Watch Out FOr Auto Financing Scams

Posted by Adnin | Business and Finance | Thursday 26 August 2010 3:55 pm

Car dealers are often portrayed as predators just waiting for an unsuspecting customer to come along. This is because many people believe that they are always on the prowl for unsuspecting buyers that are not very knowledgeable about cars. This can be unfair because we can argue that there are car dealers out there who would not cheat just to get an extra profit.

How do you tell the difference?

To avoid becoming a victim of sneaky car dealers, look at the following auto financing scams.

Yoyo scam

You will be allowed by the dealer to bring the car home as soon as possible. The dealer will take care of the financing, a few days later he will contact you again and tell you that there was a problem with your financing plan. He will tell you to set up a new financing scheme through him which, of course, will be at a higher cost and this will also entail a very high profit on the dealer’s part.

Be wary of this trick and avoid it at all costs if you detect it. If you have a bad credit standing, don′t have your financing done by the dealer and make arrangements for your own financing. If you ever do avail of the dealer’s financing, you should never drive the car back to your home immediately. Wait for at least 24 hours just to make sure that the processing of your financing scheme has been completed already. By allowing 1 whole day to pass by, you are assured that the dealer cannot use this scam on you.

Window etching trick

Window etching is a very common scam. What the dealer will do is to offer to etch the VIN number of your car onto the window of the car for a price. Basically, the price ranges from as low as $300 to as high as $1,000. Some buyers think that they did a good job by being able to talk down the price to a few hundred dollars, but unfortunately for them, a few hundred dollars is still a good amount of money. The best way to avoid this kind of scam is for you to buy an etching kit that you can do on your own. This is available in most auto shops and costs around $20. See how much they profit from you!

Preparation fees

For preparing your car, the dealer will often add an additional preparation fee to your bill. Just to conduct a test drive, replace fuses, or take the car’s plastic cover off will have your bill increasing by at least $500! If you visit other shops, you can get the information that these add on costs are already included in the MSRP as set by the manufacturer. Some dealers automatically add it to the buyer’s order to make it look mandatory. To take care of this scam, you can ask the dealer to classify it as credit (it should be identical to the amount of the preparation fee) on the following line. If the dealer does not agree to this, you can just simply walk away from the dealership.

Market adjustment

The dealer will convince you that the vehicle you want is selling like hot cakes and very popular. In order to sell you the vehicle, they will do some “market adjustments″ amounting to a few thousand dollars. This is usually indicated by a tag near the MSRP tag set by the manufacturer. Even if the car you want is very popular and is very much in demand, if it is in stock you should not be tempted because getting a “popular” car is not worth it if you have to pay a few thousand dollars more. You should never pay more than the MSRP set by the manufacturers. If you do, then you are allowing others to take advantage of you.

Warranty extension

Although this type of scam is old already, it is still being used and there are many who fall for this trick. What happens in this kind of scam is that when you make a loan for the car, the dealer will tell you that you are required to purchase an extended warranty because it is one of the conditions of the bank. There is a simple way of avoiding this scam. Ask the dealer to specify clearly in writing that the extended warranty is required for the loan to be approved. The dealer will most probably find a way to have it excluded. If he persists in including the extended warranty, do not do business with this guy and go to other dealerships.  

These are some of the most common auto financing scams that are utilized by some car dealers. Always keep these in mind if you are going to buy a car. If you or a friend were treated fairly by a dealer in the past, consider using the same dealership again. It’s a good indication that they do care about their customers and aren’t just looking for a “fast buck.”  

Think very carefully and do not buy on impulse. Good luck to you and go get that car!

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Money for a Car: a Guide to Auto Financing

Posted by Adnin | Business and Finance | Saturday 7 August 2010 12:01 pm

Nobody wants to be the dumb buyer in a car buying deal. You have to be smart or you end up losing more money than you ought to. It is a very common scheme among car buyers to first get money in order to buy a new car.

