The Case For Used Car Dealerships

We all know that hasseling with dealerships sucks. Why even bother? There's Ebay, and a multitude of other sources to buy directly from the current owner, at sometimes a significant discount, right?

Well, the traditional benefit of a used car dealership was to be able to see a bunch of cars in one place, without having to search the newspaper and drive all over BFE to pick one out. Now with the ability to see 1000s of cars across the country in seconds, that seems like a moot point. Or is it? Take it from a guy who buys a lot of cars online from banks and auctions, nothing replaces seeing a car in person. Some describe the cars accurately, others not-so-much. Individual owners seem to be the most likely to embelish the truth. I've heard plenty of horror stories from folks who bought a car online, and when they drove 4 states away to get it, found lots of surprises awaiting them.

Also, a good dealer should recondition the vehicle. This means inspecting the vehicle and performing necessary services and repairs, replace brake linings if necessary, make sure tires are good, touch up the scratches, shampoo the carpets, etc, etc. And don't forget providing a short warranty. You will not get this treatment from an individual seller. I trade a ton of cars in, and they all need work. Every. Single. One. Think about it, before you got rid of your last car I'll bet you were 2000 miles overdue on an oil change, never fixed that busted power window because it didn't seem necessary, had no idea how much brake life was left, and the thing rolled out of your driveway with the tank on bone E, right? Simple fact, people don't properly maintain a car that they no longer want to own. And if something goes wrong, you're SOL pal. An individual seller has no reputation to worry about, he sells one car every five years. For a dealer, they want their customers to be happy so that they stay in business.

Don't forget that buying a car should be fun, and you should buy from someone that you like who will make the experience an enjoyable one for you. And hey if you like the person, don't you want it to be enjoyable and profitable for them as well? You should.