that a product is a product but people expect to be treated with respect. It was not uncommon to consistently sell items ranging from $50,000 to $150,000. The one thing I have figured out over the years is to provide my customer's with enough information to make an educated decision and take care of them after the sale! Because of this I was the top salesman for 9 years running. I was even called upon to help provide training at the National Training Center. The challenge and excitement was no longer there. Therefore, I felt Automotive was the way to go. I am going to share with you some very valuable information that will help you in your next vehicle purchase and also in the future. We’ll go over ten things that are very important when considering purchasing a vehicle besides just the price. Deciding what vehicle is right for you and your family can be a very difficult task.

Dealing with the right dealership and salesperson is the foundation to the whole purchasing process. The dealership and how they treat you is a key factor. Do they WANT your business? Do they want to KEEP your business? Do the owners strive to keep their dealership the best it can be? You can tell by dealing with the service writers, salespeople and everyone else who you come in contact with at the dealership.

SERVICE DEPARTMENT: Is the service department easy to deal with? Can you get in easy? If need be can you get a loaner? And of course are they good at finding the problem and fixing it?

SALESPERSON: After you purchased your vehicle have you ever heard from your salesperson? Does your salesperson assist you with your vehicle concerns and needs? Have you ever purchased a vehicle only to find out the salesman made promises that he/she couldn’t keep? Or you found out later that they lied to you? This is the Twenty First Century! There are actually honest salespeople who take this business very seriously and look at it as a long-term career.

HOT TIP: If you don’t have a salesperson you can trust, ASK AROUND. Do you have a relative, friend, co-worker or neighbor who has been happy with a particular source? Find a salesperson you can trust and who WANTS your business and goes out of his way to KEEP your business. They are harder to find but they are out there so ask around. You DON’T have to deal with someone you don’t like!

Truck Shoppers: You could wind up an unhappy truck owner if you haven’t thought carefully about how many people and how much gear you need to carry. As well, when selecting a truck, you need to consider what you are really going to pack for payload – why endure the rough ride of a three quarter ton when all you need is a half ton? As well, what are you really going to use this truck for? Diesel engines are great for power, but they cost a lot! Sure if you are to go with a gas engine – a big block V8, you will burn more fuel, but how much fuel can you burn for the $5000 in price?

If you are shopping for New, what kind of warranty does it have? The standard 3 years or 36,000 miles? Vehicles are built better now than they were twenty years ago, so used can make a lot of sense. In the last five to ten years they are designed to run for 100,000+ miles! Take care of them and they will last! Today, you can buy used with a lot more confidence than ever before. Just be sure to ask to see the used vehicle inspection, so you know if the truck or SUV you are looking at had to have a ton of work done to it or not. On the flip side, if the factory is offering a rebate or other break in cost, the math may be on the side of a new vehicle. Obviously super low finance rates can help to keep payments down, so this can be a big push towards new as well.

HOT TIP: If you’re a new car shopper, ask the salesperson to price a used one with very low miles on it for comparison. If you’re a used car shopper, ask for a new price for comparison. Then you will find out what the best value for you is. ALWAYS DO THIS!

Whether you plan to trade it in or sell it, your current car can be an important factor in your budget. It’s best to decide whether you are going to trade your car in or sell it yourself. If you are going to sell it yourself are you willing to do what it takes to sell a vehicle? Most nice cars sell within three months so if you still make payments you have to figure on making your payments while you wait to sell it. If your payment is $350 and it takes you three months to sell it that would amount to $1,050. PLUS you need to advertise and show it to every John Doe who wants to look at it and DRIVE it. There will also be the phone calls as well. That’s if it goes good. The other thing that could happen is NOT getting any calls, making your payments and paying for the ads in the newspaper.

Leasing provides lower monthly payments than buying with an auto loan. But it's not for everybody. If you trade your car every two to five years, and you stay under 17,000 miles a year, you may be a good candidate for a lease. The GM Smartbuy is similar to a lease but you get the benefits of ownership. With the price of today’s vehicles, I urge my family to take a serious look at the Smartbuy.

New: Know what the MSRP is and what are the available rebates and finance packages.

Used: Look up book values. If you find a vehicle you like don’t be afraid to ask the salesperson to look up the value and see if it’s a fair price. They can access book values online. If you do find “The One”, it’s a good idea to drive it home first if you live fairly close to the dealership. That way you will get a good idea how it drives and if there are any quirks.

3) ABS System: If they are equipped with ABS, make sure they work because they are expensive to fix.

4) Call the Previous Owner: With the new privacy laws this is getting harder to do but find out if you can call the previous owner.

HOT TIP: The best thing to do when purchasing a used car with no warranty is to bring it to a trusted mechanic to check over BEFORE you buy it.

Research your rate. If you plan to get a loan, call your credit union or local bank to find the lowest rate. New and up to two years old get the lowest rate and with older vehicles the rate is a little higher. If the dealership gives you a good rate it should be lower than your local bank unless your credit is a little bruised.

