4 keys to buying a car online |
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Research your choice
When shopping online, your best protection is your own due diligence.
"Trust but verify," Ostroff says.
To get a full read on a vehicle's history and determine its overall condition, start with its vehicle
identification number. The VIN identifies the vehicle and is the key to unlocking its history.
Once you get the VIN, order a report on the vehicle from companies like CARFAX and AutoCheck
that will reveal important details about the car.
Such details include whether the car has been in an accident or a flood, if the airbag has been
deployed, previous odometer readings (important to be sure it hasn't been rolled back) and even if the car's been resalvaged.
Then, get a mechanic to look at the car on your behalf.
Independent companies like SGS Automotive Services can inspect most
cars for roughly $100, and you can hire an inspector to eyeball
the car, even if the automobile is located in a city far from where
you live.
It should go without saying that any seller who balks at an inspection is probably unreliable -- and so is
their car. In that case, it's probably smartest to close the browser window on the seller and search for a different ride.
Vehicles sold "as is" pose the greatest risk to buyers because when you purchase them, you're agreeing to take
on any problems with no warrantee to protect you.
For that reason, expect to "run up against a brick wall" if you try to recoup your money from an "as is" seller,
be it an individual or dealer, says Ostroff.
Don't assume dealers are better
Often, buyers feel more comfortable purchasing cars online from established dealers than from an individual.
However, such faith may go unrewarded, Turck says.
Even with an established dealer, you could well lose your deposit or lose out on the car of your dreams.
"A deposit should give you the so-called first right
of refusal to change your mind, recoup your cash, and walk away
from the deal, but that's not how it works," Turck says. "If a guy
walks in and buys the car between the time you made a deposit and
you getting there to pick the car up, it can be sold."
What's more, there's no guarantee your deposit will be refundable, Turck says. In some cases, dealerships "will
try to keep the money" or get you to purchase a different car.
Sometimes, a trail of e-mails can help bolster your claim. E-mails are not contracts -- for that, you'll need a
final financial contract. However, e-mails can act like a buyer's order, the document that spells out the car you intend to buy
and agreed-on price.
As a result, e-mails give you more power to get a deposit back, says Turck.
When shopping with online dealers, listen to your head -- and your gut -- to avoid problems in the first place.
As you would with any seller online, establish contact as quickly as possible and ask questions.
And remember that promises don't mean much.
"Anything that's promised over the phone should be considered useless," Turck says.
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