Ok, so you know the value for your car. That is great. But have you made any mistakes while thinking about your trade-in? Sometimes car buyers think that if they do certain things, it will help increase the trade in value, but in the end, it only hurts them. Here is what to know before heading to the dealership.
Don’t over value the car: Even when you do the research, not all dealerships can match the ideal price you can get for the car. You want them to know you know the Kelley Blue Book value of the car, but that doesn’t always mean you can get it. Talk with them and negotiate.
Having the car perfectly clean: For most people that is not how our cars look. IF you come to the dealership with a perfectly clean car, they know you want to buy a car today. While that isn’t a bad thing, they might not decide to woo you as hard because, you are almost sold. Besides that, a little bit of dirt on the car or in the car isn’t going to cost you in the trade in. Don’t come with the car a pig sty either though. Think curb appeal, not off the lot.
Fixing repairs: So you know the car needs new tires, maybe there is a weird clank going on. Don’t fix it in hopes of getting a better trade in. You will most often times pay more for the repairs that the dealership will give you for not having the issue. Most dealerships have their own auto shop so it costs them very little to fix the car’s problems. It is the same with the dents and scratches. It is rarely a benefit to you to fix it first.
Hiding things: The people who appraise cars do it all day long. They have seen it all. You can’t really pull one over on them. Why try? Let the dealership know you have a trade-in, that you have researched the trade-in value and you want to see what you guys can do to make a deal.
Trading in a car doesn’t have to be a headache. Just know what to do and get into that new car.
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