If you are in need of a car and your only option is to purchase a used vehicle, you may have some anxiety  at the thought of whether or not you will get a good car or a complete piece of junk that will drain your bank account from repairs. There are plenty of good used cars there however, and if you are interested in going through a private seller rather than a dealership, there are several things to consider to get the best car at the best price.

Research Pricing

One of the more difficult aspects of the used car shopping process is ascertaining the true value of the car and what you should be looking to pay. There are a few ways to gauge the proper price for any vehicle you are looking at. You can check sites NADA, Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, as well as peruse cars for sale ads in newspapers and sites like Craigslist.org to get an idea of what similar cars are selling for. You can also call a local dealership and tell them you are looking to trade in a vehicle—give the description of the vehicle you are thinking about buying. Naturally, this price will be pretty low and it probably not the price the seller is asking, but you can use this information as a starting point to formulate your bid.

Get the Car Checked Independently

If you are going to buy a used car from a private seller, it is imperative to get an independent inspection. Ideally, the owner is completely honest about any issues but you never know. Additionally, there may be things wrong with it that the seller s completely unaware of. If he gets indignant or seems uncomfortable with the idea of an independent inspection, that is a major red flag. This is not the time to worry about offending someone so do not be afraid to ask about getting the car checked.

Negotiating

Negotiating is a major aspect of many monetary exchanges and the seller almost certainly expects you will try to negotiate the price. Before you start making offers, it is important to figure out the maximum amount you want to pay and/or can afford and a realistic low offer. If you have taken out a loan to pay for the car or you plan on paying in cash, letting the seller know you have the means to make an immediate purchase can help land you a more favorable price, especially in situations where the seller is highly motivated to get rid of the vehicle, such as having already purchased a new car or trying to get rid a vehicle belonging to a deceased relative.

Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who has covered a range of automotive topics. If you are in the market for a vehicle and you live in the West Valley, UT area, visit Ken Garff West Valley Dodge for a great selection of vehicles.

Almost every state requires auto insurance and with good reason. Few of us have enough money lying around to cover the tremendous costs associated with car accidents, such as vehicle damage and injury.  There is a range of policy options and many individual factors come into play when determining the best coverage for your needs. You want to make sure you are getting enough coverage to protect you but you also want to minimize your cost as best you can. Ideally, you will never have to use your insurance, but if you do, you want to make sure it does its job; you also want to make sure you choose a good company.

Check Reputation

When it comes to something like car insurance where you have numerous carriers to choose from, it is important to check on the reputation of different businesses. How is their customer service? What has been the experience with the claims process? There are numerous websites that can offer this type of information. You can also check with your state’s insurance division to see if there have been any consumer complaints filed against a particular company. But, keep in mind that you will likely not find a company with zero negative evaluations, either because they may have fudged up on occasion or because the reviewer is a particularly demanding person who always finds a problem with everything. Look at the overall picture.

Evaluate Customer Service

Having worked in customer service myself in the past, I get that it can be difficult dealing with people and their problems and questions all day long, but it was my job and I did it well. When you are in the insurance carrier shopping phase, pay close attention to how the people on the other end of the line are dealing with you. This is a good indicator of what you will be experiencing down the line as a customer.

Choose Deductible Carefully

The deductible is the amount of money you will need to pay before insurance coverage kicks in. Naturally, the more you are willing to pay, the less the insurance company will have to lay out and this translates to lower premiums.  You need to decide which is more important to you, lower rates or reduced financial responsibility in the event of an accident. If you opt for a higher deductible to reduce your rates, tread carefully. Remember that if you actually need to file a claim, you will be responsible for any costs up to that amount before your carrier will pay anything towards it. Do not pick a deductible you could not actually afford if it came down to writing a check.

Familiarize Yourself with Your State’s Required Limits and Types of Coverage

Each state varies in its auto insurance requirements and you want to make sure you have at least the minimum coverage required. It is usually not a good idea to settle on minimum coverage for the sake of getting the lowest cost policy if you have any significant assets. Should you cause an accident that costs well beyond your insurance coverage, you could stand to lose them in legal proceedings. If your state does not require under/uninsured motorist coverage, it may be a good idea to get some or up the minimum limits where it is required, since in this case, it is usually quite low.

Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who covers a range of car topics from how to properly maintain your vehicle to car insurance shopping tips. If you are in the market for a vehicle and you are located in the Palmyra, PA area, check out  Klick Lewis Cars

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