Buying a vehicle is a huge investment for anybody, so it’s important that you find a seller you can trust. If you’re looking to buy a used vehicle, you really only have two options on where you can buy from, a dealership or a private seller. Not only will your level of trust dictate whether you buy private or from a dealership, but also how you intend to pay for the vehicle. If you’re on a really tight budget, you may be better off buying from a private seller. On the other hand, a private seller doesn’t necessarily need to have the vehicle safety inspected or fixed to ensure they meet quality standards like dealerships do. Below, we’ll list 7 reasons your best buying from a dealership over a private seller.
Why You Should Buy a Used Car from a Dealership and not Privately
1. Warranty. One thing a private seller can’t give you is a vehicle warranty. Dealerships will often offer warranties on their used vehicles that will cover particular parts and services in case you run into issues. This extra bit of security protects you on an investment as big as a vehicle.
2. Meets Quality Standards. When you’re buying from a legitimate dealership, you know the vehicle is going to meet the safety standards and not have any hidden defects. By law, dealerships need to ensure all of the vehicles they sell are inspected to meet the required standards. If you buy private, there’s nobody holding the private seller accountable for quality standards except you.
3. Financial Flexibility. If you’re buying from a private seller, they may require you to pay the full value of the vehicle up front. For many people, this just isn’t possible as it can cost thousands of dollars. With a dealership, you have the financial flexibility to finance the vehicle and make the payments monthly or bi-weekly in order to make them manageable.
4. More Vehicle Options. If you’re buying privately, chances are the seller only has one vehicle to sell. If you’re buying from a dealership, you’re likely going to have around a dozen vehicles to choose from. Visiting a dealership can help you save a lot of time by being able to see and test drive multiple vehicles without having to meet with several private sellers.
5. Trade-In Options. The last advantage to shopping for a used car at a dealership is you’ll have the ability to trade-in your current vehicle to lower the costs of your new vehicle. If you’re buying from a private seller, you’ll likely need to sell your vehicle before buying a new one.
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