Even before the Corona Virus pandemic, online shopping has already been popular with a lot of people across the globe. Purchasing at the comfort of your own home is definitely enticing because of its ease and convenience. And recently, the automotive market has caught up, especially now that social interaction has to be limited as much as possible. Getting your new Audi Q5 delivered to your doorstep is now as easy as getting a new Samsung TV. But still, this is way more expensive than a flat-screen smart TV, so rushing into things is definitely not advisable, The same with doing it the traditional way, buying a car online, may be more convenient, but the same thorough planning should be considered. Take your time, think things through, and read the advice we have below for you.
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Setting a Budget and Choosing the Right Car
More and more car brands and dealers are starting to offer online buying making things easier for their customers and one of the first steps you should consider is setting a budget and sticking to it because just like any form of shopping, it’s easy to go over your budget when getting a new car. The best way to avoid this is for you to think about what you need and what you want, then do a lot of research on which car you think is best for you. Check out the official web pages of the brands or dealers in your area and look for the cars that fit your needs and are within your budget. Once you’ve figured out which cars you think are worth looking more into, don’t rely only on the web pages of the brands, look for other websites that review vehicles for consumers, look for articles and reviews that talk about the cars that you are interested in. These articles are more often than not unbiased and will help you make your decision easier. Just remember to look into more than one article or review, this way, you can cross-reference which aspects of the reviews are consistent which will help you weed out the unbiased parts of a review.
Getting the Right Value for Your Money
We all know the pressures of haggling for a better price, and it’s even harder when you do it face to face, that’s one of the advantages of doing the negotiations online, no need to wait for hours at the dealership until an agent can assist you, you can do the whole process at the comfort of your home and the whichever time is convenient for you.
Once you’ve chosen the car that you desire and that also fits your budget, your next step is contacting the dealerships or showrooms that have that model at hand. Don’t just contact one, remember, you’ll be doing everything online, while sitting in front of your TV or while eating dinner, so there won’t be any problem contacting more than one seller, this way you get better options. Negotiate with them and never be afraid to ask for the lowest price possible and as many freebies as you can get for the best deal.
Start the negotiation by asking the dealer the best price they can give you the car that you have chosen. Mention the trims you’re interested in any options you want to include, don’t be afraid to ask the dealer to customize a trim to fit your needs or the specs you want. If you plan to do a trade-in or go through any financing options, don’t mention it yet, let the dealer bring these up, this way, you will have the upper hand when negotiating the best price. Make sure you pay attention while you’re discussing the prices and any fees associated with the vehicle, some dealers tend to sweet talk you into thinking that the deal they are offering you is so good that you’re getting more than what you’re paying for, but in reality, you’re not. Always double check by researching or asking around when you think something about the deal is off or fishy.
Always double-check the warranty agreements and the financing, if you opted for a financing option, terms are what you you are comfortable with.
Also, as you are doing all of this in the comfort of your home and the ultimate goal is to go through the whole process without stepping out, make sure that the dealership you are talking to has delivery service or other options to get your car delivered and try to negotiate for the delivery charged to be waived if you can.
To get the best deals from each seller, always show the lowest quote to the other sellers and ask if they can match it with a better deal, this way the pressure is transferred to the agent to try and outmatch the competition’s offer. Do this until you get one that you are satisfied with.
Delivering To Your Doorstep
Now, you’ve decided on your budget, chosen the perfect car, and accepted the best deal you can find. You can almost smell that new car smell, almost feel the smooth steering wheel, but first, as we want to avoid socializing as much as possible, you need to have your new car delivered. Usually, the dealer will handle almost everything with this process, you just need to provide a delivery address, which doesn’t have to be your home, it could be somewhere else, like maybe your office, and they will send it right away if it’s just close by, usually within 100 miles. Depending on the dealership, your car will either be driven to the given address by the sales agent (don’t worry about him or her getting home, there’s probably a second car right behind) or if it can be an option, your car will be delivered on a flatbed. Again if this is an option always prefer the latter, as it will lessen your car’s mileage and it will be a lot safer being driven to the location.
