We here at Leonard Motors have been using AutoCheck for several years now. We have always felt that AutoCheck was more complete and accurate. Well, now we have proof. Check out this link to an investigative report in Atlanta.
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/investigates/19086976/detail.html
Carfax advertises more, AutoCheck gives more.
We will continue to use AutoCheck to protect us from buying a bad car, and to protect you from buying a bad car.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
IRONIC???
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it ironic that the cheapest cigarettes in town are sold at Walgreens?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Let's Get Real About Car Buying
Recently I saw an article posted on Yahoo about how to "Deal" with car salespeople and how to "turn the tables" on them when they try to do their "tricks".
LET'S GET REAL!!!!
Here's a better idea....
Don't DEAL with someone you can't trust.
Why would you spend your hard earned money to buy anything from someone that you don't trust to treat you right?
Why would you give them the opportunity to be telling jokes about you right after you leave?
Why would you want to "help" them to continue to expand their business and do more of the same to others?
Is any car really worth all that?
You should do business with someone that you trust. Someone that isn't trying to rip you off, and then laugh about it later and tell all their co-workers and friends about you. Ask friends and family about their experiences, and who they trust. Ask your co-workers. Ask as many people as you can about where they would reccommend. Call the Better Business Bureau and see if there are any complaints about their business. Check websites that log customers experiences. Research, ask, and research some more.
But whatever you do.......
Don't enable these type of people to continue these practices.
Save yourself, and others from being treated like that.
LET'S GET REAL!!!!
Here's a better idea....
Don't DEAL with someone you can't trust.
Why would you spend your hard earned money to buy anything from someone that you don't trust to treat you right?
Why would you give them the opportunity to be telling jokes about you right after you leave?
Why would you want to "help" them to continue to expand their business and do more of the same to others?
Is any car really worth all that?
You should do business with someone that you trust. Someone that isn't trying to rip you off, and then laugh about it later and tell all their co-workers and friends about you. Ask friends and family about their experiences, and who they trust. Ask your co-workers. Ask as many people as you can about where they would reccommend. Call the Better Business Bureau and see if there are any complaints about their business. Check websites that log customers experiences. Research, ask, and research some more.
But whatever you do.......
Don't enable these type of people to continue these practices.
Save yourself, and others from being treated like that.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Financing Questions ??????
There has been alot of talk in the news recently about banks and financing. Alot of folks have been hearing that it is more difficult to get financing and that the banks are tightening up. We have had quite a few customers asking us about the current condition of bank financing.
The simple answer is.....well, there isn't really a simple answer.
If you have good credit, you won't have any problem getting financing. Actually, if you have good credit you may find that right now you will see the lowest interest rates ever available. Banks still want business, and they REALLY want the business of folks with good credit ratings.
If you have credit with some blemishes, then you already know that even a year ago you were facing a more difficult time securing financing and the rates would be higher. For the folks that have some blemishes, MOST financing companies are wanting you to be vested in your purchase with a good down payment which they determine by your credit score.
For folks that have had some really bad luck...if you couldn't get financing a year ago, you probably aren't going to be able to get it now either.
The bigest impact we have seen is that first time buyers with limited credit history are needing to have a co-signer to help them get established. There were some sources before all this banking problems that would finance first time buyers with limited credit history without a co-signer under certain circumstances, but that has shrunk. Notice that you don't see the offers being made at dealerships anymore for special programs for "First-time Buyers."
Our advise, if you need a car and you need financing, don't be afraid to TRY NOW. Rates can't possibly get any lower than they are now (CAN THEY?). If you are turned down, they don't hit you with a baseball bat; they just say no. There's no humiliation or shame, because bad things sometimes happen to good people. It's O.K.
The simple answer is.....well, there isn't really a simple answer.
If you have good credit, you won't have any problem getting financing. Actually, if you have good credit you may find that right now you will see the lowest interest rates ever available. Banks still want business, and they REALLY want the business of folks with good credit ratings.
If you have credit with some blemishes, then you already know that even a year ago you were facing a more difficult time securing financing and the rates would be higher. For the folks that have some blemishes, MOST financing companies are wanting you to be vested in your purchase with a good down payment which they determine by your credit score.
For folks that have had some really bad luck...if you couldn't get financing a year ago, you probably aren't going to be able to get it now either.
The bigest impact we have seen is that first time buyers with limited credit history are needing to have a co-signer to help them get established. There were some sources before all this banking problems that would finance first time buyers with limited credit history without a co-signer under certain circumstances, but that has shrunk. Notice that you don't see the offers being made at dealerships anymore for special programs for "First-time Buyers."
