There are times that you are better off selling your car out right than trading it into a dealership. If you find yourself in this situation, by all means: BE CAREFUL!!! In days gone by, this was no big deal and a great way to try out your car salesman techniques. Unfortunately, not this day and age!! YES, there are actual individuals that will take advantage of your innocence. I’m going to provide you with a few guidelines to follow and I believe they will enable you to have a great sales experience.

 First of all, consider other options. Talk to a car salesman or an auto negotiator, such as myself. Often times we can help put you in touch with prospective buyers. I know when I sold cars, I kept a book of customers that were looking for a good inexpensive car to buy. I run across buyers all the time looking for a good deal on a used car or truck. If you live in an area that has a Carmax dealership, they sometimes will buy cars with the little higher miles. Small independently owned dealerships are always looking for good used cars, but they might not offer the price you are looking for. No matter what, do your research first. Know the value of your vehicle. Check with KBB (Kelly blue book) or Edmunds ( see LINK provided ) and put in the exact details of your vehicle. Make sure your looking at retail values and a good rule of thumb is the fair values. I know, you love your car and have taken great care of it, but your prospective buyer does not feel the same way as you!! Don’t shoot yourself in the foot. Start high and let them negotiate the price. Only you know YOUR true selling price.

 Be wise where you advertise your vehicle for sale. You are looking for buyers not tire kickers. If you have quite a few prospects, schedule a time and place for them to see the car together at the same time. Trust me, when you have 3 or 4 buyers looking at the same time, this will help to get YOUR price!

 For your safety:

1. Never show the vehicle at your own residence.
2. Have a friend or family member with you at showings.
3. Do not have your car title with you.
4. Ask to see their drivers license and insurance card ( make sure up to date)
5. Always go with them on a test drive
6. If offered a personal check for payment fine, but complete deal at the bank where check originates. The bank will usually verify funds for you right then and there.

BE CAREFUL AND GOOD LUCK!!

 Let’s face it! The price for each gallon of gasoline is not getting any cheaper. I don’t believe we will ever see it below $2.00 per gallon again. Governments all over the world are scrambling to pass laws mandating higher MPG for future vehicles.

 Ford Motor Company realized that customers want smaller vehicles, but still require upscale vehicle amenities. Their new 2011 Fiesta is a perfect example of this new trend. The new Fiesta will be going head to head with the Honda Fit and the Toyota Yaris. Because of such stiff competition, Ford has pulled out all the stops.

 The Fiesta has been selling in Europe for a couple of years and is the top selling car on the continent. With the Fiesta, you get the full-Euro experience from a car that works equally well here as it does there.

 The Fiesta with its aero dynamic styling exterior, offers generous interior space and styling. Ford is also offering a leather interior option, which is unheard of in vehicles of this class. The interior is quiet even at highway speeds and it comes standard with stability / traction control, along with a beefed up frame for safety. Speaking of safety, it comes standard with 7 air bags including driver’s knee air bag.

 The Fiesta comes with a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine and Ford is planning on producing a 200 horsepower EcoBoost turbocharged version in the near future. The 5 speed manual transmission is standard and a 6 speed autoshifting manual is optional. The EPA numbers are 30 mpg city and 40 highway, which is also class leading.

 The Fiesta is offered with the latest version of SYNC, which is Ford’s technology package. It includes a voice command audio system that will even read your text and email messages hands free. Ford went all out with the new audio sound system producing crisp sound with zero distortion, even when cranked up.

 The Fiesta is full of surprises, all pleasant ones. It basically redefines what a small car can and should be. The best part is the starting price of just $13,900 for the base model. It’s worth taking a look at and also a test drive.

 Your fixing to take that big step and go to a dealership to look at or maybe even purchase your next car. One of the best kept secrets in the industry is DealerRater. DealerRater is an information page kicked off approximately mid 2009. I was introduced to this incredible information source while working for a dealership that believed in the resource.

 What is DealerRater you ask? It is where people just like you or I can go and rate a particular dealership’s performance. It is very easy to use and I provided a direct LINK to the page (Best Kept Secret). Click on the link and follow the easy steps to preview each dealership in your area. See what recent customers have to say about their experience at the dealership.

 I realize the site is only as good as the input contained, but it does provide a great insight to each dealerships way of doing business. I also know you can’t please all the people all the time, but when you read 10 negative posts to only 2 positive ratings; well you get the picture.

 Of course it doesn’t list all dealerships in the U.S. yet, but as DealerRater grows so will the information base. Check it out, you may decide to go to another dealership instead of the one you were planning on going to. Plus, your input is always appreciated by dealerrater and the general public. If you have had a good experience or a bad experience with a recent car purchase, share it with others who are researching to buy.

