Buy Used Cars Online Strategies

You can buy used cars online and dig up all the dirt on the cars history before the purchase and shipping is finalized. You can also get the car inspected by the professionals from Alliance Inspection Management, LLC. These services work for any vehicle purchase, even at local dealerships.

Spend a little time and a few dollars before the deal is finalized to prevent years of regret, better known as buyers remorse. I use to avoid using carfax, because I felt it leaned to the side of the seller with it’s big green everything is fine notification. The last report from them was a major improvement over ones from the past. In fact they have really cleaned up their act after the negative press they received.

They have a VIN search function to see if records exist in the data base before you make the commitment to run a report. When you buy used cars you want to make sure it is not a Sandy, Katrina or Charlie vehicle. Save yourself the trouble of buying a fixed up previously totaled vehicle.

Here is another sign that carfax has realigned itself as a neutral party and no longer leans towards the Dealership side of the equation. Many dealers have dropped the service and are now using brand X or Y. This is just my personal opinion.

Anyone interested in buying used cars online should go the extra mile in performing as much verification as possible. Long story short, every car has a story. Make sure the target vehicle’s story is not a nightmare of abuse and neglect. The dealer uses a data base service to check your trade out for value reducing incidents. When they find something the trade value goes down sharply. Now you can check them out and get it’s full history.

Large Used Car Data Base

Trans Am and Corvette on used lot

Using a data base website from any vendor, consumers enter a vehicle identification number to determine if it was reported titled in flood prone areas like Louisiana, Mississippi  or branded as salvage, specialized title or frame damaged from collision.

When you buy used cars online you need to safeguard you’re self from purchasing storm-damaged vehicles from sellers. In addition Vin Audit recommends a thorough vehicle inspection. The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) offers the following inspection tips to help detect significant water damage.

Examine the interior and the engine compartment for evidence of water and grit from suspected submersion. Look for recently shampooed carpet. Also look under the carpet for water and stain marks from evaporated water not related to air-conditioning leaks.

Look for rust on the inside of the car and under interior carpeting and visually inspect all interior upholstery and door panels for any evidence of fading. Look under the dashboard for dried mud and any evidence of mold or musty odor in the carpet or trunk.

Perform an inspection for rust on screws in the console or other areas where the water would normally not reach unless submerged. Inspect for mud or grit in alternator crevices, behind wiring harnesses and around the small recesses of starter motors, power steering pumps and relays. Complete a detailed inspection of the electrical system looking for rusted components water marks or suspicious corrosion.

Inspect the undercarriage and other components for evidence of rust and flaking metal that would not normally be associated with late model vehicles. Save money buy used cars online but be safe and protect yourself. Buy a used car from a reliable online used car supplier and check into the customer satisfaction rate of the web site. I know a lot about this subject and I lean towards E-bay Motors for online car purchases.

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