How does one protect oneself when purchasing an automobile in Canada
Seeing as automobile sales have been dramatically reduced I thought it might be a good time to purchase a car these days.
I would prefer not to pay the large mark-ups that a dealer charges however I am nervous that in a private sale the person selling the car actually owns the car, that there are no liens against the car, that the car is not damaged in some way, and that the warranty can be transferred to me.
I haven't decided whether or not to pay cash, and I also have a lot of confusion about financing a car whether it should be a lease or a loan from a bank.
While exploring the possibility of connecting with someone trying to sell their car online I received the following message:
Hello
many people hate dealing with dealerships and most often this is justifyably so
Fact: If you buy a vehicle from an individual and it was falsely represented or has a lien against it (liens take time to register and even if you do a lien check, you are liable for debt assigned to vehicle. The car could be REPO'ed) Spun speedos', hidden damage, etc all have to be settled through lawsuits, most people just accept they learned a good lesson and forget about trying to find the person who sold them the car to avoid going through a costly court experience to gain a Judgement that you really have no way of collecting if the seller says "screw you".
NOTE: I am not prospecting for ANY dealership!
This is a "DEAL FIND" and vehicle locate service
All quotes that I secure on clients' behalf are FULL DISCLOSURE / FULL HISTORY.... no surprizes
AT WHOLESALE> You can buy, trade, lease "new or used" through me, through a reverse auction: you are a qualified buyer, I negotiate through my network, and they bid wholesale on in stock vehicles at wholesale to earn for your business
It is a safe, fast and strait forward arrangement where You have me on your side as a "Professional Purchasing Agent" you basically get the wholesale price like Leasing Companies or like dealers selling to one another, your quotes are inclusive, other than taxes and you are under absolutely no obligation to purchase. Many clients that I work with view and test 3 vehicles prior to purchase / lease. On new vehicles you get the same sort of wholesale price as Budget; less the fleet discount; (unless your family or your business qualifies, then you get fleet too!).
Fact: if you buy a vehicle from a dealership there is a MVDA (motor vehicle dealer association) that all dealers have to belong to in order to get liscenced
i.e. Should you find that the vehicle was sold to you under false representation (document all agreements on sale form) you can go to this association to gain compensation even if the dealer is long gone
Any discovery of liens and misrepresentations that occur when dealing with registered B.C. dealers are able to be settled through the Dealers association; Even if the dealer closed thier doors after they sold you the vehicle.
Fact: If you have a trade, you will get top wholesale dollar (oft times more than street value) and you will only have to pay tax on the difference price of the vehicles
i.e. New Vehicle value $30K trade value $15K > you pay tax only on the $15K saving tax on $15K
I help you to beat the dealers at thier own game;
Dealerships are screaming for business and if you go in through the front door you will be "Worked" by the sales person, the sales manager, the business manager to get the best deal for the dealership as possible
E-Enter by the rear door (with my assistance) and you get the straight goods on the vehicle and an amazing price without any hassle
Your net cost base on vehicles is often less than the sales floor cost where advertising, show-room and lot overhead are added to the cost of a vehicle. You will be dealing directly with a fleet rep, sales manager, or wholesaler. The descision maker that you deal with, simply wants to turn a vehicle quickly without hassle, they view me as a peer and treat me in a fair manner and represent thier vehicle honestly, which is passed on to you
If interested please reply with a direct e-mail address and I can forward you an example of another recent search / I may also be able to suggest alternatives that you have overlooked
I generally send pictures and details of various vehicles including price, condition, history and any declarations against the vehicle that there are
Thank You and Regards
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So I guest what I asking for here are suggestions from fellow babblers on how I can protect myself.
Oops.
Mods, please delete this duplicate thread if you can
I deleted the other duplicate thread, and am moving this to "babblers helping babblers" since this isn't about a labour and consumption issue.
Please brace yourself for babblers who will try to talk you out of buying a car!
I would never borrow for a vehicle. There are many good used cars you could probably buy for cash. No more than a few thousand dollars, and money you know you won't need for anything else (like emergency savings).
I've been driving for 20+ years and I honestly don't know, and don't want to know, what its like to be a slave to a car payment.
If you are member of an AA use their inspection services or a trusted mechanic. Researching liens isn't too difficult IIRC.
This is where I really miss the profiles that we had on the old site. Where are you located, NR? Is there any kind of public transit locally?
We determined that we only needed one car (we were previously a two car family) because a monthly transit pass, a weekly taxi ride, and three weeks of car rentals a year worked out to less than half of the cost of owning a car - and we weren't looking at pricey vehicles, either.
