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How To Avoid Car Dealership Games and Rip-Offs | Cheapism.com
Source: blog.cheapism.com
Article summary:
1. Car dealerships may use tactics such as disappearing financing, rushing buyers into a deal, and low credit score scams to rip off customers.
2. Buyers should avoid paying for unnecessary fees like dealer prep and useless add-ons, and negotiate from the dealer invoice price rather than the MSRP.
3. To avoid falling for these scams, buyers should secure outside financing before shopping, check their credit score beforehand, and inquire about every charge on the purchase receipt before signing.
Article analysis:
The article "How To Avoid Car Dealership Games and Rip-Offs" by Cheapism.com provides tips for car buyers to avoid common scams and rip-offs at dealerships. While the article offers some useful advice, it also has several shortcomings that limit its credibility and usefulness.
One of the main issues with the article is its lack of depth and specificity. The tips provided are general and do not offer much detail or context. For example, the article advises readers to secure outside financing before shopping to avoid disappearing financing scams, but it does not explain how to find reputable lenders or what terms to look for in a loan. Similarly, the article warns against useless add-ons but does not provide examples of which ones are most commonly offered or how much they typically cost.
Another problem with the article is its potential bias towards certain sources of information. For instance, the article recommends checking credit scores with all three bureaus before shopping, but it does not mention any free resources for doing so (such as Credit Karma or AnnualCreditReport.com). Instead, it implies that readers should pay for credit monitoring services from each bureau. This could be seen as promoting paid services over free ones without justification.
Additionally, the article presents some claims without sufficient evidence or support. For example, it states that unscrupulous dealers sometimes lie about a buyer's credit score to charge higher interest rates, but it does not provide any data or studies to back up this assertion. Similarly, it suggests that extended warranties and rustproofing are unnecessary add-ons without explaining why some buyers might find them valuable.
Overall, while the article offers some helpful advice for car buyers looking to avoid scams and rip-offs at dealerships, its lack of depth and specificity limits its usefulness. Readers may need to seek out additional resources or consult with experts in order to fully understand how to navigate the complex world of car buying.
Topics for further research:
How to find reputable lenders for car loans
Common add-ons offered by car dealerships and their costs
Free resources for checking credit scores
Evidence of dealers lying about credit scores to charge higher interest rates
Benefits and drawbacks of extended warranties for cars
Importance of rustproofing for cars and its potential costs