The term is called “auto financing” and it simply means how you pay for a vehicle. You can finance a car by taking out an auto loan to own a car, in which case, you have two options: You either use the money from the loan to buy the car, or use it for lease.

If this isn’t your first time buying a car, you might already know that the salesman or your car dealer will be checking your credit report before starting with the negotiations. But this is not the only way you can go to get that new car of yours. The seller will try to sweeten the deal and offer you special car finance situations in exchange for throwing yourself totally at his mercy. That is not a path you have to choose.

The key is preparation. Knowing what auto financing options you have before you get to the dealership will mean that you can take charge of your credit and take charge of your car loan.

Just remember, when you negotiate with the salesman for the most favorable auto loan, nothing is permanent until you have it in writing. So haggle and then haggle some more. Once negotiations seem to be over, that’s when the sales contract is prepared.

Inflated Interest Rates

To have the deal agreed upon by you and the salesman be put in writing in a binding contract is top on the list of the things you must do involving auto financing. Often involved at this part of the procedure is to determine monthly auto loan payments based on an interest rate. Now, as you well know, the interest rate varies from car buyer to car buyer. Your credit is only one of the factors and if the interest rate a car buyer qualifies for is inflated, then the dealership can make extra profit off your loan. That’s just one of the pitfalls in auto financing.

Independent Auto Financing

When you have the approved auto financing option on hand, you can then proceed with the deal as a “cash buyer” so to speak as you already have the cash in hand from the loan and you are just buying the car from the dealer with that money. Car salesmen prefer customers to be “monthly payment” buyers as this makes it easier for them to obscure the total cost of the vehicle, to the detriment of your savings. So wizen up and take that independent auto financing option available.

Set a Price Range

Having a budget is the sensible thing to do. If you set a sensible price range for yourself, then you have less reason to go beyond that range and succumb to the temptation of overspending. If you’re really firm on that budget, no amount of sales talk can sway you. One good tip is to ensure that your monthly car payments and related expenses do not exceed about 20% of your monthly net income.

Discounted Financing vs. Rebate

Here’s the dilemma to car buying: Many dealers offer an option between discounted financing or a rebate, but not both. Discounted financing means that you get zero-percent financing while rebate means that you get a certain amount of cash some time after purchase. The common error many car buyers make is that the zero-percent loan will deliver the most savings. But will it really?

Get the Cash Rebate

In most cases, it’s better to get the cash rebate and apply it against the purchase price of the vehicle. If you already have a pre-approved car loan, then that’s even better because you have positively no need of extra financing from your dealer. Just use your car loan to finance the car and let the rebate handle some of the charges.

You will have to choose how long you want your lease to be and how much you’re willing to pay upfront. The obvious choice, of course, would be to pay as little as possible, but be sure to weigh other options as well. After that, the car is yours for the period stipulated in the lease contract.

There are several other different plans those car buyers like you can adopt in order to make the most out of your money and reduce costs at the dealership. Understanding the credit process is just one way of being a smart buyer.

For more information on auto financing and car loans, visit:

http://www.financeguide101.com/finance-reports/money-for-a-car-a-guide-to-auto-financing.html

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Best Auto Finance Loans

Posted by Adnin | Business and Finance | Sunday 18 July 2010 11:54 am

When it comes to getting the best auto finance loans there are some things you need to keep in mind which will eventually help you. One thing is for certain and that is that there are plenty of vehicle loans out there that are not ideal deal for you. However, if you do not do the research then you will find it difficult to find the very Best Auto Finance for you. The following tips will however make it easy to find the very best car loan for your personal situation.

· Interest Rate

The first thing you need to compare is the interest rate on the loan to the rates on the other loans. You will find that there are many lenders out there offering competitive charges and then others who aren’t. If you do your research and just spend a little bit of time you will find borrowing with a very good interest amount. You will want to look at the top three or four plans and then compare them. Just because a lender lends an amount at a low charge it does not necessarily make it the ultimate plan for you. This is a very important aspect to consider, but it is just one piece of the puzzle.

