Tips On Buying a Used Car - Protect Yourself From Fraud

By Nicholas L Smith

Buying a used car can save you a great deal of money. However, unlike new cars, used cars sometimes have operational problems that may not be immediately apparent. Sellers of used cars sometimes try to hide these problems in order to make a sale or convince you to pay a higher price. For this reason, it is important to take caution when you shop for a used car. Below are some tips you can use to protect yourself from scams and other potential problems and be aware should any issues arise, you have consumer protection rights under applicable laws.

1. Watch out for Warranties

Many used car dealers will encourage you to purchase an extended warranty on the vehicle you buy. However, purchasing a warranty from a dealer often costs more than it is worth. Before you agree to an extended warranty, shop around and make sure that the dealer's price is fair.

2. Always Put it in Writing

If you plan to buy a used car, don't make any agreements unless you and the dealer have both signed applicable paperwork. Without an ironclad document backing up the arrangement, the dealer can change the terms at any time.

3. Ask for Identification

Some scammers may be attempting to sell cars that do not belong to them. To protect yourself, you should always ask to see identification when you purchase a used car from a private seller. Before you pay, make sure that the name on the seller's ID matches the name on the title.

4. Learn about the Vehicle

Before you buy a car, research its history. Websites like Auto Check or Carfax can provide you with information about a vehicle given its identification number. Valuable information may include the car's actual mileage, major accidents, the number of owners and whether or not the vehicle has a salvage title. Consumer protection law does not allow any changes to the vehicle's odometer as well.

5. Take it for a Test Drive

When determining how well a car runs, don't take the dealer's word for it. Ask to drive the car a reasonable distance before you agree to purchase it. While driving the vehicle, look for signs of potential issues like brake failure or poor maneuverability.

6. Seek Legal Advice

If you think you may have been the victim of a scam, seek advice from a consumer protection attorney. Certain consumer protection laws exist to prevent consumers from losing money as a result of a bad transaction. For example, if your seller violates a contract that you both sign, a consumer protection attorney can help you recover your losses. Consumer protection attorneys may also be able to help you if a seller refuses to honor a warranty, sells a car that doesn't belong to him or lies about a vehicle's condition.

There are laws that protect our consumer rights. It is important that we know our rights to avoid being taken advantage of. Get free answers to your consumer law questions from real attorneys

New Vs. Used Car Performance Parts: Which Way to Go?

By Rakshanda Naz

Maintenance is to the car what food is to the body. For a motor vehicle to function properly, it needs constant maintenance. The maintenance takes the form of cleaning and replacing worn out parts with performance accessories. Car accessories are subject to wearing out. When automobile accessory wears out, you are supposed to replace it. The replacement can be with new car performance parts or with used ones. Sometimes you can change vehicle parts before they wear out if you plan to replace them with high performance accessories.

Why Your Car Needs Performance Parts?

Car performance parts are not ordinary vehicle accessories; they are parts that will completely transform your car. As the name suggests, the car performance parts highly improve the performance of your automobile. This performance is in form of speed and mileage. If you are a fan of fast cars, then you need to replace your vehicle's ordinary auxiliaries with high-grade performance accessories. In addition, if you drive for long distances and want to drive for long distances without stoppages caused by car breakdowns, you need good quality car performance parts. With the necessary parts installed, you will not only get to where you want to get fast enough, but you will also get there without stoppages caused by breakdowns. Examples of performance accessories are turbo kits, right wheels and exhaust pipes.

New Vs. Old Car Performance Parts - A Comparison

When replacing vehicle ordinary auxiliaries with car performance parts, a good number of people go for used spares. They do this as they deem the used accessories cheap. By buying used automobile spares, you have the guarantee of getting original accessories at relatively low prices. The only problem with used car parts is their short life. Remember that these spares were once used in another car and were removed from that car probably due to some fault. When you buy used parts, they may not last for long in your car. In the end, these used parts will be more expensive than they seemed.

New car performance parts are relatively expensive. Though expensive, the new auxiliaries serve you for long. Once fitted in your vehicle, you will go for long without the need for replacements. The main risk with new parts is the risk of buying counterfeit accessories. If you are not careful, you might end up buying fake accessories. Careful shopping will help you get original parts.

Why You Should Settle For New Car Performance Parts?

With new parts, you can be sure of a continued high performance for your car. You will go for a long time without the worry of the parts wearing out. The parts may seem relatively expensive as compared to used parts but they are not, considering the period they will serve you.

