by John Graham
It seems that we have to be so vigilant all the time to insure that we are not going to be taken advantage of. Even though I have worked with people and their problems during my thirty year career as a social worker I still want to think the best of people. This often times gets me in trouble. I do not consider myself naïve but I do like to believe that people will treat me fair if that is the way I treat them.
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For some reason I draw the line of trust with used car salesmen. I do not know if I believe that all used car salesmen are dishonest, but it seems that the times I have been taken has been around a vehicle. I do not even pretend that I know anything about cars. I tell people that I do not expect the general public to know where to make referrals for services or to do mediations services, so I should not be expected to know the job of a mechanic; it is not my area of expertise. I needed to sell my mother’s cars, but I wanted to check on the used car trade in values before I met with a salesman. I wanted to make sure that I had a concrete number in my head of what the cars were worth prior to going to the sales lot. My father passed away and he and mom had two vehicles. She wanted to trade them both in and get a newer car.
A friend told me that I could look up used car values in blue books such as Kelly Blue Book which is a national used car publication. Blue books are what the car dealers use to determine the value of a vehicle. It gives a general amount and then suggests additions or subtractions depending upon the equipment the car has, the number of miles it has on it and the general condition of the vehicle. Much less expensive than new cars, used cars are only a deal if they meet specific standards of quality. No two used cars are created equal, and because these cars are used, you must inspect them closely for any defects or signs of neglect or an accident. The most sought after used cars are probably less than five years old and have less than 50,000 miles on the odometer or 10,000 miles per year.
I found the current addition of the blue book and looked up the used car values of my mothers car. I realized that she would be able to buy a new vehicle if she wanted to because the two vehicles were in good shape and had very low miles on them. My father always hand waxed the vehicles on a regular basis as well as had regular maintenance and oil changes done on them. All of these things increase used car trade in resale values and help determine the right selling price. I wrote down all the figures that I had come up with and also took along the blue book. I then drove one of the vehicles and my mother drove the other to the car dealer. We explained what we wanted to do regarding trading in the two vehicles for one. The sales person asked my mom some pertinent question about what she wanted in a vehicle. He quoted her very fair prices on the two vehicles. We left the two older cars there and mom drove home in a new model town car.
Here are some more articles and tips about used cars
Used car searches are a great way to find vehicles in your price range
The used car searches are a great way to find a vehicle in your price range. To best use the used car searches you should enter as much information about the type of vehicle you want as possible. You can enter a price range, type of vehicle, make, model and year if you want to, more...
Check the Used Car Reviews
Unfortunately with the price of vehicles many of us need to purchase pre-owned vehicles. It is very important if you are in the market for a vehicle to check the used car reviews. Some cars hold their value much better than others because they are designed to run well even with high mileage. Reliable used car reviews include the maintenance records for the vehicle, how many previous owners there have been, whether it was ever in an accident and whether there have been any factory recalls on that model, read more...
Findind used cars buyers in now easy online
Finding used cars buyers can be so difficult that I often wonder how full-time used auto lots stay in business. After all, everyone knows the reputation of used car dealers. After attorneys, they are probably the most reviled profession in the country. And yet, somehow, they consistently find used car buyers, read more...
