Posted on February 14, 2005 at 11:01 am by Jeff
How Not to Sell Your Car — The 7 Deadly Sins
By Graeme Sprigge
Deadly Sin 1 — Not doing research
This is the actual source of much of the difficulty with selling your own car. Research is the reason the car dealer has the advantage. He knows his business. The private seller usually has little to do with car prices until they want to sell their car. The main benefit of research is that you will know a realistic price that you can charge for your vehicle. This means that you will most likely sell it more quickly and easily. A dealer sets his price by charging whatever the market will bear. Proper research will allow you to quickly estimate the market for your vehicle in a private sale.
Deadly Sin 2 — Listening to unfounded advice
This follows on a little bit from No. 1. There’s often financial pressure at the time of selling a car - which leads others around the seller to give their opinions as to the price or the desperation to sell. It is often given with the best intentions. If someone is giving you advice as to the value of your car you shouldn’t necessarily ignore it but it is best to do your own assessment. If you do your own quality research you will find that you are less likely to be concerned about doomsayers.
Deadly Sin 3 — Not preparing your car for sale
It is amazing, but some people will try to sell a car with a full ashtray of cigarette butts. At the very minimum you should vacuum the car and give it a wash. If you really want to maximise your price putting some time into the presentation of the vehicle is essential. The best way to approach this is to imagine you are the buyer. See yourself viewing the car for the first time. What impression does it give you? Now make a list of things that you can inexpensively fix or handle and attend to them. Properly detailing your car is highly recommended.
Deadly Sin 4 — Trying to hide known faults from a buyer
Well it’s fairly clear that this is dishonest and should not be done. Some states actually have laws which hold you liable if it is found that you sold a car with known faults. A used car may have some faults. The best way to handle this situation is to know exactly what the fault is and how much it will cost to fix it. You can then reflect that in the price you ask for the vehicle. The principle is to repair only what will be paid back in the sale price.
Deadly Sin 5 — Selling to a professional buyer
There are people that make their living buying cars at bargain prices. For this reason you should learn to recognize them. They will make you a very low offer. The best way to protect yourself is to do the research step thoroughly and be prepared to say no. They are basically trading off the fact that most people don’t really know the market and are sometimes just desperate to sell.
Deadly Sin 6 — Not doing your paperwork
You absolutely must complete all the DMV or vehicle authority paperwork to fully transfer the title. Otherwise you may receive parking tickets or other nasties from the other party.
Deadly Sin 7 — Letting yourself be bullied by tire-kickers
Many buyers will make a list of all the things they have found wrong with the car and then tell you the price that all this costs to repair. Don’t assume that their figures are correct because they appear to be an expert. It is often the case that if they are truly an expert they know how to get the repair done themselves for a much cheaper price. You will find that two of these experts have two totally different ideas about the price. As you can see, it gets back to research again — if you have priced your car correctly — you won’t be overly disturbed by tire-kickers.
Graeme Sprigge — Author of The 90 Minute Car Salesman
Graeme Sprigge makes makes his living buying and selling cars in the private market. He is trained and xperienced in direct sales to the public mostly in their own homes, having marketed such diverse products as energy, telecommunications and financial products. Using the skills and unique insights he developed - he has created other income sources that allow him to lead an enjoyable life and now works entirely for himself. He lives in Sydney, Australia.
The 90 Minute Car Salesman is Graeme’s first book in which he reveals his unique approach to advertising and selling your car. He reveals all the methods that he uses to maximize the sale price and make the whole process a win-win for every party.
http://www.90minutecarsalesman.com
Copyright 2005 Graeme Sprigge. Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or newsletter. It’s a shareware article.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
Posted on February 7, 2005 at 5:17 pm by Jeff
I was speaking with a colleague today and we were discussing how we could help car dealers sell more cars. We started talking about advertising (newspaper, tv, radio, print versus internet) and we ultimately ended up talking about leads. Most internet-based leads sent to dealers are derived from the concept of getting a “Free Car Quote“. I am firmly of the opinion that most consumers don’t even know what a car quote is, and whether or not getting one helps them in any way.
In one of my earlier posts I digested the anatomy of a “New Car Price Quote”, but I think it is worth revisiting.
