If you all bought a used car from a dealer or a private seller, do you remember what the experience was like? Did they attempt to scam you or do all sorts of stupid things? I’m concerned about this and if I want, I could refrain from buying a used car because of all sorts of insane and some illegal activity.
I've bought cars from just about every type of seller you can imagine.
Dealers will try to upsell you things you don't need. Private sellers talk about how bad dealers are, but then lie through their teeth and ghost their buyers after they purchase whatever salvage title junker they were selling.
My advice mirrors Scotty's: Trust no one when buying/selling cars. I always assume the person I'm dealing with is the scum of the Earth. Now, they may be the most upstanding person out there, but going in with a mindset like I do keeps me from getting screwed over by a shady seller. If the person is honest, it just makes for a better experience.
But I've seen it all my friend. Trust me, only one person has your best interest at heart and that's you. And new car purchases are no different, often worse as the margins are lower so the dealer needs to throw stuff in to increase the profit on the sale.
Amen. Used car dealers (an unscrupulous "civilians") have a bag of tricks that mask major problems for a few days. And most of these tricks are hard for a non-mechanic to spot - only with a practiced eye can you spot the hidden accident damage, Bondo over rust, extra-thick oil, temporary radiator/head gasket leak junk in the engine, reset odometers, bad customization, etc. Now, of course watching Scotty's videos will help you spot a lot of these, but until we come up with "Scotty in a Bottle", take it to a mechanic.
Almost all my cars were from dealers, and were good buys.
Do your research, and walk in knowing what you want, and what it's worth. Car salesmen will try to make you think you need to buy a car immediately, but do not let them pressure you if you're not 100% comfortable doing it. In fact, if it's your first time, don't buy anything on your first visit. Just try some cars, get some prices, and then walk out. Visit a few different ones. It will give you time to absorb and think rationally.
Always fully visual inspect the vehicles, and test drive thoroughly. If you don't know what you're looking for, bring someone with you who does.
Um, it depends. If you can help it, no of course you shouldn't buy high mileage cars.
See below: it all depends on the make, model, what you consider “high mileage”, service history, how much extra money you have on the side for repairs. In general, try to go lower mileage with excellent service history/prior ownership period - as much as your budget allows.
no, auctions are a whole different animal
know exactly what you want and research the fool out of it, will give you confidence in buying from a dealer
i usually get a good or bad vibe from the seller on used cars, have not bought a bad car yet
Yay or nay to buy high mileage cars that are reasonably reliable?
Should I treat dealers and private sellers as auctions because they may hide info about a car? Didn’t Scotty mention that you should not trust anyone when buying a car because they might hide whatever’s wrong with the car and rip you off?
Didn’t Scotty mention that you should not trust anyone when buying a car because they might hide whatever’s wrong
that's why you inspect it yourself (or with a mechanic) and test drive it.
so when are you buying a car Matthew?
Upon receiving my license.
when is that?
I still don’t know yet but I’m hoping to get it by around July or August