JAWM - the thought of searching for a decent used car...

[Susan in TN]

...is not a good reason to have an anxiety attack. Right?

[MysteryJen]

It makes me pretty anxious, involving lots of money, time talking to strangers, etc. Also, we usually have to do it quickly.

 

That's why my dh has found and purchased all the used cars in the past 20 years. I just show up to sign papers.

 

He does a great job and that is one of the many reasons I love him :001_wub:

[PrincessMommy]

:grouphug:   Not anxiety, but definitely dread.   I just went through it - twice!   Well, to be fair, dh did the first one since it was a car for him and I just tried to stay out of it.   The next one I did mostly myself (he came along for the test drive)... but it's the hassle factor, time, and the prices that get me.  SUCH a hassle.

 

Anyway, we just bought our new-used minivan (it paid off to look for a long time and use Craigslist- but it was an effort).  One of our other cars was in the shop for routine maintenance yesterday.  The mech. called me and declared.... "I wouldn't invest anymore money on needed tires for your car, it's probably not going to last much longer."  no, NO, NO!!!!!  It has *got* to limp along for at least another year or two -  I won't go through another used car buying experience anytime soon. 

[Catwoman]

I love car shopping, but negotiating things like price and the value of trade-ins can be stressful.

[Sherri in MI]

A little anxiety maybe.  Most of our used cars were given to us, or we purchased them from someone we know.  That's just how it worked out for us.

 

It's hard to know if you can trust what the seller is telling you about the car.  But just do your homework.  I like the Kelley Blue Book website:  kbb.com  They have a link to AutoCheck which is a used car history report service.  Don't know what they charge for that - haven't used it.

 

Carfax.com is a used car history report service for a fee.  Heard of it, haven't used it.

 

Good luck!

 

 

[Catwoman]

http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/negotiating-101.html

 

I really like the suggestions on here. I am not much of a haggler, but these seems like tactics I could pull off.

I don't enjoy the whole haggling thing, either. I do a lot of research ahead of time, and I already know exactly how much I'm willing to pay before I walk into the dealership, so I get a price, tell them that's not good enough and that I want their best price, and if the number is still too high, I tell them how much I will pay, and if they don't go for it, I go to a different dealership. The same thing goes for trade-ins. I have a number in my head before I even get there.

 

We buy a lot of cars, so the salespeople know us, and they know that we pay cash and are good for repeat business, so I think that helps, too.

[Catwoman]

Ok good, I know who I'm taking car shopping with me. :laugh:

I would go with you!

[SharonM]

We have used Carfax for our last  2 cars.  We learned some very interesting facts about the vehicles that the sellers did not give us. I think it made us more comfortable with the purchase. Definitely worth the money.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

I saw this website called truecar dot com.  It lets you search for various cars new and used and lets you compare prices.  And supposedly this is like upfront negotiating without having to do it face to face and you can make instant comparisons.  Pretty cool site.  I don't have experience buying in this way though.

 

 

Some years ago, we got a car via the site autobytell, and it was no negotiation.  More recently, we used Buyers Edge, which DW has through the teachers' union.  I hate the normal process (and I sold cars for an awful 8 months in my 20's), so anything that can circumvent the side show is good.

[Catwoman]

We have used Carfax for our last 2 cars. We learned some very interesting facts about the vehicles that the sellers did not give us. I think it made us more comfortable with the purchase. Definitely worth the money.

Carfax reports can be very helpful, but they aren't infallible, so you still have to look very closely for things like evidence of prior accidents. Sometimes cars are repaired and the shop doesn't report it, so the info never gets on the CarFax report.

 

My favorite thing about the CarFax reports is that you can often see details about the maintenance and repairs, so if the car was in the shop 7 times in the past year for electrical problems (or whatever,) you know you should walk away from that one!

[Susan in TN]

http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/negotiating-101.html

 

I really like the suggestions on here. I am not much of a haggler, but these seem like tactics I could pull off.

This is very helpful, and makes me realize that in all reality, we will NEVER find the time to look for a car. Our best plan right now involves taking our 4 youngest kids with us as well as the double bass. I wonder if dh can get a day off work some time next week. At least we are not dealing with a trade-in on top of everything.

[Sherri in MI]

We have used Carfax for our last  2 cars.  We learned some very interesting facts about the vehicles that the sellers did not give us. I think it made us more comfortable with the purchase. Definitely worth the money.

 

Good to know!