 |
| USED CAR SALESMAN |
Interviewing Your Used Car Salesman
When you are purchasing a used car, you really are at the
mercy of the person selling the vehicle. That means that you have to be willing
to make sure that they are giving you a legitimate deal, and that you are not
being ripped off. The only way that you are going to accomplish this is to
interview the person selling the vehicle. Don't be afraid to ask the questions
that come to mind (about the vehicle, obviously don't ask a bunch of personal
questions or you might creep them out ).
You should really think twice if the person you are talking
to seems like they are on edge, or that they are not being completely honest
with you. Even if someone seems pretty genuine, it is helpful to toss out some
difficult questions to get them thinking, and to catch them off guard. If you
are able to ask something they aren't expecting, you may find out information
that they don't mean to let you in on, and that is how you avoid the bad deals
and uncover what they are hiding.
Questions to Ask Him
Stick to this list of questions and you should find out
whether or not you can trust the person selling the vehicle, which is one of
the most important things that you can learn when you are buying a car from
someone that you really don't know.
Why Are You Selling?
The first thing you should ask when you meet the person is
why are they selling the vehicle. Always look them in the eye when they are
talking about why they are letting go of the car, and ask follow up questions
if anything comes to mind. You will be amazed at how much information this
simple question often brings up for you.
What is Wrong with it?
Be straightforward and ask them if there is anything wrong
with the car at all that they can think of. You should be suspicious if they
tell you that nothing is wrong with the vehicle at all, if it is at least a few
years old. There is bound to be at least a few minor problems with most
vehicles. You should also be worried if they have a really hard time coming up
with an answer to give you for this question. That means they are nervous, and
probably trying to think of what to say to you.
Guess What? If an owner is trying to think of what to say to
you, he isn't telling you the truth.
Have You Ever Had Major Problems?
This question really puts the owner on the spot because he
isn't expecting you to ask about anything other than what is currently wrong
with the vehicle. By finding out what was wrong with it in the past, you can
learn about how it was cared for, you can also learn important information
about which parts have been changed, and which may need to be inspected more
closely.
Have You Been in Any Major Accidents?
If the car has been rolled down a hill sideways you need to
know about it. Even though it may look like it is running great on the outside,
that doesn't mean that the frame isn't weakened in 56 different spots because
of a terrible string of accidents that they have been through. You would be
amazed at what an experienced body shop can accomplish, with even some of the
worst vehicles out there.
Are You the Only Owner?
By finding out if they are the only ones in the cars past
you will know whether or not there is more information that you have to dig up
somewhere. Past owners could have been in accidents, they could have neglected
to change the oil as well. For all you know the current owner bought the car 3
months ago and is looking to get rid of it before he has to deal with the many
problems that he knows are inevitable. Protect yourself and find out if the
seller is hiding something.
This short list of questions is a good place to start when
you are looking over a vehicle. After you have asked all of these, you should
have a good idea about whether or not you are interested in buying the vehicle
at all. Anyone who is dodging questions shouldn't be trusted because they are
lying to you or avoiding an important issue. If you decide that you are
interested in a vehicle you should get the history report for it to verify
whether or not they were telling you the truth when you questioned them.
When you take the time to get to know the seller you learn a
great deal more about the vehicle than you ever would, by simply inspecting it
yourself. Use the investigative approach to buying a car and you will be amazed
at all of the interesting information that you can uncover, and even horrified
in some instances (I once had a woman tell me that her car just came out of a
horrible flood, which wasn't listed in the ad, I might add.)