Also, be aware that not all dealers do the delivery, if this was not brought up during your discussion about the vehicle you are purchasing and still want to make the deal with them, there are a lot of auto transport services out there like Montway Auto Transport and AmeriFrieght, make sure to choose one that offers the best price and convenience for you, it would also be advisable that shipping fees be included when deciding on a budget. If it is within your budget or you have the cash to spare, having an auto transport service deliver your vehicle to you is a better option than having it driven. When you book an auto transport service, there are a few things you have to consider, like the type of service you want to opt for, for example, if the vehicle you have purchase is an expensive, exotic or vintage one, go for the covered transport option, this would be the safest option for those type of vehicles, the extra fee you would be paying will for sure be worth every penny considering what is being delivered. Otherwise, you can just opt for the uncovered transport which will give you the best savings. When everything is all set all you have to do is choose your schedules properly, you wouldn’t want to be away somewhere when your new car is delivered. It is advisable that you set the daytime delivery so that you won’t have a hard time inspecting your ride when it is delivered. Then the hardest part of the whole transaction begins, waiting for the car to be delivered.
Inspecting Your New Ride
Now the day has come and your new ride is about to be delivered, we know how excited you are to get on it and drive around, but hold your horses! Don’t rush in and just sign for the delivery and receive your car without inspecting everything first. Do a thorough inspection as much as you can. Make sure the make and models are exactly what you paid for, make sure that the build date on the vehicle and the manufacturing date on the papers match. Then check the odometer and make sure that it is below 100 miles or at least just a little over the distance of the dealership and the location it was delivered if you opted for it to be driven there. Check that all the options and features are present and in working order like the Bluetooth, power buttons, infotainment system, all the electronics. Pop the hood and start the vehicle, listen to it, and make sure it doesn’t make any weird sounds, especially when revved. Go around the vehicle and check for dents or scratches, although it is common for a vehicle to obtain dent and scratches during delivery, it is still best that you check and make sure that the sales agent acknowledges that the dents and scratches, if any, were present when the vehicle was delivered. You can even ask them what offers they can give you considering your car came with minor defects. One other thing you can ask from your agent is to let you do a test drive with them in the car so that you immediately check if the vehicle is running as it should be. Again, if you find any flaws, no matter how small, make sure your agent acknowledges them by signing an agreement that the flaws will be serviced free of charge.
Likewise, if you are trading in an old car, the same process will likely be done by the agent and it is best you let them do so as being hesitant about them doing a thorough inspection lead them to think that your old ride has hidden problem that you don’t want them to find, whether this is true or not, it will greatly affect the value that your agent will place on your old car.
Driving Your New Ride
Once everything checks out, sign for the delivery, and enjoy your new ride, just make sure to continue monitoring for flaws or defects for the next couple of weeks and to inform your agent as soon as possible if you find any. And don’t go all out on your first ride, take her out for a spin, cruise around, see what she can do but don’t push her to the limit the moment you go on the freeway, it pay to be gentle with your car, even if its a high powered exotic car.
Making the Best Transaction
Some tips on getting the best deal:
On negotiating – it always pays to be nice. Yes, you are the customer and you’re supposed to always be “right” right? Wrong, it is usually the customers who have that thinking that get the bad end of the deal, frustrating your agent will only lead them to you not getting the best they can offer, often even leading you to believe that you got the upper hand in the deal when in reality, you’re getting less than what you’re paying for. So always be polite, there is always a nice way to ask questions and be thorough about the deal. Remember, a happy agent will give you the best deal that they can offer. Especially considering the off-site transactions require more effort for them than dealing with a customer in the showroom.
On setting a delivery – don’t expect all dealers to have the delivery option or delivery date and time that you are expecting, negotiate and find the best solution that will be most convenient for you given the situation. For example, if they do not do deliveries, ask if they are willing to set up the auto transport service for you, or even maybe cover the delivery fee. If the dealership cannot accommodate a delivery at the date/s you prefer, be flexible, find a better date, or maybe a different delivery location that may be available for the dealership to do the delivery.
Also, it would advisable to make it worth their while, like telling the agent that you are considering purchasing for them immediately if the delivery options that you wanted are met, or maybe if the can do something to accommodate you sooner, you’d be very happy to recommend them to your friends and families for their quick services.
On receiving your car – don’t let your excitement overrule your judgment. Most of the time, people receiving their new ride become too excited to try it out that they half-heartedly inspect the vehicle, putting too much trust on the dealership. That’s not advisable, take your time to inspect, what’re a few more minutes of waiting to have fun with your car if you’re making sure that it’s in top shape, it will benefit you more in the long run.