Our advise, if you need a car and you need financing, don't be afraid to TRY NOW. Rates can't possibly get any lower than they are now (CAN THEY?). If you are turned down, they don't hit you with a baseball bat; they just say no. There's no humiliation or shame, because bad things sometimes happen to good people. It's O.K.
Monday, March 2, 2009
DOC Fees ???????? PLEASE !!!
What's the deal with these places that charge "doc" fees?
Can you buy a car without the documents?
The answer is no.
The documents ( Bill of Sale, odometer statement, Buyers Guide, Registration form, etc.) must be filled out in order for you to buy any car. State and Federal laws require certain documents must be filled out. So how can you be charged a doc fee? Why would you be charged a doc fee?
We have never charged a doc fee, and never will. It's an insult.
Even when a car is advertised, and it has small print at the bottom that says the above price includes $x doc fee; that is still an insult.
Should you have to pay for financing paperwork to be filled out? We don't think so. If the dealer offers financing options in house, and wants to charge you for doing the paperwork, tell them to not do the paperwork.
Don't ever pay a doc fee.
Tell them you'll buy the car without the paperwork. Of course, you have to have the paperwork, but so does the dealer. They have to have the paperwork just as badly as you do. You shouldn't have to pay for something that they can't leave out.
The only thing you should ever HAVE TO pay above the price of the vehicle is....
State Tax
Local Tax
State Tag Fee
Registration Fee
All of these are charged by the State. None of the fees or taxes go to the dealer. The dealer has to collect them, and then file them with the State.
If you decide to purchase a warranty with your vehicle, then obviously there would be a charge for that. But, you are getting something for that money. You buy an extended service contract, it costs extra; and that makes sense.
Next thing you know we'll start seeing dealers dress-up in funny costumes trying to get people to buy a car.
Was that Elvis?
Can you buy a car without the documents?
The answer is no.
The documents ( Bill of Sale, odometer statement, Buyers Guide, Registration form, etc.) must be filled out in order for you to buy any car. State and Federal laws require certain documents must be filled out. So how can you be charged a doc fee? Why would you be charged a doc fee?
We have never charged a doc fee, and never will. It's an insult.
Even when a car is advertised, and it has small print at the bottom that says the above price includes $x doc fee; that is still an insult.
Should you have to pay for financing paperwork to be filled out? We don't think so. If the dealer offers financing options in house, and wants to charge you for doing the paperwork, tell them to not do the paperwork.
Don't ever pay a doc fee.
Tell them you'll buy the car without the paperwork. Of course, you have to have the paperwork, but so does the dealer. They have to have the paperwork just as badly as you do. You shouldn't have to pay for something that they can't leave out.
The only thing you should ever HAVE TO pay above the price of the vehicle is....
State Tax
Local Tax
State Tag Fee
Registration Fee
All of these are charged by the State. None of the fees or taxes go to the dealer. The dealer has to collect them, and then file them with the State.
If you decide to purchase a warranty with your vehicle, then obviously there would be a charge for that. But, you are getting something for that money. You buy an extended service contract, it costs extra; and that makes sense.
Next thing you know we'll start seeing dealers dress-up in funny costumes trying to get people to buy a car.
Was that Elvis?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Pre-Loved Car vs. New Car
While there's nothing like being the first to sit in a new car's leather seats and inhale that fresh-from-the-assembly-line perfume, it's an expensive romance.
If the idea of saving thousands of dollars is more thrilling to you than that new-car smell, you'll find your heart's desire in the used car market.
And there's no beating the price. "People don't think of depreciation as an out-of-pocket cost, but it is," says Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com. "There's a steep drop off in [value] in the first year, and 30 percent depreciation by the end of the third year."
For example, Edmunds looked at the Lexus GS 430 and GS 450. "The first-year depreciation on the new car is $14,000; if you bought a two-year-old model, the depreciation is $3,000 in the first year of ownership," says Reed.To offset the first year depreciation on a luxury car, your monthly payment needs to pay down at least $1,167.00 worth of principal each month for the first year. If not, you will be officially upside down in your car loan. To pay down that much in principal, your monthly payment total principal plus intrest would have to be $1,483. Thats $17,803 in payments for the year at 6% intrest. WOW, thats alot of money.Flip that kind of budgetting around in a car that has already taken that first year hit, and you can be several thousands of dollars to the good.
If the idea of saving thousands of dollars is more thrilling to you than that new-car smell, you'll find your heart's desire in the used car market.
And there's no beating the price. "People don't think of depreciation as an out-of-pocket cost, but it is," says Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com. "There's a steep drop off in [value] in the first year, and 30 percent depreciation by the end of the third year."