· Down Payment

Another thing that will affect your credit is your down payment. Generally, the more you put down, the lower you will be charged. This is something to consider because while you may like the idea of not putting any money down you will actually spend more over time due to a higher charges. Try hard to have a down payment of at least a couple thousand dollars. This will lower your monthly payment and help you with the rate.


Apply for Best Auto Finance

 

· Credit Rating

Your financial rating will also play a role in the car borrowing you get. Individuals with high credit scores will qualify for lower rates than those with bad credit. Because of this those with great credit scores should do even more research to get the best possible rate because they are more likely to get 0% charge for a period of time or even a very low interest rate. Those with bad rating will need to search for a car plan offer they qualify for that does not have sky-high charge.

· Negotiate

The final tip is to negotiate the interest charge and terms to your best ability. Many lenders are interested in getting your business, especially if you have great rating. So, simply negotiate the terms that you are willing to accept for an auto loan. You may locate some lenders are unwilling to budge, while others will work with you. It is always worth a try!

These are just a few things you need to keep in mind when it comes to looking for Best Auto Finance loans. If you follow the suggestions here you will be able to get the desirable auto loan for your situation and even saves some money!

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Tips to Get the Best Auto Finance Car Payments Deal

Posted by Adnin | Business and Finance | Thursday 15 July 2010 11:55 pm

A car is a utilitarian vehicle. It gets you or your family from point A to point B. A vehicle may be necessary for standard transportation or it may be essential to a person’s job or livelihood. In many cases of young men, and now young women, purchasing a car is like a rite of passage – and may well be a badge or status symbol. People go to purchase a car, to compare models, brands and features and durability of car, SUV and truck models. Overall Most people do not purchase their vehicle outright. Most people finance their car – even though they may not think of it as taking out a loan. It’s a case of car payments as part of the family or personal budgets. Towards the end of the vehicle’s life when repair and maintenance costs become a larger factor people often turn to getting a new vehicle – and in essence renew their auto finance loan. Yet few think about financing their vehicle – whether it is a first vehicle or replacement auto. Its only when they sit down in the dealer’s office , or at the bank , credit union or finance company that they are forced to deal with the considerations of financing their vehicle. On top of that, in terms of negotiation stance, they usually in rather poor position. Having no vehicle or a vehicle that runs very poorly, is on its last legs so to speak. Time and the desirability of their automotive vehicle trade in are definitely not on their side.

What are basic tips to help out the car buyer when it comes time to purchase and finance that next new or used automobile – be it car, truck or SUV?

First of all have your credit report checked for accuracy. Next take the time to consider and explore all the loan sources available to you before you buy and sign on the dotted line. It may be the dealer, it may be the bank. However if you take the time to explore options before the final event – you may find that you have additional options available to your recourse. On top of that if you take the time to prepare ahead you may be able to smooth over any problems that the bank or finance company just needs information, documentation or reassurance. This could save you money by shaving off few points. On top of that because you may have option ‘a”, a new lender in the auto finance realm may appear and sweeten the pot to entice you with a lower offer and reduced car payment amount.

Take the time and effort to evaluate your purchase incentive options. For example dealers may offer cash rebates or a discounted financing rate or rates. It’s a case of one or the other usually, but not both. You may come out ahead by selecting the rebate and applying it to your actual purchase price on the spot, and then proceed to take out a personal low interest loan rather than the dealer’s rate offer. Just as on a trip to Mexico it never hurts to pack a calculator as a quick financial reference and financial negotiation tool. Indeed a laptop with financial calculation programs as well as providing for basic record keeping on deals and auto product research can be an invaluable record keeping tool. Seasoned industry expert Winnipeg Manitoba based William Simpson points out as well that for many , a low tech standard paper notebook or scribbler can do just as well for many of the technologically challenged.

It’s all a matter of pre-call and pre purchase research and follows though. Be thorough and consistent in your automotive purchase procedure as well in researching your auto finance of next automotive vehicle – be it new or used- be it a car, truck, SUV or even motorcycle.

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