Does the thought of buying a car take the power out of your steering? Even real-estate agents take me more seriously than car dealers. Through the ages, I've been told time and again by patronizing salesmen that I should return with my father or husband when I was ready to buy. Being the sassy, bad girl that I am, I like to tell the salesmen that I'm an orphan, or that my husband drove off a cliff. These salesmen need to get a clue and understand that I'm not there to enjoy the scenery; I have great credit and financing and am ready to put the pedal to the metal.
If you're tired of haggling with sleazy car dealers, you might consider buying your next vehicle on the Internet. These days, online car sales are booming. CarsDirect.com has grown more than 300% in the past year, and in the first three months of this year, sold 6,000 cars. Autobytel, another leading online car seller, boasted $13 million in car sales in 1999.
How It Works
Online car-sellers are different from brick-and-mortar dealers. Rather than maintaining an inventory of vehicles, these sites essentially act as middlemen. Through arrangements with car dealers, lease companies, rental companies, and banks, these sites present information on available cars or search for the specific car you want.
Not all online car sellers are created equally, so we've done some homework and picked our favorites. These are the sites you should brake for:
CarsDirect.com
http://www.carsdirect.com/ offers a complete online car-buying experience, not unlike buying a vitamins at VitaminShoppe.com (except, of course, there's a bit more money involved). Point, click, compare models, arrange financing, and voila! CarsDirect sells new cars only and claims to be the only service that will give you an immediate price quote.
Many cars (I was considering a Saturn) can be delivered within a week if you don't require special options, but there are exceptions: the Chrysler PT Cruiser, for example, is sold out until the new model debuts. (Custom options are charged differently depending upon where they are installed.)
A toll-free phone number lets you talk to a knowledgeable advisor 24/7, or, if you're feeling spontaneous, you can go directly into live chat for immediate general assistance. As with any car-buying transaction, you can always change your mind up until signing the final papers. Payment options at CarsDirect allow you to lease, use their financing or your own, or pay cash. CarsDirect will locate a car within a 50-mile radius of your home; picking it up is your responsibility.
Our only complaint is that, with a 56K modem, this site moved like molasses.
iMotors.com
http://www.imotors.com/ is the best site we've seen if you're shopping for a pre-owned (used) car online. Choose between two routes: Express program or custom orders.
Express vehicles are those which are already listed for sale on the site. These cars come from lease companies, rental companies, or banks. Since iMotors already has these cars in their database (along with details on equipment, color, approximate mileage, etc.), they don't have to spend as much time procuring and refurbishing the vehicles as they do on custom orders. The savings are passed along to the buyer.
The hitch is, you must be able to act quickly (within a week) and be willing to accept alternate colors and options. If the car you want isn't available within 14 days from the time of financing, iMotors.com will put you in a rental until your new car arrives.
For custom orders, you get to choose exactly what you want–year, make, model, series, transmission, mileage, color preferences, and options. Once you place your order, iMotors will locate a car that meets your specs, fix it up, and then deliver it within 21-28 days (usually).
The pros of using iMotors.com:
· Vehicles are between 1 and 5 years young.
· You get a 7-day/700-mile no-questions-asked refund policy.
· A 3-month/3,000-mile warranty with a $50 deductible is honored at 9,000 NAPA Auto Care centers.
· Costco members receive a Costco gift certificate. (Costco is an affiliate.)
· You don't have to complete an online application revealing sensitive information such as your social security number or mother's maiden name. A customer-care specialist will call to obtain that information over the phone. And knowledgeable operators are standing by on the toll-free line 7 days a week (California).
Vehicles are judged on a 269-point certification process, and every car comes with an AutoBiography™. The site might accept your trade-in, too. (Use the Kelley Blue Book to determine the value of your trade-in). Final price doesn't include sales tax, licenses, documentation preparation fees, smog devices, and financial fees that vary from state to state.
To begin the custom-order process, you must deposit $250 and sign a Search & Locate Agreement. This deposit is credited toward your purchase or is refundable if you change your mind. When checkbook time rolls around, you can use their financial network of lenders, arrange your own financing, or pay cash. iMotors maintains delivery centers in 7 states where the buyer can pick up her car.
Autobytel.com
http://www.autobytel.com/
is a purchasing program rather than a shopping service. You don't get a price quote until you're ready to buy, so you have to do your homework ahead of time. Know what kind of car you want and what you're willing to pay. When in doubt, cruise the plethora of links, reviews, and research provided on the site.
Consumers can buy or lease new and pre-owned vehicles, participate in dealer-to-consumer or consumer-to-consumer auctions, apply for financing, obtain warranties, and get insurance quotes. (For what it's worth, my American Express insurance is much cheaper than the insurance quote I received on the site.)
The auction feature is not too happening, though I did notice a dealer's 1999 red Honda Civic, 4-door, manual transmission with 14,000 miles, selling for only $5,000. That sounds almost too good to be true.
Pre-owned vehicles must pass a 135-point certification process and you get a 3-month/3,000-mile limited warranty backed by the selling dealer. By providing leads to accredited dealers, Autobytel.com is not a brokerage and maintains no inventory.
Delivery is free "where allowed by law," but the site doesn't explain where free delivery isn't allowed and what it might cost. Autobytel has 5,000 dealers in their Accredited Network and will try to find a car within your region. You pick it up.
Oy Vay, eBay
I might visit eBay to buy a silk smoking jacket for my greyhound or hand-painted martini glasses for me, but a car? Honk. I guess I'm not living life in the fast lane, because there is plenty of traffic at http://www.ebaymotors.com/. (Don't tell Amazon.com or they might start selling cars, too.)
Before you purchase a car on eBay, it's highly recommended that you open an escrow account at http://www.escrow.com/. A trusted third party holds the entire transaction amount in a bank trust account, thus protecting both buyer and seller from any wrongdoing or misrepresentation. Also, you should run a lemon check at http://www.carfax.com/ by entering the VIN (vehicle identification number). A lemon-check report offers insight into the past life of a car, such as whether it has a documented odometer rollback, or whether it ever held a salvage title--evidence that is was once badly wrecked.
Links:
Kelley Blue Book - http://www.kbb.com/ - Determine the value of a car before you buy or sell. Take the survey if you're not sure how to rate your car.
J.D. Power & Associates is an authority on the automobile industry and market research. They provide safety reports, help with picking a vehicle, expert independent reviews, and much more - http://www.jdpower.com/
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