For example, Edmunds looked at the Lexus GS 430 and GS 450. "The first-year depreciation on the new car is $14,000; if you bought a two-year-old model, the depreciation is $3,000 in the first year of ownership," says Reed.To offset the first year depreciation on a luxury car, your monthly payment needs to pay down at least $1,167.00 worth of principal each month for the first year. If not, you will be officially upside down in your car loan. To pay down that much in principal, your monthly payment total principal plus intrest would have to be $1,483. Thats $17,803 in payments for the year at 6% intrest. WOW, thats alot of money.Flip that kind of budgetting around in a car that has already taken that first year hit, and you can be several thousands of dollars to the good.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Do Miles Matter ?
Good question....but it shouldn't be the first question necessarily.Condition should always be more important than miles.Miles are the basis as to what the value of a car is, but they are not the basis of it's worth.
For example, 2 cars....1 with 125k on the miles that has been well taken care of, serviced, oil changed regularly, and all around RESPECTED. The other with 43k on the miles that was abused, oil changes ignored, maybe raced, and all around treated very poorly. The banks, finance companies, Kelly Blue Book, and NADA will say that the one with 43k has a higher "book" value than the one with 125k. The one with 125k though is the one that is the better buy. It has the the better chance of offering many more years of service and use than the one that has been abused.
That said, the question arises..."How can you spot the ones that have been abused, and the ones that have been cared for and respected?" Test drive, test drive, test drive. With the media talking these days so much about identity theft, it is rare that a car is traded in these days with very many, if any, service records and receipts. Most folks nowadays take all that out of their car before they trade it in. Again, the best way to evaluate a cars condition is to DRIVE IT.
Still not comfortable with your own thoughts and feelings about the condition of a car? Then make an appointment with a mechanic that you trust to check out the car before you buy it.
Still want more peace of mind? Invest in a warranty that provides coverage in the event of a breakdown.
So, do MILES matter? Yes and no. Yes to determine the "Book Value" of the car, but no in determining the condition of the car.
Car 1 with 43k has a book value of $8,995.
Car 2 with 125k has a book value of $5,745.
A warranty on car 2 for 2 years/36k miles costs $690.
Sometimes even is car 1 has been taken care of, car 2 would still be a better deal....especially if the dealer you are buying car 2 from offers warranty coverage, but the dealer that has car 1 doesn't have warranty coverage available.What about really high miles? Cars over 175k on the miles can't get warranty coverage.
Three things to look for on really high mileage cars.
1. Condition...DRIVE it.
2. A Toyota badge on the back, or
3. A Honda badge on the back.
Avoid ALL domestics over 175k except diesels.RELAX....The Brothers Abide.The car buying experience doesn't have to be stressful.
For more car buying information visit www.leonardmotors.com
For example, 2 cars....1 with 125k on the miles that has been well taken care of, serviced, oil changed regularly, and all around RESPECTED. The other with 43k on the miles that was abused, oil changes ignored, maybe raced, and all around treated very poorly. The banks, finance companies, Kelly Blue Book, and NADA will say that the one with 43k has a higher "book" value than the one with 125k. The one with 125k though is the one that is the better buy. It has the the better chance of offering many more years of service and use than the one that has been abused.
That said, the question arises..."How can you spot the ones that have been abused, and the ones that have been cared for and respected?" Test drive, test drive, test drive. With the media talking these days so much about identity theft, it is rare that a car is traded in these days with very many, if any, service records and receipts. Most folks nowadays take all that out of their car before they trade it in. Again, the best way to evaluate a cars condition is to DRIVE IT.
Still not comfortable with your own thoughts and feelings about the condition of a car? Then make an appointment with a mechanic that you trust to check out the car before you buy it.
Still want more peace of mind? Invest in a warranty that provides coverage in the event of a breakdown.
So, do MILES matter? Yes and no. Yes to determine the "Book Value" of the car, but no in determining the condition of the car.
Car 1 with 43k has a book value of $8,995.
Car 2 with 125k has a book value of $5,745.
A warranty on car 2 for 2 years/36k miles costs $690.
Sometimes even is car 1 has been taken care of, car 2 would still be a better deal....especially if the dealer you are buying car 2 from offers warranty coverage, but the dealer that has car 1 doesn't have warranty coverage available.What about really high miles? Cars over 175k on the miles can't get warranty coverage.
Three things to look for on really high mileage cars.
1. Condition...DRIVE it.
2. A Toyota badge on the back, or
3. A Honda badge on the back.
Avoid ALL domestics over 175k except diesels.RELAX....The Brothers Abide.The car buying experience doesn't have to be stressful.
For more car buying information visit www.leonardmotors.com
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