If you are traveling through a country or region for an extended period of time, buying a pre-owned car could be a great way to make savings. However, you would need to remember a few do’s and don’ts to avoid getting stuck with a bad deal.
Do’s:
1. Get a car from a reputed dealership
A reputed dealership would have a better selection of cars in their lot as well as a number of buying plans and schemes for travelers. This information can be gathered through travel websites though you can also ask for information on them at local businesses.
2. Insist on a log book
A log book contains a record of all the people that have owned a car before you and the number of times it has been serviced. A log book helps you make an informed purchase and you should totally insist on being provided with one before you put your money down.
3. Go to buy a car with someone knowledgeable
If you don’t know too much about cars, the car salesman would have you all figured out within the first 5 minutes of the meeting. This puts you in a big disadvantage. So, when you go to buy a car to travel around in, bring someone who knows at least a little bit about them to get a better deal.
Don’ts:
1. Fall for too good to be true schemes
A lot of dealerships selling to travelers tend to offer amazing-looking schemes and plans to customers who don’t know the lay of the land. If the price appears too great of a deal, you should be very suspicious. Research the going rate for travelers’ cars in the country you’re visiting for a better idea of the kind of price and deals you can expect.
2. Buy too fancy a car
When in a foreign land, you basically need a car to get around. You don’t need to splurge on a fancy sports car when a sturdy family carrier would be sufficient. Also, most sports cars are bought back by dealerships at rather reduced prices so it won’t be worth the deal in the end anyway.
3. Forget to ask about buy back policies
If you have bought a car in another country, you probably won’t be bringing it back with you. Before you put down money on a car during your travel, don’t forget to ask about buy back policies from your dealership. Also inquire about how much of a price reduction you might expect when you sell the car back to the dealership.