Car Buying 101: Don't get scammed into buying an overpriced car

Photo By Jennifer Brofer | The Car Buying 101 class offered aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., teaches service members how to buy the right car, at the right price.  

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

09.27.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Jerrick J. Griffin 

1st Marine Logistics Group

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON Calif. – I recently attended a Car Buying 101 class at the 24 Area Landing Zone, where I spoke with two car-buying experts with Pacific Marine Credit Union.

During the class, the experts – former car salesmen – spoke about how to buy a car the right way, scams car salesmen use to lure you into buying an overpriced car, and various resources you can use to help buy that dream vehicle you’ve been eyeballing.

One of the biggest mistakes a person can make when buying a car is to walk onto a car lot totally unprepared. You see rows and rows of shiny new vehicles, just waiting to be taken for a test drive.

What’s wrong with the above scenario? The first thing is that you ‘dropped by’ the car lot unprepared. ‘Dropping by’ a dealership is when a person has no intention of purchasing a vehicle, but somehow gets roped into signing a contract through flashy gimmicks, such as ads promising “zero percent interest” and “rebates,” which may end up costing more, not less.

“The worst way is to drop by the dealership because the place will spend an average of $600 to get you to come on that lot and they will not be inclined to let you leave without you making the decision to buy a car,” said Camo Gliesberg, a Pacific Marine Credit Union representative and former car salesman, from Oceanside, Calif.

Gliesberg recommends making an appointment and never “dropping by” a dealership unprepared. But it’s important to do plenty of research first.

“What you’re saying is you’re doing your homework and you’re not too sure what you want; you’re just there to do some research or ‘check them out,’” said Gleisberg.

The best way to buy a car, Gleisberg said, is to research the vehicle you are looking to buy and work with an internet salesman, which allows you to negotiate the type of vehicle you want and the price.

To assist with research, there are several Web sites and magazines out there to assist you in finding the perfect car, at the perfect price. Consumer Reports magazine is an invaluable source because it features articles on the best and worst cars by year, separated into different price ranges. Web sites you can use for researching vehicles are www.cudlautosmart.com, which connects you to dealerships that offer “affordable credit union financing;” and Kelley Bluebook at www.kbb.com. Kelley Bluebook is a great resource because it gives an estimate of the value of a new or used car.

I highly recommend this class for anyone thinking about purchasing a vehicle. It has a lot of useful tips and tricks that can help service members get the right car for the right price. For information on the next class, call the 24 Area Landing Zone at 760-763-0026.

• Date Taken: 09.27.2011
• Date Posted: 09.27.2011 18:19
• Story ID: 77656
• Location: CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US