Buying a car SUCKS!

Buying a Car Sucks!

I remember the last time that I went to buy a new car. The whole process really sucked. The salesman totally disregarded me, because I was young. My dad, bless his heart, didn’t have any clue as to what was important to me in the buying of a car, so I looked at a lot of cars that I had no interest in buying. I know he meant well, but a young man rarely wants a car that an old man would enjoy driving. Luckily, things worked themselves out, and I wound up buying a car that I really love. I still have the same car, and when it comes time for me to buy a new one, I will buy the same make.

When my wife went to buy her car, it sucked as well. I was sick, they wouldn’t pay attention to her needs or expressed desires, and because we were both young, we had to work way harder than we really needed to.

All of this has led me to the conclusion that buying new cars sucks in general. Considering that this will be my biggest purchase outside of my home, I really wish I could enjoy it more than I do. It seems to me that the common denominator in the suck factor of buying a car is the salesperson.

Look, I know that they are doing their job, and I shouldn’t rail against them, but because they are paid based on the sale, and not based on the hour, they work hard to push what will make them the most money. This annoys me. They are pushy, they try to screw young people over, and I’ve found that many of them don’t know as much about cars AS I DO!!!!! This scares me, since I admittedly know only what I need to know to be able to help someone with financing of a car. Luckily, for those smart enough to be able to get financing from their bank or credit union, there are a couple of options.

If you are a member of credit unions, AUTOLAND is a great way to get a NEW car. They are essentially a fleet dealer, but they have lots. Check with your credit union to make sure they work with this service before you decide to go with them. Finding a credit union local to you is easy too. CO-OP Network will get you to any credit union ATM’s (which is usually where credit unions are also located), and CU SWIRL will get you to a listing of credit unions that are part of a service center network. This is a network that allows members of certain credit unions to do transactions with other credit unions. This is a neat little feature.

If you aren’t or can’t be a member of a credit union AAA offers many of the same services, BUT, you have to be a member of AAA. AAA is a good investment, because of all the other services they offer. I’ve been a member for years, and even though I’ve paid more than I’ve ever collected, I wouldn’t cancel my membership. The way my life works, I know I would screw myself over as soon as I did.

Some dealers also offer the convenience of dealing with a fleet sales desk. If you are looking for a new car, and the other two options haven’t panned out for you, check with the dealership to speak with someone at this desk.