I live on the North Shore of BC's Lower Mainland, and am presently looking after a friend's place near Horseshoe Bay. I think if I had to take public transit it would probably add 5 hours to my travel time each day if it was even available, as I leave quite early in the morning. By car it takes me 20 minutes from my home to work. In a previous life I used to live close to downtown and did take public transit to work.
They rebuilt Lion's Gate Bridge is a travesty, as there is no rapid transit whatosever in that neck of the woods. They could have used a bit of imagination and built in a sky train link, and put the road for cars underground in Stanley Park.
I agree with whoever the person was who said the suburbs should be built around a public transportation system, as opposed to building houses around a freeway.
I'm a transit person myself but I am the first one to admit that as it stands now, there are major trade-offs, especially for those who (like me) choose to live far from work or in a rural area.
A friend of mine used one of these purchasing agent services when they bought their new van last year. Her brother-in-law had used them too. She thought it was great. It wasn't too expensive, they got three quotes for the model they were looking at, saved them all that stress and hassle and they also she believes saved a lot of money. I'm not sure which service it was but I could check with her if you want?
The "Leomon Aid" series of books on buying used cars is a must for anyone, and worth the money. Every make and model has it's peculiarities and problems, so the trick is to be aware of them before you buy.
Another good source of intelligence is your local old style mechanic. Ask him or her what they think. You'll want someone like that to check out a vehicle you are seriously considering buying, anyway.
Obviously, buying cash is the best way to go. But, if you will borrow, do what I did last time. For a good period of time before hand, put what you figure your payment amount would be in the bank or credit union to make sure you can miss that amount over a period of time. Of course, if you can do that, then with a little patience you can just keep doing it and accumulate the full price. Unless yer a dullard like me and can't wait.
The people who might try to dissuade you from a car altogether more likely than not live in places like Toronto or Montreal where they have, whether they will acknowledge it or not, the Cadillac of public transit systems. Not all of us live in places where the public transit is so user freindly. A device that can add two hours a day liesure time is nothing to be scoffed at.
But it comes at a price. The car itself; fuel; maintenance; and the final sting, insurance. It's a hefty price tag, particularly if you are adding interest on a loan to that.
Be sure you need it, or at least want it more than other things.
Thanks very much to my fellow babblers who have responded with quite helpful feedback.
Tommy_Paine, you are correct about the Lemon Aid books which I have. I would not dare make such a substantial second-hand purchase without them. Thanks.
triciamarie, your suggestion is something I may take advantage of when I get closer to the actual purchase date. I'll contact you when that happens. Thanks
Basement Dweller, that's a good idea about using BCAA for a mechanical inspection, and I agree about not borrowing for a vehicle. Even borrowing for a home is a scary proposition. Thanks.
Lord Thunderin' ...I hear ya. If I could I would do the same thing but it is the only vehicle in the household. Thanks.
I know there are 1000s of car around for sale but just not sure where to find them. I have been attempting to use Craigs List but the response is less that I expected. It's incredible the numbers of cars for sale that are posted there each day, just for the Vancouver area.
Two last words of advice: station wagons
An extremely functional and economical design that was nearly eliminated in the North American market in order to force gas-guzzling SUVs down our throats.
This is where I really miss the profiles that we had on the old site.
I agree.
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Eleutherophobics of the World...Unite!!!
I am nervous that in a private sale the person selling the car actually owns the car, that there are no liens against the car, that the car is not damaged in some way, and that the warranty can be transferred to me.
With regard to liens, at least:
I'm assuming that a seller in Canada, like in the US, has a title from the province that indicates "No Liens" against the title. If a third-party has a lien against the vehicle, then the seller would have to have surrendered the title which says "No Liens" and, in return, receive another title which indicates it is subject to liens. Just make sure the VIN (vehicle identification number) on the title matches the VIN on the vehicle.
_______________________________________
Eleutherophobics of the World...Unite!!!
This sucks.
Why You Can't Buy a New Car OnlineBlame Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and the influential car-dealer lobby.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/02/why-you-cant-buy-new-car-online
In either way, I don't like to lease. If I needed a car, then probably I'll buy or if I don't have cash then loan from a bank.
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If you decide to buy a car from a private individual, it's not a bad idea to insist on an inspection at a garage before you hand your money over for the car. The mechanic might find problems that an honest seller might be unaware of. It would cost something for the inspection, but it's probably worth it. And if the mechanic does find small problems worth say $X, you can usually get the seller to knock $X off the asking price.