oday purchasing a new vehicle can prove to be a stressful event for most people. Visiting your local dealers can take up a lot of your time, and it often proves to be a frustrating experience. Luckily, you can buy almost anything online these days, and a new or used car is no exception. What are some of the best practices for online car shopping? Let’s dive into the topic.
1. Window Shop
With the internet at your disposal, this is your obvious first step when planning to purchase a new vehicle. It should come as no surprise that the majority of car buyers perform initial research online before visiting a dealer. The difference here is that most or all of the transaction will take place without you having to step foot outside your home. You’ll need to narrow down your options to one or two models, as well as decide whether you want to buy or lease a new or pre-owned vehicle. Figure out what features are needed in your new car, as well as which cars provide those features. A couple websites consumers use for research include Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds, who offer information on most cars as well as the price you should be paying for them.
This brings up the next step, which is to set your budget. Think carefully, and whatever you do, don’t settle for anything outside of your price range. With proper research and negotiation, you can buy your dream car without going bankrupt.
2. Negotiate
You may have opted for an online car-buying experience because of a past mishap at a dealership. Maybe you despise high-pressure sales situations (as we all do), which almost certainly await you once you set foot on the lot. However, haggling online is much less stressful than attempting to make a deal in person, with your precious time ticking away while you wait for the back and forth between your car salesman and his boss. Instead, you can enjoy negotiating behind your screen, on your time, and take as much of it as you need
