QuestionIs it safe to purchase a new car from a web site? How can I tell which sites are up-and-up and which sites are rip off?
I just discovered "What You Need To Know About" today. Thanks for being a volunteer helper!
Don
AnswerHi,
Thanks for your question, and I'm happy to try and help.
Let me start my answer with a question to you: how do you know if it's safe to purchase a new car from a traditional, local dealer? What most of us do in the traditional 'bricks and mortar' retail world is make this decision using a number of different criteria such as brand awareness, reputation, local v. out of town, emotion, and testimonials and referrals from others. Not so long ago, marketing departments realized that most of these factors aren't available in cyber-retail: they had to invent new ways to turn shoppers into potential buyers, and find new ways to get them to push the BUY button.
Using car sales sites as an example, they tend to use outrageous claims on how much you'll save or how great the deal you’re getting is: all based on getting you emotionally involved, and turn you into a potential buyer. They also rely on the fact that there's no [apparent] high pressure: you shop at your convenience, with no salesperson breathing down your neck, and no high-pressure negotiating. Note that I said apparent. Like traditional car dealerships, these companies know that to get you to buy they need to talk to you, to get you more emotionally involved, and to close the sale. You’ve probably already noted that they all ask for you contact information. Believe me, you give them this information and I guarantee you’ll hear from them. Then the traditional sales job will begin.
So, to your questions: Is it safe to purchase from a new car website? How can you tell which are . . . rip off[s]? Referring back to my question [above] to you, you are ultimately responsible for determining if any dealer you’re buying from is safe. In cyber-retail you need to use whatever tools you have available, i.e. Business Bureau reports. Search the Web under the name of the business and any alias or DBA names, if possible, ask or get information from others who’ve used their services. I recommend you start off my being highly skeptical, and then use whatever information you find to help narrow it down to make your decision. DO NOT start off assuming that the wild claims you may be seeing are true: fine print can cost you a fortune. I recently bought a new digital SLR. While doing my research I saw it advertised on several websites for $300 less than others. Since this was an expensive camera to begin with, it was an obvious enticement. Switching from product to company research, I found multiple complaints about the lack of customer service, failure to deliver the product, failure to return money, bait-and-switch tactics, etc., etc. I also found out that they never sell this camera at the advertised price, which is below cost. The company I decided to use not only had a good [realistic] price, but they also had thousands of reviews and ratings made by independent reporting companies.
Buying from Web-based companies can save you a lot of time and a lot of money: I make most of my electronics purchases this way, but only after doing what I believe is an appropriate due diligence. Take a little time to research and know who you’re buying from, and their record from independent reporting sources and testimonials. Don’t rely how good they tell you they are. And as always, the final best advice I can give you as a going forward guide: caveat emptor.
Good luck, I hope this helps you.
Regards,
Ron
