Buying a used car is a different experience than buying straight from the dealership. And that certainly makes it a much harder task.
While buying used cars does have its pros, one of the obvious downsides is that you’ll spend more hours looking for the perfect used car. When buying from the dealership, every vehicle is in perfect condition and all you have to do is settle on a model.
But we’re here to tell you all about the 5 things only used car buyers can understand. So to better understand the process and the reason why we do it, make sure to stick to the end.
1. It’s Never the Real Deal
Regardless if you find the perfect match for you, buying used is never the same as buying from the dealership.
Whenever you go shopping for a new car, the sheer excitement can be overwhelming. Buying used, on the other hand, not so much. While people can get genuinely excited about buying their first car, regardless if it’s used or new, it is not the same thing.
Thus, you should always know that buying from someone else will never be the real deal nor will it be the same experience as buying new.
2. Test Drive Is A Must
Whenever you’re thinking about buying a car from the dealership, you can be given a test drive to feel how the vehicle “feels” and runs. But if you thought that this is important, then you’ve never bought a used car before. Whenever scouting potential vehicles, we don’t really have any way of knowing if we’re buying quality.
The methods that we can use are generally not available to us. A car owner looking to sell their old car will never agree to take the car to a mechanic and do a full inspection. Not only is this process time consuming, but nothing guarantees that you will buy it from them. Not to mention the costs of such an inspection.
So the only thing that you can rely on is the test drive. People that have bought old cars will know how important this part of the process is. A test drive provides you with the same sets of securities that buying a new car provides.
So if there is one thing to remember when buying a used car it’s to take it for a test drive before purchasing the vehicle.
3. Endless Hours Searching For the “One”
Trust us when we say this, you will spend hundreds of hours searching for the right vehicle. Simply said, it’s how the industry works.
If it were up to the buyer, everyone would swap this process with some sort of automated search engine that will select the right car based on your preferences.
Bud sadly, for most cases, there is always something wrong with the vehicle listing on Craigslist. People aren’t that genuine about their cars as they should be.
You might’ve found the best-looking car out there, but what happens once you find out that there is no AC? That’s why you should always view listings from reputable websites that prevent false advertisements.
To do that, we suggest you head over to car sell zone. With just a few clicks, you will find your perfect vehicle for the right price without having to spend hundreds of hours on research.
4. Scratches Always Come Up
Scratches are the sort of things that everyone hides from the listing and promises that there are none. But once you’ve arranged a meeting with the seller, they always appear out of nowhere.
So that begs the question, are scratches elusive issues that prevent us from buying the vehicle, or are people hiding them?
The previous point is somewhat similar to this one, in the sense that something always comes up when we go to inspect the vehicle.
And that is something that everyone that has previously bought a used car gets annoyed with. Can you imagine how annoying it would be having to drive to the seller only to discover deal-breaking issues?
No one wants to buy a car with a poor paint job. But since you had no idea about it, the only thing you can do is either hassle for a lower price or leave the scene.
Scratches and bumps are the sorts of things that get swept under the rug by the seller. They just assume that you’ll be fine with it. But everyone that’s ever bought a used car knows that scratches and bumps are very frustrating to deal with.
5. You’ll Get There, Eventually
Before used car websites were a thing, people looking day and night for the perfect used car to buy. While the process is somewhat easier now, it is still not perfect.
While genuine sellers exist that will tell you all about every small scratch, bump, and issue, it’s safe to say that the vast majority of sellers aren’t like that.
And once you’ve visited one, two, three, heck, even four or five vehicles and have found deal-breaking issues with every single one of them, the question arises as to when will you find the right one?
And all that we can say to that is, you’ll get there eventually. Buying used might be much cheaper, but it does come with its own sets of problems, issues, and things that get on your nerves.
Conclusion
It is said that the price of a new vehicle drops by 30% the moment you buy it from the dealership. And this is very important because used cars are meant to be much cheaper than new ones.
The price is what makes used cars so highly attractive to buyers. Not everyone has the money to buy a new car, and everyone needs wheels to get to places.
This is why the used vehicle market is huge. But while you do get a financial pass, numerous stumbling blocks exist to make the process that more difficult.
Luckily for you, people tend to share their experiences online. And that’s exactly what this article is all about.
