Paying over the odds for a sub-par product is something many of us, as customers, try to avoid. That said, sometimes, you can do this without intending to. After all, it's in someone's best interest to sell you as little as they can for as much as possible, as they have a vested interest in making sure they come out more capably at the end of a deal.
This is especially true if you're not an expert in the product you're buying, and especially if you're purchasing from a private seller. For instance, you might not be very knowledgeable about cars, and especially not a certain manufacturer of cars, but you still need to buy one if you hope to use the roads. For this reason, it's important to understand some tips and tricks that can help you avoid becoming ripped off in the worst possible fashion.
In this post, I hope to help you with that, by crafting a mini guide you can refer back to:
Use trusted retailers
It's possible to save a good amount of money by going to an independent seller, but if you're looking for trust, reliability, fully above-board paperwork, and candid service, then opting for a used car dealership with positive reviews and satisfied customers can be the best way forward. Here, you can also learn a great deal about the various models in a range, see them in action, test drive them immediately, and then go away to think about it if necessary. Moreover, experts that work at these garages tend to have expert knowledge of that particular brand, allowing you to get more up-to-date information.
Learn good negotiation tactics
You don't have to find a shady dealer to suffer a bad deal - most people are interested in getting the most amount of money out of you as possible, and that means hyping up what they're selling. That doesn't mean they're lying or being harsh, it's just wise for anyone to do this. However, it's also wise to use negotiating techniques, like offering a lower amount but in cash, offering to take the car today if you can get a discount, negotiating the best price, and perhaps pointing to a few flaws in the product to bring the price down. As long as you're respectful, open, and you can both communicate clearly, this is a good way to save some money.
Watch out for unnecessary add-ons
It's good to be careful about the kind of add-ons you may need or wish for. It's good to look for those up on the manufacturer's website ahead of time. You might not need your car polished, or for carbon fibre swap outs in the dashboard, or any other gear that feels superfluous to the stock model of the car. Remember, if you needed this, you can find it cheaper and perhaps better elsewhere. There's no shame in choosing additions, just know what you're looking for, and remember this can bump up the bill significantly.
With this advice, you're sure to look for a new car without suffering a bad deal.
Do you have experience with negotiating a better car deal? Please feel free to let me know in the comments.
How do you negotiate a better car deal?
Love Beth xx