 Gap insurance is by far the least discussed option in auto financing. The majority of buyers refuse to purchase the coverage. WHY? In most cases the coverage will increase a car note by about $10.00 monthly. Is the additional expense worth it? Allow me to explain Gap and then you decide.

 Most car buyers are unable to pay cash for their vehicle, so we have to secure a loan to cover the expense. Financing is set up for 24, 36, 48, 60,72 and I’ve recently heard of over 80 months. As a rule of thumb, most of us have to settle for the usual 60 month terms. Sixty months or 60 payments sounds better than saying 5 years. Right? For a period of time during the life of your loan, you actually find yourself upside down with your value. The upside down factor, simply put, owing more on the loan than what your vehicle is worth.

 Now let’s say you are involved in an accident and your vehicle is totaled by the insurance company. The insurance company will determine the value of your car and that is your settlement. Wait just a darn minute! I owe more on the loan than this amount! Now you’re stuck paying for something that you no longer have. WHOOPS!!!

 Now, if only you would have spent a few bucks and purchased the GAP insurance. The GAP policy covers the difference of insurance settlement and remaining balance of the loan. It’s still a bad situation because you have made all the payments and have nothing to show for it and now have to buy another car. For this one reason alone, you may consider leasing your next vehicle. Check out my articles on to lease or not to lease.

 One of the secrets to a dealerships success is getting customers through the DOOR. The so called “REPO SALE” has been a proven marketing boon. The circus tent is constructed and the flags, banners and balloons are all in place. Where are all the (cheap) repo vehicles?

 Let’s face it. Dealerships are not in the repossession business. Their used car inventories are obtained through trade-ins or purchased at auto auctions. PERIOD!

 When the car buyer hears repo sale, the first thought is inexpensive vehicles for sale. Admittedly, we are all hungry for that great car deal and this is the BAIT.

 You get up early on Saturday (your day off) and hurry to the dealership. OMG! The lot is bustling with people looking for the same deal as you and the sales people are buzzing around all pumped up to make that great deal happen for you.

 Now here is the SWITCH! Yes they have a hand full of inexpensive vehicles for sale, but they are older models with many miles and they are scattered throughout the newer models all gleaming bright with low miles, but with a hefty sticker price. Where are all the new model, low mile REPO’S for that cheap price you ask? Well, they got you through the DOOR!

 You can’t blame the dealership!! The car business is a numbers game and they HAVE to produce the numbers each and every month just to stay in business. Blame the advertising market firms that pitch this sales crap to the dealerships, boasting of grand profits.

 Keep checking this page for further articles on sales ploy and bait switch games.

There is so much territory to cover in this area, you must refer to the forum on the subject for complete details. This is the period of time most people get nervous. What I want to do here is to provide information to assist you in not being nervous, but to be wise and on top of your game!

 This is one area a negotiator/consultant is worth their weight in gold. If you happen to be one of the growing many without perfect credit scores, then you need as much assistance here as you can get!!

 I’ll probably step on a few toes here, but this is another area the dealership makes a little money on the car deal. If you remember in the beginning of this article I discussed loan pre-approval before starting the buying process, Here’s why. Dealerships use many sources for auto financing for the car buyer.

 Let’s say you were already pre-approved for an auto loan for say $28,500.00 at 4.25% interest at your bank. The dealership business office is unaware of this fact. Since you have good credit scores they offer you the deal at their incredible rate of 4.99%. Good right? The unknown is the financial institution they are using has offered the dealer these loans for 2.99%. If you sign at the 4.99% then this is additional money they hold or make profit. Don’t get me wrong, dealerships have to make a profit to stay in business, but the sky is no longer the limit. You can in most cases negotiate the percentage rate to 3.99% to close the deal. Now everybody wins here! The dealership makes a little profit and you save a little money.

 If you happen to have slightly low credit scores going into financing, please know that some dealer finance offices are better than others to get your loan bought. If the finance office you are dealing with  is weak in this area, they can actually hurt you in the long run and end up making it difficult to purchase anywhere. What happens is, if they are weak at special finance, then they start shopping to find a lender for you. For every lender they go to, your credit score is hit and hit again, reducing your overall credit score. I have witnessed people that have gone from one dealership to another attempting to obtain an auto loan and finally having their credit score reduced so low by the end, they couldn’t purchase.

 When the price of a gallon of gasoline skyrocketed above $4.00 per gallon, I remember all the people pulling into the dealership in their large gas guzzlers wanting to trade into a gas saver car. My first question was, “did you buy or did you lease that gas guzzler?” They were always proud to say they bought their vehicle. I would then come back with, “don’t you wish you would have leased?” You could just see the wind go right out of their sails!

 There are questions you must ask yourself before making this decision. Do I keep a car for more than 5 years, do I drive more miles per year than figured in most lease programs and will this car still fit my wants and needs 4 to 5 years from now?

