How To Identify A Flood Damaged Vehicle From Hurricane Sandy Part II

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cars under water

Now that you have seen how buyers are getting duped by dishonest sellers; let’s think about some immediate solutions. The only way that you will have immediate solutions is to is to completely understand the problem and how you can help to make a difference in the solution. Following are some tips on how to avoid buying one of these horribly damaged vehicles: 

  • Be diligent by only buying vehicles from reputable dealers-Up until this point I have really come down on car dealerships as being a part of the problem. I still believe that, but the dealerships that I am talking about would not be the reputable ones. If you are going to buy a used vehicle, choose dealerships that have Certified Used Cars. These are approved by the manufacturer which requires a very stringent thorough investigation of each car coming to the lot. You can be sure that you are safe within these dealership walls.
  • If it’s too good to be true, it probably is-This should go without saying, but this saying is as old as the wind and you may not have had to reference this before. If you find yourself buying a Mercedes for half of what it’s worth, your red flags should be flying high. Where is the logic that makes it okay to sell a two year old Mercedes for half of what it’s worth? It’s not okay, so don’t do it. You are asking for trouble and should be asking the seller, Why?

This isn’t Rocket Science, but this is common sense and some people lack this. You must be hyper-diligent when shopping for a vehicle, no matter where you are shopping. However, that being said, buying a vehicle off of Craigslist or other such sites, you will really need to pay attention on many different levels. There are scams everywhere and muggers as well. So ‘buyer beware’.

Questions? East Coast Paintless Dent Repair Training. More tips in the following post.

PDR Technicians: What Does Factory-Certified Mean? Part II

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certified used cars

Buyer Beware!

Not all third-party warranties are “certified”. Unless the vehicle is truly factory-certified, the vehicle’s manufacturer is not standing behind the “warranty”, ultimately this means that you lose if something should happen. Third-party warranties are really just extended service contracts that the buyer must purchase at an additional cost. You can purchase this for any vehicle, but you must be sure that you understand that you are on your own when it comes to the manufacturer backing you up. Any coverage offered or promised aftermarket service contract. A true warranty offers coverage that is included in the original purchase price.

So the benefits of purchasing a certified pre-owned car versus a used car from a private party or used car lot are obvious. You have the factory standing behind the certified pre-owned car, plus you’ll be buying a car that the original manufacturer has inspected to ensure that it is worthy of certification. The only downside to certified pre-owned cars is that they are generally more expensive than other used cars. But in this case, the benefits may outweigh the cost — for many buyers, the peace of mind alone is enough to justify the extra money.

The attraction to certified used vehicles is clear — new car benefits at a used car price. With a used car purchase that has been factory certified and provides a warranty is the sweet deal however, in spite of what was said about getting the new car benefits in a used car body, for a true certification, you may have to pay more for the car but of course it will still be less than it was brand new. I’m sure that we can agree, the benefits far outweigh the cost of the car. For many buyers, the peace of mind is worth whatever extra they have to pay for the certification from the manufacturer.