The future of car shopping may be moving online. This is because online used-car sellers shorten the buying process, offer lower average prices, ditch price negotiations, and the cheesy sales lines.
Price Comparisons
Online car sellers have been observed to offer lower than average listing prices than conventional offline dealerships. Certified pre-owned cars were $2048 lower, and non-certified cars were priced $202 lower. But at traditional dealerships, the price is always negotiable. Online, the prices are usually fixed. Skilled negotiators may find an excellent deal at the dealership, but this requires skills and patience that most people do not have.
Online dealers offer cars that have passed a full mechanical inspection and come with a warranty. But only franchised dealerships sell certified pre-owned manufacturer-backed cars. Online sellers also offer other benefits like a return policy, and some even bring the car to you for a test drive.
Ways of Buying a Car
There are several things that car buyers really hate about the car-buying process. This includes short test drives in an unfamiliar area with a salesperson that can’t stop talking. There’s also the convoluted price negotiations, trade-in value, and loan rate. Also annoying is the entire sales process that can take four to six hours to complete along with the high-pressure sales tactics for extra accessories. There’s also no return policy.
On the other hand, virtual sellers offer transparent pricing, financing choices, and upfront trade-in price quotes. Some even bring the car to your home for a test drive. They also have a five to seven day, limited mile return policy. Additional warranties, gap insurance, and other products are offered at a fixed price. And, contract signing happens in a relaxed setting, online or even better, remotely.
Downsides
There is always a trade-off. Certified used cars from franchised dealerships made come with manufacturer’s warranties that could be more comprehensive than those offered by virtual dealers. It always makes sense to review what is covered by the warranty. When buying a car, an independent source should always be used to understand the current market value of a used car. Buying a used car is a process that cannot be completed without seeing the car in person and spending time with it. That will tell you a lot more than any picture could.