Car shopping made easy

by JustineDI FIiippo photo editor

The temperature outside is 95 degrees but in the car it's at least 120 degrees. The heat is on just to prevent the car from overheating. The sweat is dripping down ypur face as you drive the four miles to 7-11 to get an ice cold slurpy.

It's time to get rid of that 1985 hunk of junk.

Buying a new car might not be as expensive as the sticker on the window says if you know your stuff. There are a few things a car buyer needs to know before walking onto a car lot. Knowing just these few things could save the consumer thousands of dollars.

The first thing a consumer needs to know is a few definitions. Dealers often throw these at a consumer because the dealer knows the consumer doesn't know what they means.

MSRP-manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. This is simply the sticker price on the car.

ADI- Additional Dealer Markup. This is the price that the dealer wants the consumer to pay so that they get a bigger commission.

The first thing to do when shopping for a new car is to buy a folder. There is some research that the consumer has to do if they want to save money.

There are sites online that help consumers price cars. Decide what kind of car, model and make, you want. These web sites will tell the consumer exactly what the MSRP is in the consumer's area. On autoweb.com they quote the 2001 Toyota Corolla S in the Doylestown area for $12,793. The sticker on the same car in the dealership in Doylestown had the same car marked $15,000. The way to walk out of the dealership with that car for the price on the Internet is simple. Go to all of the following web sites invoisdealers .com,autoweb.com, vehiclesonline.com, carsdirect.com, autovantage.com and any others that you can find that will give you quotes.

Here is where the folder comes in handy. Print out all the quotes you got from each site and average the price. The amounts are going to be within $100 of each other. Place each individual quote and the average into the folder.

The consumer is ready to walk into the dealership. With the folder in hand the consumer already has one hand up in the situation but there are still a few scams that some dealers throw at the consumer to get the money back. Dealers have a way of adding on extra charges to the bill so that the consumer is right back to square one.

The consumer should never tell the dealer that they are desperate for a car. All they hear is" you've just won the lotto." coming out of the consumers mouth. When talking to the dealer, show him/her the prices from the research. If the dealer says that he cannot give the car away for that amount simply tell them you'll take your business elsewhere. Dealers will always call the consumer back before they walk out the door.

Now the consumer is getting what they want for the price they want, right? Not really. There is still more negotiating to go on.

The top three scams that dealers throw at consumers often costs the consumer thousands.

The deposit check scam. After the consumer finally thinks that everything is done the dealer may ask for a deposit before asking the manager if the asking price is acceptable. The dealer asks for the deposit to prove to his manager that the consumer is serious about buying the car. Ten minutes later he comes back, with out the check and says "sorry the manager says that's not an acceptable price." When you ask the dealer for the check he simply says, "oh we thought you were serious about it. The check has already been deposited." How do you avoid this? Simply tell the dealer that he sees no money until you know what you are going to pay. If all else fails, tell the dealer you 're taking your business elsewhere. The consumer will always get their way.

The forced warranty scam. Some dealerships try to sell more with the car. Most is invisible, warranty's, and even death insurance. The dealer tells the consumer that the bank requires it for the loan. All the bank wants from the consumer is to get their monthly check. The only extra that is worth the money is when you lease a car. Some dealers offer what is called GAP insurance. This is in case the car gets stolen or totaled. If the insurance company will not pay on the existing lease the dealership will pick up the tap. Remember if you do opt to get any of these make sure to get it in writing on the paperwork or the consumer just bought a car full of hot air.

Additional dealer markup. This is added on as charges such as paperwork and talking with the dealer. The only way to get rid of this charge is to keep talking the dealer down. Remember the consumer can always get up and walk out and the dealer will keep calling the consumer back.

Take your time when looking for cars it can save you thousands of dollars. For more scams that dealers do check out carbuyingtips.com.

To check quotes go to www.invoisdealers.com autoweb.com vehiclesonline.com carsdirect.com autovantage.com

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