 The NADA has determined that there are a large percentage of new car buyers, who contemplate buying again within 38 months of their last purchase. If you happen to fall into this category then leasing is the most economical way to go. Let’s say you’re a newlywed and buying that sporty dream car for your spouse. In 2 years you’re expecting your first child; whoops you need more of a family car. These are just a few considerations.

 Money guru’s say never buy a car, always lease. They look at a vehicle as a depreciating investment, which it most definitely is. I will say, be very careful going into a lease and research the lease agreement completely. You see the ads on television with those incredibly low monthly payments? Well that is to lease that vehicle. I love to see the 9 lines of small print that stays on the screen for about 10 seconds. They are disclaimer lines that legally cover’s their butts. Like we all know, if it’s too good to be true; it probably is!! Don’t get me wrong, leasing is a great option, but the option has to work in your favor.

 Did you know you can negotiate the selling price of the vehicle, before working out leasing terms? Well you can and you don’t have to pay M.S.R.P to lease as they would like you to think.

 Obtaining the best price for your trade can be a very daunting experience. First, have a good idea the true value of your vehicle. There are numerous avenues to research your cars value. The one thing to remember here is that no one values your BABY as much as you. I have seen people actually cry to give up that old beloved beast. What kind of value can be put on those feelings! Once again, here is where the services of an auto negotiator/consultant is of value.

 I’ll start by saying, if your vehicle has 100k miles or more, you are better off trying to sell the vehicle yourself. A dealership will be unable to resale the vehicle and in turn will offer you a small price just to take it off of your hands.

 The use of KBB or Edmond’s is probably your best research tool for trade in value. Thank goodness, now days they require the input of your zip code for the correct pricing. Remember to get the correct pricing value, retail and trade values are completely different values and you need to work from the correct values. These values will be given in three or four different catagories. ( excellent, good, fair & poor ) The only value for you to work with, if negotiating with a dealership, is the fair value amount and be fair with yourself, even if your vehicle is in very good condition.  Just know that when negotiating your trade, the value you have, will be approximately $1,000.00 higher than what the dealership will offer in the beginning, but this is a good starting point.

 The main thing here is to remember to “hold the trade”. What I mean here is not divulge the fact that  you have a car to trade in to complete the deal.

This is where the use of a negotiator/consultant is well worth your dollars spent. If you are one of those that just like getting beat up, then here are some pointers that may ease the pain. I will say, never start your negotiations the same day as your test drive! I promise, you are not prepared even if you believe you are. Let’s say you went in with all your research done on the top of the line model and now you are leaning towards the base model. You’re not fully prepared.

 Learn what the approximate dealer invoice price is for your particular model. This price can be obtained researching the web, but remember the figure you see is a national figure price. Depending on the area of the U.S. you live, will determine each dealer’s invoice price. These prices usually do not include destination fees. These destination fees are what the dealerships are charged for the delivery of each of their vehicles. In most cases the destination fees range from $700 to $1,000 per vehicle.

 You now believe you have the correct dealer invoice price for your car, right? Not quite! Some manufacture’s install what they call a factory value option package. In some cases this is even installed on the very base models. Let’s call it what it is; whistles and bells! Then some dealerships install dealer adds. These dealer adds can include mud guards, window tint and interior and exterior protection packages and actually there are many more. These adds are used as a means for the dealership to make a little extra profit on each vehicle. Are you still willing to negotiate your own car deal?

 Most important: You may be asked to see your driver’s license and possibly the sales person will make a photo copy. If a photo copy is made, please remember to get this copy from your sales person before you leave the dealership. The foremost reason for this step is to protect the dealership and also the salesperson. In some cases you will be allowed to test drive the car by yourself. Some dealerships require the salesperson to ride along with you. Either way use this time wisely and get a true feel for the car.

 Make your first test drive in the base model of your desired vehicle. If at all possible get the car up to highway speeds, but there is no need to drive over 10 to 15 miles on the test drive.

 Now, test drive the top of the line model with all the whistles and bells and get a feel for the vehicle. Usually the whistles and bells will drive the price of the vehicle upwards of $2,000 to $4,000 above the base model.

  Let’s say the main add you want for your car is leather interior, but to get the leather all these other options are included in the package. Hint: In most cases after market “high quality” leather can be installed for half of the total package option price.

 You want a navigation system and it only comes with leather interior and you prefer cloth. No problem! In most cases you can have an aftermarket Navi system installed for a few hundred dollars and in some cases the aftermarket system is better than the factory installed.

 If you have wisely obtained the services of an auto negotiator/consultant, your job is finished at the dealership. All you have to do is go home and start the barbeque, or watch your child’s soccer game or just go back to your job. What, you’ve spent all of one hour out of your day right?

 Don’t forget! Get your driver’s license or copy of back, before leaving!