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10 Vehicle Buying Tips from Your Credit Union
1. See your Credit Union before making any purchase or signing any documentation with a dealership.
2. Research what incentives or rebates, if any, are offered for the vehicle you want to purchase. Your Credit Union can do
this for you.
3. Appraise or price out the vehicle you want to buy. Your Credit Union can do this for you.
4. Have a very specific idea of the car you want to buy. This means you go the dealership knowing the make, model, trim
level, options, and color you want. The more flexible you are about specifics, the wider the range of vehicles you’ll find
available for sale.
5. Test drive your salesman. In other words, you need to decide if this is the salesman you want to do business with. The
first way to evaluate a good salesperson is to ask yourself if you feel comfortable dealing with them. Are they impatient and
pushy? Or are they relaxed and open? If you asked them about a specific car's availability, did they respond to your needs?
Or did they try to steer you toward another car simply because they have too many of that model in stock? Do they return
your phone calls? Do they answer your questions in a straightforward manner? Or are they evasive and confusing? By
considering these issues you should have a sense of whether or not you want to buy from this salesperson.
6. If you are trading in your old car to a dealer, you will probably not get as much money toward the price of a new car as
you would have if you'd sold it yourself to a private party. However, trading in a vehicle offers some advantages; you can
solve all of your car-buying problems in one visit to the dealer. You can unload a hard-to-sell car with no newspaper ads,
DMV lines, or tire-kicking buyers involved. Whatever you decide you should always know the value of your vehicle before
trading-in or selling it. Your credit Union can give you these values at anytime.
7. Negotiate the lowest “out the door price” . Everyone has their own idea of what makes a “good deal”, but most people
just want to know they got a fair price. By contacting your Credit Union we can give you a rough estimate of what others are
paying for a particular vehicle, or what you should be paying for a vehicle if used.
8. Closing the deal may be tricky, but your Credit Union can help you get through it. You must make sure your salesman
quotes you an “out the door price” for the vehicle you are purchasing, so that you can expect to see that price at the end of
your signing of the sales contract.
9. Always review your sales contract or purchase order before signing, many dealerships will add in fees that are not
necessary. If you see a fee you don’t think should be on your contract have the finance manger explain it or call your Credit
Union for a further explanation. As you are closing your loan many dealerships will start negotiating into your sales contract
various extended warranties, GAP insurances, Mechanical Breakdown insurances, or life and disability insurances; do NOT
accept any of these offers without checking with your Credit Union for a lower priced product. Dealerships will raise the
price of their products to receive a commission or bonus, but your Credit Union gives you one low price with a detailed
explanation of the product you are purchasing.
10. Lastly, Most dealerships detail the car and provide a full tank of gas. You will have one more chance to inspect the car
before you take possession of it. Make sure you walk around the car and look for scratches in the paint and wheels or dents
and dings on the body. If you are paying for floor mats make sure they are included. If anything is missing, or if any work
needs to be done, ask for a "Due Bill" that puts it in writing. You will then be able to come back and get the work done later.
As you drive away inhaling that new-car smell, there is only one more thing to be done.... enjoy your new car!
1. See your Credit Union before making any purchase or signing any documentation with a dealership.
2. Research what incentives or rebates, if any, are offered for the vehicle you want to purchase. Your Credit Union can do
this for you.
3. Appraise or price out the vehicle you want to buy. Your Credit Union can do this for you.
4. Have a very specific idea of the car you want to buy. This means you go the dealership knowing the make, model, trim
level, options, and color you want. The more flexible you are about specifics, the wider the range of vehicles you’ll find
available for sale.
5. Test drive your salesman. In other words, you need to decide if this is the salesman you want to do business with. The
first way to evaluate a good salesperson is to ask yourself if you feel comfortable dealing with them. Are they impatient and
pushy? Or are they relaxed and open? If you asked them about a specific car's availability, did they respond to your needs?
Or did they try to steer you toward another car simply because they have too many of that model in stock? Do they return
your phone calls? Do they answer your questions in a straightforward manner? Or are they evasive and confusing? By
considering these issues you should have a sense of whether or not you want to buy from this salesperson.
6. If you are trading in your old car to a dealer, you will probably not get as much money toward the price of a new car as
you would have if you'd sold it yourself to a private party. However, trading in a vehicle offers some advantages; you can
solve all of your car-buying problems in one visit to the dealer. You can unload a hard-to-sell car with no newspaper ads,
DMV lines, or tire-kicking buyers involved. Whatever you decide you should always know the value of your vehicle before
trading-in or selling it. Your credit Union can give you these values at anytime.
7. Negotiate the lowest “out the door price” . Everyone has their own idea of what makes a “good deal”, but most people
just want to know they got a fair price. By contacting your Credit Union we can give you a rough estimate of what others are
paying for a particular vehicle, or what you should be paying for a vehicle if used.
8. Closing the deal may be tricky, but your Credit Union can help you get through it. You must make sure your salesman
quotes you an “out the door price” for the vehicle you are purchasing, so that you can expect to see that price at the end of
your signing of the sales contract.
9. Always review your sales contract or purchase order before signing, many dealerships will add in fees that are not
necessary. If you see a fee you don’t think should be on your contract have the finance manger explain it or call your Credit
Union for a further explanation. As you are closing your loan many dealerships will start negotiating into your sales contract
various extended warranties, GAP insurances, Mechanical Breakdown insurances, or life and disability insurances; do NOT
accept any of these offers without checking with your Credit Union for a lower priced product. Dealerships will raise the
price of their products to receive a commission or bonus, but your Credit Union gives you one low price with a detailed
explanation of the product you are purchasing.
10. Lastly, Most dealerships detail the car and provide a full tank of gas. You will have one more chance to inspect the car
before you take possession of it. Make sure you walk around the car and look for scratches in the paint and wheels or dents
and dings on the body. If you are paying for floor mats make sure they are included. If anything is missing, or if any work
needs to be done, ask for a "Due Bill" that puts it in writing. You will then be able to come back and get the work done later.
As you drive away inhaling that new-car smell, there is only one more thing to be done.... enjoy your new car!
Copyright © 2006
Unified Correctional FCU
Unified Correctional FCU
