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Why Buy from a Dealer

Below are 10 of the main reasons why it's a good idea to purchase your next used car from a dealership, as opposed to buying from a private seller.

1. Guaranteed Title
When you purchase a vehicle from a licensed motor dealer you are guaranteed the title to that vehicle. If there is any money owing to a financer on the vehicle by a previous owner it is covered by the dealer.
There are many stories about people buying a car privately, only to find that the seller, who has moved on, or wasn't living at the address they gave you, still owed money on finance for the car. In this case the lender can reposess the car from you even though you have done nothing wrong. You lose the car and the money that you gave the seller for it, or you have to payout the loan to keep the car.

2. Warranty
Most non-commercial vehicles purchased from a licensed motor dealer less than 10 years of age and less than 160,000 kilometres are provided with a statutory warranty. The terms and conditions of this warranty vary from state to state. In addition, many licensed motor dealers can assist with extended warranties for your vehicle purchase for up to 5 years from date of delivery.
When purchasing a car privately the warranty is usually the 1,2 warranty. Once you buy, it's too late. It is also a lot harder to purchase a warranty from a warranty company, and will involve taking the car in for a mechanical inspection first. If there is a warranty on the vehicle, you will need to make sure that it is tranferable to you, and that it is done. Often there is a cost to do this from the warranty company, and can be around $60 to $100.

3. One Stop Shop
Licensed motor dealers not only sell motor vehicles. Most dealers have experts on staff that can assist with financing and insuring your vehicle purchase as well as protecting your investment with various rust fabric and paint protection and adding the right accessories to suit your motoring needs. They also obviously have a larger range; they have more than that one car for sale, so the chances are they may have something else possibly suiting your needs better.

4. Specialist Vehicle Advice
Vehicle salespeople are experts when it comes to cars and can provide specialist advice as to which vehicle best suits your needs and your budget. Car dealers have acces to a number of sources for buying cars including trade auctions, so if you can't find what your looking for, then they can look around for you.

5. Vehicle Trade-in
Almost all dealers will take trade-ins, allowing you to drive in and out on the same day you pick up your new car. If you have money owing on your current vehicle they make the changeover process simple, without expensive bridging loans. Contrary to popular belief, many dealers will pay top dollar for your trade vehicle if the vehicle is in good condition. This process can save you a lot of time and worry, trying to seel the current car you have, either before or after buying the car you have found privately.

6. Workshop Inspections
Most licensed dealers have been established in their local community for many years and, as such, are keen to protect their reputations. These dealers will subject used vehicles to rigerous workshop inspections prior to offering the vehicle for sale. Most dealers will wholesale or send to auction substandard vehicles rather that offer them for sale to a consumer. When a dealer sells a vehicle, he also sells his reputation and the last thing he needs is an unhappy customer. The seller of a private vehicle is not concerned about his or her reputation, they just want to sell the car.

7. After Sales Service
All franchise dealers and many specialised used car dealers offer workshop and servicing facilities as well as spare parts to keep your vehicle running smoothly long after you have taken delivery. Many dealers will provide discounts or specials for customers that purchase vehicles from them that are not available to someone walking in off the street. One of the largest used car dealerships in Adelaide, AA Family Motors, has a "Membership Club Discount Card" and any work done on the vehicle is done at trade price.

8. Code of Ethics
Most dealers are members of the Motor Trades Association in their state. Member dealers have a strict code of ethics that they operate within their business. Motor Trader Associations vary from state to state. This is important to a used car dealer, they pay money to belong to the MTA, and do not want to be 'expelled' by treating customers unfairly.

9. Convenience
A Dealer offers a choice of cars all in one location, and in many cases will even bring the car to your home or office for a test drive. The private seller will mostly not be so accomodating, and expect you to fit in with their schedule.

10. Local Community Involvement
Many large dealers, and the more established used car dealers contribute to their local community through sponsorship, be it the local football club, schools, local charities, etc. While you do not benefit from this directly, it is nice to know you are dealing with people who are civic minded, and this does show the type of person you are dealing with.