For the savvy consumer, an internet car quote is a great way to establish a dialogue with multiple dealers in your area. If you are engaging (please reply to your emails) you will have a good car buying experience. Most dealers will discuss options, inventory, provide brochures, pictures and even give you a firm price quote on the vehicle of your choice - all online! (well, through email anyway).
Many consumers who are just kicking tires (shoppers, not buyers in dealer lingo) might expect some “free” pricing information just to get an idea of what something costs. There are a lot of research sites out there such as Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book, and MotorAlley that can provide you with everything from options, colors, professional and consumer reviews, pictures, pricing and more. So next time you see an ad or link to a Free Car Price Quote…please make sure you are in the market to buy.
Today’s tip: Get Car Price Quotes from at least 3 dealers in your area (you’d be surprised how much money you can save!)
Posted on February 1, 2005 at 11:21 pm by Jeff
Acura TL 2005: The Weekly Driver Review
By James Raia
Drivers have more stress during the holidays, alcohol consumption increases and patience in busy traffic can quickly wane.
A 200-mile roundtrip, therefore, is a less-than-ideal way to spent part of Thanksgiving. It’s potentially more problematic knowing the crowded, late-night return trip could include a stretch of interstate infamous for its thick, late-night fog.
But visiting family outweighs the inconveniences of potential driving hassles. And if the journey is made in a vehicle with a commanding and secure road presence, such concerns are sufficiently eased.
So it was during my weekly test drive of the 2005 Acura TL. The vehicle was successful for several years, but Acura redesigned it and added more features in 2004 to offer BMW and Audi drivers another choice for a luxury sports sedan that combines performance with value.
There’s little change in the TL from last year. The vehicle is based on the Honda Accord platform but has different styling, a different powertrain and more upscale features.
Performance to ride quality to instrumentation, there’s a lot to like about the TL, which is why it’s a recommended best buy in the premium midsize category by Consumer Guide, among other publications.
The car’s performance begins with a 270-horsepower, 3.2-liter, 24-valve V6 engine with a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission. My vehicle had an automatic transmission. It shifts smoothly into all positions and was tested at 0-60 mph in 7.0 seconds.
The manual transmission was tested at 6.2 seconds.
Among the many standard features are 17-inch wheels and antilock four-wheel disc brakes and an anti-skid system. They all further add to an impressive driving experience. The car handles and steersadmirably, and it maneuvers confidentially through traffic with a strong
feel on the road, particularly with its 17-inch wheels.
While the vehicle’s driving qualities provide plenty to recommend it, the additional exterior and interior standard features only further distinguish the TL.
The leather upholstery is comfortable, attractive and complemented nicely by stylishly contoured aluminum trim. Bright electroluminescent gauges and blue backlighting throughout the cabin provide a sultry night-driving atmosphere.
Individually heated front seats, sunroof, XM satellite radio, in-dash CD changer with an eight-speaker sound system, voice-recognition navigation system, heated power door mirrors and Xenon HID headlights are all standard.
And, of course, cruise control, multiple driver and front passenger seat positions, air conditioning and individual, front-seat climate controls are also standard.
For front-seat passengers there’s ample leg room and plenty of overall comfort. Back-seat passengers aren’t as comfortable, with head and leg room slightly pinched. Cargo space is also tight, but styled well. The rear seatback doesn’t fold, but there’s a small pass-through port for skis.
Just like it has been for the past several years, the 2005 Acura TL is a nicely combined sport and luxury car with great attention to refinement and workmanship.
It’s a perfect car to drive to a late-night jazz club or at least to fantasize a similar journey. And it’s a perfect vehicle for managing holiday traffic in any kind of weather.
2005 Aura TL
Safety features — Driver and front passenger and side curtain airbags; Antilock brakes; Traction control system.
Fuel Mileage (estimates) — 20 mpg (city), 29 mpg (highway).
Warranty — Bumper to bumper, 4 years/50,00 miles; Corrosion, 5 years/unlimited miles; 24-hour roadside assistance: 4 years/50,000 miles.
Base price range — $32,650-$34,850
James Raia is a syndicated journalist in Sacramento, California, who writes about sports, fitness, travel and lifestyle topics as well as the car review colum, The Weekly Driver.
To read more car reviews, visit:The Weekly Driver . To read additional articles by James Raia or to subscribe to his free electronic newsletters, visit: http://www.ByJamesRaia.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