When trying to improve the performance of your vehicle, try to settle for new parts as they will not only improve the performance of your car, but will also serve you for long. The longer the auxiliaries serve you, the more you save in terms of repairs and maintenance.

Junk Car Removal: Selling Your Used Car With Ease

By R. Naz

We can find ourselves at times in a situation where we have unexpected expenses come up, and the need for cash becomes dire. When a loan may not be an option, we can sometimes see the only alternative as selling off their car to get the much- needed cash immediately. However, in the past it was difficult to get the cash that your car was worth in a hurry. Usually, a quick sale meant you would take a very unreasonable price, and your urgent need for cash would leave you without a car and with some fast cash, but not what that car was actually worth.

With the technology advancing, the time and fuel you would have expended driving from one car dealership to another to get price quotes for the sale of your car are now replaced with a laptop and a cup of coffee while you browse the internet for dealerships who specialize in taking on used cars for fast sales. Some of them even offer you quotes online, once you give them a few details about the year and condition of your car. This makes the selection of a dealership quite a bit easier, since you don't have to drive to each one in search of the best price for your car.

There had been a time when it was up to you to make all the repairs to your car before you could ever hope to sell it. Dealerships would not take on a car that was in need of repairs, until those repairs were made. When you need cash fast, you don't have the money to make the repairs in order to sell your car. Luckily, there have arrived those dealerships that will take on cars in disrepair for a decent price, without requiring you to make expensive repairs first. These dealerships will usually specify those details right on their website, making your search that much easier.

Selling your car shouldn't be a hard thing to do. With the options available to you with the wonders of the Internet, it becomes even easier. You should still certainly ensure that the dealership is reputable, and that you have all the proper documentation when you sell your car, to protect yourself. You must be sure that you are getting a fair deal, even when you are looking to make a quick sale. Most reputable dealerships will pay to have the vehicle towed to their lot, at their expense. They will also do the transaction directly with you, without delay. This avoids any deceit or double-dealing you may encounter.

When you are looking for a used car dealership to take your car off your hands to procure some needed money, you should be sure to do your research into finding a reliable company, but these days with the ease of the Internet, the process is easier than it was in the past. With a few minutes of research, the undertaking of selling your car in a hurry, and getting a good deal in the process, is one of ease.

Family Car Buyers can provide that quick cash for your junk car, even if it's in bad condition.

Warning Signs To Look For When Shopping For A Cheap Used Car

By Dan Steidtler

When you are looking for a cheap used car to buy, you need to be aware of some of the warning signs that you are not getting a good deal. Dishonest sellers take advantage of people looking to buy cheap cars and prey on them. Follow your instincts and use your common sense to avoid many scams.

Too Good of a Deal

When money is tight, it is easy to be taken in by a deal that seems too good to be true. If you find a car that is priced a few hundred dollars below the current market value as stated by KBB or Edmunds.com, then you may be getting a good deal. If you find a car that is priced thousands below the current market value, you are getting scammed, regardless of the sob story given to account for the low price. Any number of problems could exist with the car. It may have a washed title because it was declared a salvage vehicle in another state, or it could be a stolen vehicle. The car could have significant mechanical problems, and the seller may be hoping that the great deal will blind you to the car's problems long enough for you to hand over the cash. Don't get taken in by a deal that is unbelievably good, because you can guarantee that you will not be happy in the long run.

Online Fraud

There are many great used car deals to be found online, but there are numerous scams as well. If you use an auto auction site, such as eBay Motors, only deal on the site. Sometimes dishonest people will hack the site to get the email addresses of bidders and then send an email claiming the bidder has won the auction, prompting further action. Only deal on the site, as there is no legitimate reason why an actual eBay seller would choose to communicate independently rather than going through the site, which protects both buyer and seller.

Don't purchase a car until you have possession of it. This sounds like a no brainer, but people are often scammed online by a seller claiming to be selling a vehicle and requesting that the money is paid through a wire service or a prepaid credit card. Both of these types of transactions are difficult to trace, and if you don't already have the car in your possession before making the payment, you probably never will.

You should also be wary of a seller who will only use a particular escrow company to deal through. A legitimate escrow service can protect both you and the seller; you pay the money to the escrow service, and once you receive the money, the escrow service releases the money to the seller. However, you need to assure that the escrow service is legitimate before paying them the money. If the escrow service is not legitimate, they may be working with the seller, or they may be the seller, in which case you will not get the car and you will have lost your money.

These are just a few tips to help you. If you want to learn more about how to avoid issues when purchasing a used car, go to lowbuckcars.com. You will find several articles such as this one about how to buy a cheap reliable used car.