3 Smartphone Apps That Will Save Car Shoppers Time And Money

Buying a used vehicle can be a daunting task.  In the old days it involved hours and hours of going from one dealer to the next, being bombarded with sales pitches and clunkers.  But now, thanks to the wonderful world of smartphone apps, there is help you can get to guide you through the buying process from the comfort of your home.  Following are just a few of the apps available that could help save you time and more importantly, money.

CARGURUS APP

This is a great app to help you search for a vehicle to purchase.  It has the ability to select your search radius, price range, make, model and year.  The app will also compare the vehicle you are looking at to similar vehicles in your search radius.  Cargurus gives car shoppers as much if not more tools to make an informed purchase than any other online resource.





AUTOCHECK APP 

This app will give you the entire Vehicle History Report for any vehicle you choose.  It has the ability to not only accept a VIN you type in, but also scan the barcode located inside the door on newer vehicles.

STREETOWL APP

 One aspect of vehicle cost that a lot of people forget about is insurance.  One way to help save you money is the Streetowl App.  This neat little app will record your driving habits and make that information available to insurance companies.  This could save safe drivers considerably.







Do you know of any other apps tailored for used car shopping?  Please share them with us.

How Can You Avoid The "Low Down" Trap?

We meet customers all the time who come to our dealership asking "how much do I need down?"  While it is certainly a valid question, it is always difficult to answer when it is the first thing a person says to you.  It is probably a result of two things.  Firstly, the economy has forced many people into situations where coming up with a large down payment for a car isn't possible.  The second is the overwhelming number of advertisements from car dealers stressing a low down payment as the chief selling point.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Unfortunately, the whole low down payment scheme can be a big trap for used car buyers for a number
 of reasons.  Some used car dealers are able to offer low down payments with Buy Here Pay Here financing because they get vehicles cheap.  Not cheap as in wow I got a great deal, but cheap as in you shouldn't buy it and no reputable finance company would touch it.  Getting salvage, flood or branded titled vehicles is much cheaper for used car dealers than getting them with clean titles.  Often the title status isn't disclosed to the buyer until papers are being signed or not at all.  This practice is not only dishonest but is also illegal.  Always, and we can't stress this enough, always ask if the vehicle you are purchasing has a clear title.

Another trap used car buyers fall into in the low down payment scheme is interest.  Some dealers take advantage of the knowledge that a buyer is desperate to find transportation.  The dealer will accept a low down payment on a vehicle.  Yet after all is said and done, the buyer ends up paying over twice what the vehicle is worth because the dealer tacked on a ridiculous interest rate.  As a buyer, you should always know exactly what your total payout will be for a vehicle.

Sometimes what seems like a good deal is nothing but a "Low Down" dirty trap.  But if you are vigilant and ask the right questions you can avoid being caught by it.

Have you ever been trapped into a bad deal on a used car?  Tell us your story here.

Understanding Vehicle History Reports

Almost everyone has seen the little fox on TV.  The cute and cuddly guy is a memorable and effective marketing tool for the company he represents.  The truth is that there are a number of other companies that provide Vehicle History Reports to car shoppers.  Which company you should use isn't something we will get into here.  As long as the company has access to the correct vehicle data, the choice is yours.

So where does all this vehicle information come from?  

The vast majority of the information comes from the (deep breath) National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, or NMVTIS for short.  What is NMVTIS?  As their website states:

"The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) is an electronic system that provides consumers with valuable information about a vehicle's condition and history. Prior to purchasing a vehicle, NMVTIS allows consumers to find information on the vehicle's title, most recent odometer reading, brand history, and, in some cases, historical theft data."  

How does the NMVTIS get the vehicle information?

This is where the Good and the Bad of Vehicle History Reports comes in.

The Good:  The NMVTIS gets it's information from a variety of sources.  State agencies, insurance companies, repair shops, vehicle auctions, salvage yards and any other source that meets NMVTIS standards.  This makes for a very large pool of information sources.
The Bad:  The NMVTIS relies on these outside sources to report all of the vehicle information they provide.  This means for instance, that if a repair shop that rebuilds a vehicle damaged from a crash does not report the repair to the NMVTIS, then that repair will not show up on any Vehicle History Report.  If that same repair shop does report the repair but incorrectly reports the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), then not only would the repair not show up for that vehicle, but it may show up on another vehicle's history report in error.

So how much should I rely on Vehicle History Reports?

Even with the possibility of errors or missing information, Vehicle History Reports are an important part of the car buying process.  They give you, the buyer, a starting point when you find a car you are interested in purchasing.  You will see whether the car has been driven in snow states or in warm weather.  You will see how many owners it has had.  You will also see the car's history of emissions tests.  This is all valuable information in terms of whether you want take the next step in the purchase process or if you choose to find a different vehicle.

If a Vehicle History Report does show that a vehicle has been in an accident or has had repairs, don't automatically rule it out.  Have the vehicle checked out by a qualified mechanic to verify that the vehicle was, in fact, repaired as stated in the report and if so, that the vehicle was repaired properly.  Whether the vehicle checks out or not, you can then make a more informed purchase decision.


There is no easy answer and no single source of information when buying a used vehicle.  But the more information you have, the more likely you are to purchase the car of your dreams, not a nightmare of a lemon.  Vehicle History Reports are an important source of this information, as long as you understand exactly what they are, where the information comes from, and how to properly use them.

For more information on the NMVTIS, Vehicle History Reports and qualified service providers, please visit http://www.vehiclehistory.gov/.