Vehicle Purchasing Services

Spotting the problem with a “Spot Delivery”.

Late in the evening or the weekend and the banks are closed, good time to shop for and buy a vehicle, right? Not so much, here is why. The dealership wants you to leave with their vehicle. Why? Well they …

Transporting a vehicle? Make sure you inspect what you expect!

Transporting or shipping a vehicle usually goes very smoothly. There are times, however, when accidents happen and vehicles are damaged. Here is what I recommend you do when on the receiving end of a vehicle that is being transported to …

Hey, my tire is flat, how did that happen?

It is often the case a nail or screw can be embedded in a tire for a while before you come out to find a completely flat tire, probably when you have the least amount of time to deal with …

Pay it forward….Or at least pay it off!

Are you thinking of privately selling that almost paid off vehicle? If you can swing it, pay it off and get that title free and clear from the bank. My experience in selling vehicles privately is that you will never …

Re-Lease me!

Are you leasing a vehicle and the lease is running out and you are not sure what you want to do, don’t panic! Many leasing companies will allow you to extend that current lease from 1 to 6 months (sometimes …

Over Tired? Get used to it…or on it!

If you are leasing a vehicle, chances are your tires will be just about worn out by the time you are scheduled to return it. So what do you do? Put brand new tires on that vehicle you are …

Road trip, take 5!

I lifted this from Wisdomtips.com, which has interesting quotes as well as some good car advice from time to time. I was on the road yesterday and noticed several people on the side of road dealing with tires, etc. No …

What is going on with my gas mileage?

Good question, are you paying attention. I recommend checking it with some frequency and see it there is an unexplained drop in your MPGs. An explained change could be using your AC more, more in town driving hauling around extra …

Craigslist, don’t even get me started!

I used to think that Craigslist was NOT the place to sell or even look for a car. I have completely changed my mind. I now say do it, but do it smart! Smart how, the difference, information and more …

Is it true what they say about Truecar pricing?

I have a question for you, is the price you pay for the car (vehicle) the price you paid for the car? Sound like a trick question. Well, Truecar will give you the price of the car but there isn’t …

What to do with that warranty (extended service contract)?

Selling your car and have an extended warranty? The general rule is that once the car is out of warranty, that contract will add value to the vehicle when you go to sell it (not so much when you trade …

All colors are not created equally

Want a yellow car? How about red? Did that bright green catch your eye. Be careful, depending on how long you want to own it, the color may cause you to own it longer than you may want to. If …

I just sold my car what about my license plate?

In Arizona you need to take that plate off of the vehicle. That is your property and often still has monetary value that can be cashed out or transferred to another vehicle. The new owner can put a temporary (obtained …

Rotate your tires, sure, but what about your keys?!

More and more vehicles have some type of remote entry key or fob or a smart key. The best way to keep both sets of keys and remotes working is to use them both. Alternate using them from week to …

No title…No sale?

Many states including Arizona are title holding states. This means that until the loan (lien) is paid off the lender (lien holder) keeps the title. So suppose you want to sell your vehicle before you have paid off it off, …

Lock your doors…and wheels!

Many cars with expensive wheels and tires with have wheel locks or you may consider putting them on those wheels. The manufacturer makes a compatible lock (locking lug nut) or you can get one from your local auto parts store. …

Leader of the “Pack”!

Many dealerships have something called “pack”. This is a number (dollars) that is added to their actual cost to give a new higher price that is then referred to as their “cost”. So if a dealership is promising to sell …

Book Values, are they of value?

I am often asked about the accuracy of book values for used vehicles. My experience is that the more common or available a vehicle is, the more you can use it as a pricing guide. And it is just that, …

Get Pre Approved

I don’t ever recommend leaving a dealership with a vehicle unless you have been approved for the loan and you know your rate. A common practice with dealerships it to “roll” a vehicle before getting an approval from a lending …

Allergic to your car?!

I like many people suffer from seasonal allergies and I found this on Wisdomtips.com: “Could your allergies be stirred up by your car? Well, you may not be allergic to the motor, but allergens from animals and plants are easily …

“Club” Type Pricing Services

Buyer beware! If you belong to a credit union or a big discount warehouse type club that offers special auto pricing to its members, be clear on what you are actually getting. The dealership that you are being referred to …

Safe Parking? Might not be where you think…

Most of us have experienced coming out from the grocery store only to find a shopping cart has bumped into that car you have gone to great lengths to park away from every other car on the lot. Well, according …

Looking at a used car? Trust the label!

Many manufacturers will put a small label (VIN tag, probably 1/2 inch by 2 inches) on every original body panel on every car or truck before it leaves the factory. This label will have that vehicles VIN printed on it, …

Diminished Value?

If your vehicle has been in an accident, even if it has been properly repaired. Here is why…. Once a vehicle has been involved in an accident there is la smaller market for that vehicle when the owner attempts to …

What makes up your credit score?

Hopefully this will help lift the mysterious cloud that hovers over the number that is your credit score. Now remember, there are 3 bureaus that are used and all have different scores, so ask which one the dealer will be …

Free Credit Report, Really?

You can get a free report 1 time a year but if you don’t know how to interpret what you see, it may not help. You have to pay for the score. You can still look for possible errors or …

Credit Scores and Interest Rates

Going into a dealership to buy a car without knowing your score is a dangerous (and costly) thing to do. The quickest way to find out your credit worthiness is to apply for a loan at a local credit union …

Want a Crystal Ball? I See Residual Values…

Even if you aren’t leasing, if you are curious to know what your new vehicle (or a vehicle you are considering buying) will be worth in 3 or 4 years, ask (before you buy) what the lease end or residual …

Take Your Calculator!

A common practice in the car business is to manipulate the numbers to help convince you to buy extra products like warranties or maintenance plans. This is how it works, you are quoted a payment based on a interest rate …

When paying cash for your vehicle must you give your social?

The short answer is no, although most dealerships will tell you yes. Get clear before you sit down to buy what the dealership’s policy is. If you don’t want to give that information out, save time and work that out …

Giving out your phone number?

If you are out looking at vehicles, be very careful before you give anyone your phone number. You will get called…Often! Have a fax number, give that out.

Get a second opinion

If your car is in the shop and you are told you need repairs that could cost hundreds of dollars, do yourself a favor and take the car to another shop (if it is drivable and if not get pricing …

Document that Accident!

Document that accident! Most accidents are showing up on Carfax reports and that statement, “vehicle involved in an accident” showing up on the report can, and in most cases will, adversely effect your vehicles value. Take a few “before” pictures …

Lock your Tailgate!

Lock your tailgate! Arizona ranks 3rd in the country for tailgate theft. Tailgates are ridiculously easy to steal and ridiculously expensive to replace (thus helping explain why they are stolen with such frequency). For under $50 (in most cases) you …

Get the Most from Your AC

When it is really hot, the way to get the most from your AC is using it is this way, when you first get in DO NOT use recirc mode, temperature setting on full cold full fan and crack the windows …