Why Is Buying A Car So Hard These Days?

In this day and age, when you can easily compare shops and purchase just about anything online, the process of buying a new car in the dealership seems so outdated. Many consumers wonder why we can’t simply buy a new car online through the manufacturer. In reality, car makers would like it if this were possible because it would get rid of the middleman, the car dealerships.

But the fact is, we can’t buy new cars online due to strict dealership laws and most people want to protect themselves from getting scammed, dating back decades. Back then, car manufacturers needed independent dealers to spread out across the country whose job it was to sell and service customers within a specific geographic area. That is why you would see direct Honda and Toyota dealers all over the country, mostly because the car manufacturers wanted the dealerships or outlets close to the buyers. 

Car buyers didn’t compare prices;  it was simply too difficult to gather all the information needed. If they wanted to buy a new car, they would just go to their nearest dealership and hope for the best.

Now that we have the internet, all the price information we need is at our fingertips. However, dealer franchise laws make it so that the only legal way we can buy a new car is through a franchised car dealership. These laws are very difficult to change because car dealers have banded together and tend to have strong political clout.

So what about those car-buying services like Carmart.ng and other online car dealerships that seem to let you buy a new car online? These, too, have to abide by dealer franchise laws. Every car sold through these services is sold through a process, not through the manufacturer or some sort of “buying club.” At the end of the day, no matter how you obtain your new car, it will always be through a dealership or outlet. 

Why Dealers Love the System

Of course, dealerships love this situation. It forces consumers to deal with them for every new car purchase. The typical consumer buys a new car only once every six to seven years. During this same period, a typical car dealership will sell over 5,000 cars. Think about how much more experience they have sold cars compared to the typical shopper buying a car.

Dealers have an unfair advantage when it comes to negotiation. On top of this, there are a lot of confusing aspects to car shopping. Should you buy new or used? Should you lease a car instead of buying one? What about your trade-in? What about financing and insurance? There are a lot of situations like this where dealers can take advantage of buyers who don’t have a clue about what’s going on.

As if this weren’t bad enough, dealers know that if they can wear you out, you’ll eventually give up and buy a car on their terms. It’s not unusual for a new car purchase to take up to 8 hours. When it’s all said and done, the worst part is that you still have no idea if you really got a fair deal or not.

How to Make Car Buying Easy

The good news is there is a way to make car buying more pleasant—you simply have to be an informed consumer.

The fact that you’re reading this right now shows you’re serious about getting a good deal on a new car without having to deal with all the hassles. 

3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save the Most Money

The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop for the best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:

• Step 1: Get Prices From Carmart.ng Car Finder Tool

Select the vehicle you’re interested in to see if it’s available. This tool helps you find any car you are looking for on the Carmart.ng website. You will be able to see different sellers of the car with the price that fits your taste. Thus when negotiating with the seller it can be another hassle. But if you feel that you don’t want to get into that stress, you can opt-in by using CARMARTBUY4ME, which is a feature that allows you to get your dream car from the comfort of your home. Your Budget is all that is considered and you don’t have to negotiate yourself. 

• Step 2: Know How To Handle Sellers 

Sellers are one of the reasons why buying a car these days is a hassle. Mostly because the price tag attached to some cars isn’t warranted and they simply want to make a profit, which is understandable, but the question should be: at whose expense? The buyer would have to bear the brunt of the cost and imagine if the car he was getting was subpar. Cats are hot commodities and like everything else, in Nigeria, their prices keep increasing day by day. How do buyers handle this? You have to be assertive and baulk when a price is given to you. Know your budget and stick to it. 

You know the car you wish to buy and you know the specs you want. If your budget is N3,000,000. Stick to that budget, you might want to make some improvements to the car which would cost you more. But also be reasonable with your budget and pricing tactics. N3,000,000 cannot buy a 2017 Lexus RX350 and you shouldn’t even think it can going to price that car, there should be a limit to how you handle Sellers. 

• Step 3: Inspect

Inspection is a key part of buying a car, although not the most important. Buying a car online curtains this process. Inspection is necessary especially if you are a first-time car buyer and not only that Inspection gives you value and notice in circumstances where a mishap occurs after purchasing. 

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Conclusion 

A car is undoubtedly comprehensive if it can ensure each of the four criteria. This all-purpose vehicle is obviously best suited to perfectionists. The car with the finest “driving experience” must also be affordable for individuals who only use it for a few particular goals, such as money, speed, mud resistance, or freight.

Frequently Asked Questions