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Online Car Buying Method Clarifies Cash for Clunkers
- 7/21/09
Consumers turn to car buying services in an effort
to understand government's confusing Cash for
Clunkers legislation.
Kansas City, Mo. (July 21, 2009) – Many consumers
are confused by the Cash for Clunkers bill. Obama's
newest law is supposed to encourage consumers to
trade-in their gas guzzling clunkers by offering
federal trade vouchers as valuable as $4,500.
However, because many consumers aren't eligible for
the voucher, and since the voucher amounts vary
based on several factors, some guzzler owners are
puzzled. Many are finding answers by turning to car
buying services.
Consumers or businesses can hire a car buying
service to locate a vehicle, negotiate the purchase
price, help secure the appropriate Cash for Clunkers
voucher, and then arrange for the sale. Amazingly,
this can all be accomplished online with nothing
more than a few mouse clicks. Web-based car buying
services are one of the newest ways to buy a
vehicle, and the new Cash for Clunkers legislation
is boosting their popularity even more.
“We’ve heard from confused truck owners wondering
why they didn’t qualify for the voucher,” said Kevin
McMillen, co-founder of Wheelator.com, an
online car
buying service. “Turns out the bill isn’t that clear
and dealerships aren’t explaining the process very
well.”
McMillen went on to say that some of the same people
calling about the voucher are inquiring about their
online services wanting to know more about this new
way of purchasing vehicles. With an online service
you aren’t required to go to dealership to
shop for
cars or have to work with pushy sales people and
negotiate deals.
“It comes as no surprise, in this age of social
media, that the digital consumer process has
trickled down to the automotive industry,” said
McMillen. “Not only are people fed up with the way
they are treated by car salespeople, but they
struggle to understand all the ‘extras’ thrown into
a car deal. Cash for Clunkers complicates the
process even further.”
The true economic and environmental impact of Cash
for Clunkers, officially named the Consumer
Assistance to Recycle and Repair Act or the Car
Allowance Rebate System (CARS), will remain unknown
for some time. What is known is that car buyers are
excited to cash in, but frustrated by the response
at dealerships.
In some cases the dealership does not do its best to
explain incentives, vouchers, and sometimes even
holding out on rebates that are available. As
McMillen said, “sometimes all this time wasted and
lost money makes someone want to keep driving their
1984 Caravan.”
To learn more about Cash for Clunkers and car buying
services visit
www.cars.gov and
www.wheelator.com.
Closing Dealerships Means Fewer Deals On Cars -
7/10/09
Expert car buyers help consumers negotiate the
murky waters
The latest reports reveal that 1,100 Chevrolet
Dealerships (not counting Pontiac, Saab, and
Hummer) and almost 789 of all Chrysler, Jeep,
and Dodge dealers have closed their doors or
will close their doors within the coming months.
With all these struggling auto dealers it seems
that now is a great time to purchase a car or
truck.
Or is it?
Yes, new car pricing has dropped, but what will
resale value look like? Will the manufacturer
disappear? Will it make sense to own a car when
the maker of that car can’t back up warranties
or service needs?
With fewer dealerships and an uncertain future
of the industry as a whole, used car pricing has
gone through the roof too. While you may save in
comparison to buying a 2009 model, used cars
aren’t as cheap as they once were.
Facing all of these obstacles has made the car
buying environment tough for even the savviest
of car buyers. As a result, many people are
turning to car buying experts to help them
negotiate pricing and to purchase a car. A
company like Wheelator.com will shop for the
cars and negotiate the price and add-ons for a
nominal fee. Despite what many people believe,
this service is available for individuals as
well as businesses.
With Fewer Dealerships, The Negotiation Cards
Are Stacked Against You
With fewer dealers on the market, the choices
for the consumer are slim. Three years ago if
you didn’t get the price you wanted all you had
to do was walk out the door and onto the next
lot down the street. But now, there aren’t any
other dealers down the street, which means a
dealership won’t jump to meet your price.
And even if you are lucky enough to have another
dealer nearby, it’s not likely they will
negotiate with you either. The car buying
landscape has officially changed. Dealers are
leaner than ever before and aren’t looking to
negotiate—they’re looking to make every dollar
they can at the expense of a customer.
So what to do?
A national car buying service will work with you
to negotiate deals regardless of location or the
type of vehicle. The staff at Wheelator.com is
made of experienced ex-automotive professionals
who know how to speak with a dealership and
maneuver these murky waters.
Kevin McMillen is co-founder of Wheelator.com, a
professional and personal car buying management
service that specializes in negotiating car
buying deals for clients.
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