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8 Things to Consider When Buying a Car

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Home  |  Car Transport   |   8 Things to Consider When Buying a Car

8 Things to Consider When Buying a Car

However exciting it may be, buying a car can be complicated.

By having an understanding of what all should be considered throughout the buying process, you can remain confident and know you have made the right decision when it’s all said and done. To help you make your decision, here are the 8 most important things to consider when buying a car.

  1. Budget

First and foremost, establish your budget by determining your monthly income, and then only searching for cars within the budget you set for yourself. In general, it is best to try and keep your monthly payment within 15% of your monthly income.

  1. Preference

Everyone has a dream car. You should most certainly consider your own desires and preference while buying a car, but be sure to consider your needs and make a practical decision as well.

  1. Fuel Efficiency

There are few things in this world less predictable than gas prices. Subsequently, be sure to take fuel efficiency into account when buying a car, especially if you plan to do a lot of driving.

  1. Condition of The Vehicle

While mileage is a great way to determine the condition of a vehicle, there are various other important methods for determining how reliable a used vehicle is. Be sure to know everything about your car before buying it.

  1. Blue Book Value

It is not hard to overpay for a car if you don’t know how to negotiate. Be sure to check the blue book value, compare price and negotiate as much as possible to make your dream car as affordable as possible.

  1. Financing

Before purchasing a vehicle, you will likely need financing. Be sure to check your credit score, negotiate with banks(if needed) and find out what car payment you are approved for.

  1. Car Insurance

The cost of owning a car is more than the car payment. When determining your budget, be sure to consider how much your car insurance will cost, especially when choosing a car that may raise your monthly payment.

  1. Test Drive

Before you sign anything, be sure to test drive the car you want. In the event it doesn’t feel perfect to you, consider trying a few other options before purchasing. Take the stress out of new car ownership by using Ship a Car Direct to transport your new vehicle for you! Learn why so many people have placed their trust and their vehicle in Ship A Car Directs hands by contacting us today!

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Honest Answers to Your Car Shipping Questions

Yes, we always ask for your specific pickup and delivery addresses, if the carrier can get right to the addresses you provide, they will. If the addresses that you give us are not safely accessible for a Multi-car carrier, however, you will need to make arrangements with the driver to meet at a nearby location where the carrier can safely get in and out.

People do it all the time (rarely for free) but the official answer is no.

Not what you wanted to hear, we know, but that is the honest answer.

We are not licensed to broker the shipment of household goods and, likewise, no car carrier that operates in the USA is licensed to transport them from state to state either. Despite what you might be being told by other car shipping companies you may speak with.

Remember, at the end of the day we're all salespeople, and the true answer to this question is not a great selling point.

You will hear a lot of companies tell you that you can put up to 100 pounds of items in the trunk, but that is not entirely true. That fact is that items of that amount are fairly common and the department of transportation is probably not going to split hairs and fine the trucker over items of that amount, provided they are not over their weight limit. They could fine them, however, if they see a vehicle stuffed full of personal items so the car carrier will most likely try to negotiate something with you to cover themselves against any costs they could incur. It's not something we can build into your contract though.

We have a short and helpful video on this topic in our user videos.

Only in rare cases and car carriers will usually charge a premium to make it happen.

All dates given by car carriers are typically estimates and projections.

For this reason (and to keep your cost down) we ask that you build in some flexibility and give us the earliest possible date you would be WILLING to release the vehicle, even though it may not be your preferred date.

We'll put you in direct contact with your car carrier and the driver will also typically call you the afternoon or evening before your pick up and delivery (they won't just show up unannounced, and if they do we want to hear about it). However, car carriers are out on the road battling traffic, weather and any number of other factors that can and do throw them off of their pickup and delivery projections from time to time.

If the projected dates we give you come and you are unable to make contact with your carrier, please call our office immediately so that we may help resolve the situation.

The average transit time from pick up to delivery on any vehicle going coast to coast will average 7 to 10 days. From there you can figure your transit time based on how far your vehicle is traveling, i.e. from either coast to the Midwest might average 3-7 days.

Yes!

Even better, we do not even ask for payment until we have you confirmed for pickup by a safe, reliable, fully insured, direct car carrier. If for any reason you do not ship your car with the carrier that we arrange for you, there is no fee.

The fees paid directly to the carrier however, (in most cases, their fees are not paid until your vehicle is delivered) are not directly controlled by us, so any requests for a refund of the carrier's portion would need to be addressed with the carrier directly.

Of course! And you are always backed by our Damage Free Guarantee policy.

Part of what you pay us for is to verify that the car carrier that we put you on is covered by the proper amount of insurance and that everything is up to date.

There is never any additional cost to you for this coverage, and their insurance is always primary.

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