There can be many advantages in financing with the dealership. With good credit you can finance the vehicle, tax, and license and if you have a balance on your trade-in, you can finance that to and not have to put any money down. Many banks and credit unions require 10% or 20% down. I would suggest paying for tax and license but if that doesn’t work for you then you can just finance all of it. You can get as many quotes as you need for financing. The credit bureaus allow you a 2-week window to shop for both Auto and Home Mortgage rates while only reflecting 1 hit to your bureau score.

HOT TIP: When the dealership quotes payments, ALWAYS ask what the terms are!

Do yourself a favor: if you have a trade, tell him you do. If you qualify for supplier or employee pricing, tell him. Tell him what you’re looking for, and what you need.

Be polite and make a friend. Salespeople like to deal with people who are nice and respect them. Don’t you? They like to deal with friendly happy people. But don’t be a pushover. Be firm about what you want. Remember: Salespeople are for the most part honest, good hearted people trying to make a living. They can be an asset in your life, if you get them on your side.

HOT TIP: That’s why finding a good one is key. Shopping for and owning a car will never have been easier for years to come!

Negotiating a price can be one the most difficult things to do because there are so many variables. Is it hard to get vehicle or package you want? As the industry gets more and more competitive the manufactures take more of the margin of profit away from the dealers. Therefore there isn’t near the mark up like there used to be. If you don’t have a salesperson you can trust the best way on new is to get two prices from two separate dealers. If you are looking at a used vehicle, you can also get two prices if you can find close to the same vehicle. If you feel pressured or unsure remember: If the price is good today, it’s good tomorrow. The exception to this would be if the current rebates from the manufacture ends that day. If they say it’s “Only a today offer”, I would pass on the deal. Go find a different dealership to deal with. You can also have them write up the deal and write on the purchase agreement “Dependant on spouse’s approval” or “Customer wants to think about it overnight to decide if they want it”.

BEWARE: If you have a trade-in and you see a great price in the newspaper or on the Internet and its lower than the place you are dealing at DO NOT ASSUME you will get even close to the price for your trade-in that the dealership you are dealing with will. Ask for a price for the car you are purchasing and separate price for the trade-in. Do not work on just a difference figure or just trade values alone, it can be confusing for you. Remember, no matter how much someone gives you for trade-in value, it always boils down to how much they are selling the vehicle for and how much they are giving you for the trade-in.

a) You must decide approximately how long you are going to keep the vehicle and how many miles you anticipate driving per year. If you keep the vehicle a long time or you drive a lot of miles this could be great peace of mind protection. If not, a maintenance plan might be better suited for you.

b) Find out the warranty, guarantee or coverage for all vehicles you are considering and then decide whether you are willing to take the risk of potential breakdowns and the possible costs. These policies are simply an insurance decision on your part and your risk tolerance.

c) If you drive more than 18,000 miles per year, an extended warranty can save you many dollars in the long run. It is cheaper to purchase it at the time you buy the car than to wait until the factory warranty is about to expire. There are many different extended warranty plans available on the Internet and through the mail, that aren’t worth the paper they are written on. Be very cautious about outside extended warranties. Make sure you are purchasing from a reputable source.

2) Theft Protection: Etching can be done to help protect you in case your vehicle is stolen and not recovered. Most dealerships do this to protect their investment. It saves the dealer anywhere from 10% to 15% on there premium’s. This can be transferred to you and most private insurance carries allow a discount on your insurance as well. A fair price for the transfer is around $330.

3) Gap Insurance: For most people Gap Insurance should be a must. Should you or shouldn’t you? If you total your car, Gap Insurance covers the difference of what you owe the bank and what the insurance company values your vehicle at. If you owe $20,000 but the insurance company says it is only worth $16,000, you will have to pay $4,000 out of your pocket unless you have Gap Insurance. If you have Gap Insurance, your Gap Insurance pays for the $4,000. How much is Gap Insurance?? The price should be $500 to $700. Anything over that and you are being OVERCHARGED. Bottom line is I’ve seen thousands paid off by Gap insurance. When the situation is right, don’t think twice about getting it.

HOT TIP: The closer you finance to sticker price and or “high” book value, you definitely should get Gap Insurance.

4) WALKAWAY: This is new to the market and most people know very little about it. With our economy like it is, we never know when the company we work for will downsize or just move to another country. WALKAWAY Protection should be complimentary from ANY dealership you chose to finance with!!

If you are someone who hasn’t found “The Salesperson” to deal with or are dissatisfied with your current salesperson,

READ ON…

I’m one of the top consultant's at John Holt Auto Group for one reason: I have spent over twelve years building my career on Customer Satisfaction and I can PROMISE YOU that if you take the time to stop in and discuss your vehicle needs with me you will find out: “You’ve got a Friend in the Business”. Someone that you can discuss what your options are and what would be best for YOU.

Joe Powell

GM Certified Internet Manager

John Holt Auto Group

The Free, Special Report, “10 Things to Know Before You Purchase Your Next Vehicle” is a guide. It is NOT a guaranteed way not to get ripped off and should not be considered binding or legal advice. These are things that should make you more prepared and knowledgeable when you purchase your next vehicle. You must always do your own research and consult any sources you desire to confirm you best choices. You can always contact me whether you are looking at purchasing a vehicle from a different dealership or me.

10 Things to Know BEFORE You Purchase Your Next Vehicle!

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READ ON…

Joe Powell