Best Practices for Buying Used Vehicle or Car
There are lots of articles on the best practices for buying used cars but what information do you want to know when talking with prospective dealers or owners?
To help, here’s some advice:
· Always verify what you're told. You can order a vehicle history report. If nothing was ever reported on the vehicle, it could miss something but it’s a great start. Here are a couple free options:
o Vin Check
o Recall VIN Check
· Have the vehicle inspected by a certified car mechanic or dealer. An upfront expenditure could help you avoid future repair costs.
· If the car is 18 years old, you’re not expecting perfection. Don't be afraid to ask if they’ve recently made any repairs or if there’s anything that doesn’t work. You must be comfortable that you’re looking at an older car and there could be some minor (or major) imperfections.
· Ask, "Why are you selling it?" It may give you a clue if there’s room for negotiating the price or if it’s been causing them problems lately.
· If they did hide mechanical problems that surface after you bought the car, “Lemon Laws” only apply to dealerships. You have taken on the potential problems once you signed the car's title and paid for it.
· Make sure to meet prospective sellers in a well-lit, preferably public place (like in front of the local police department) to discourage those who want to take advantage of the situation.
In most states they, by law, must disclose whether the vehicle has been salvaged, damaged in a flood or rebuilt. In these scenarios, this should be stamped or marked on the title either as salvaged or rebuilt. In the U.S., a salvage title is a form of vehicle title branding. It notes that the vehicle has been severely damaged and/or deemed a total loss by an insurance company that paid a claim on it. Once deemed a total loss, all of the value has been paid out to someone else; the vehicle has “no value” left so do not get full coverage. Some unscrupulous agents will sell this physical damage for a salvage title but it’s a waste of money. Since there is no value left in the vehicle, none to very little will be covered in the event of a physical damage (comprehensive/collision) claim. The car could be fine but you only want to pay for liability and other state required coverage.
Whether buying in Atlanta, Springfield, Indianapolis, Kansas City, New Orleans, Las Vegas Columbus, Portland or Virginia Beach…here are some handy links for the State’s required PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS, as per the “DMV.org” website:
GEORGIA
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
KANSAS
LOUISIANA
MISSOURI
NEVADA
OHIO
OREGON
TEXAS
VIRGINIA
(Other State Requirements can be found there too.)
For car insurance quotes, contact Solo Insurance® at 800-207-7656 or submit an online quote request.
At Solo Insurance® we shop the rates for you upfront and at renewals, always making sure you are with our best rate for your insurance needs. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter @thesoloins.
Solo Insurance® 800-207-7656 Get a Quote: https://www.soloinsurance.net/
-- Family/Veteran owned since 1994 --
#thesoloins #soloinsurance #carinsurance #autoinsurance #today #quote #veteranowned #solopet #insurance #usedcar #insuranceprofessional #smallbusiness #financialresponsibility #veteran #georgia #illinois #indiana #kansas #louisiana #missouri #nevada #ohio #oregon #texas #virginia #sr22 #sr-22 #atlanta #macon #savannah #columbus #chicago #joliet #rockford #peoria #champaign #bloomington #normal #springfield #indianapolis #indy #ftwayne #fortwayne #evansville #southbend #bloomington #gary #kansascity #topeka #wichita #olathe #salina #lenexa #hutchinson #overlandpark #neworleans #batonrouge #lafayette #shreveport #joplin #stjoseph #kirksville #lasvegas #reno #henderson #carsoncity #cincinnati #cleveland #toledo #akron #dayton #portland #salem #eugene #medford #multnomah #columbia #astoria #bend #solow #klamathfalls #grantspass #sanantonio #dallas #houston #austin #lubbock #fortworth #elpaso #plano #laredo #corpuschristi #arlington #virginiabeach #roanoke #norfolk #richmond #newportnews #alexandria #williamsburg #appomattox #arlington #chesapeake #hampton