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Advantages To Car Shopping Online

Written By, NowCar Team

Thumbs Up Car Purchase

The car buying experience should be enjoyable, right? After all, you're making a large, important purchase, and you shouldn't have to be fearing the entire ordeal.

If you're somebody who finds themselves fearing car dealerships, it may be worth your (minimal) effort to switch your search to the internet. In fact, even if you aren't turned off by car dealerships, it could still behoove you to make your purchase via the web!

If you're in the market for a new vehicle, see why it's advantageous to buy cars online. Not only will you avoid the hassle of a dealership, but you could also save yourself a good chunk of money…

Don't Have to Pay More Than Necessary

If you've ever bought a car from a dealership, it's likely that the salesman tried to push you to purchase some extra amenities, features, or protections that weren't necessary. Paint protection? "It will save you money in the long run." Waterproofing? "You'll regret it if you don't add it."

There's no such pressure when you're making a purchase online. In fact, the internet serves as a great resource to determine which of those add-ons is actually necessary. There are a number of websites that can guide you through the car-buying process, informing you of which brand, model, and features you should be targeting.

When it comes time to choose between any of those additions, you can do a quick search to see whether they're ultimately worth the price. It'd also be worth your while to search through reviews for a particular vehicle, especially those done by experts.

"Knowing dealer costs and incentives ahead of time helps avoid the shell games that happen at dealerships," said Jeff Ostroff, who operates CarBuyingTips.com (via BetterHomesandGardens.com . "The salespeople know you've done your homework. Today, there is no reason for anyone to go into a dealership without having good information."

Monetary Incentives

Believe it or not, you could also find yourself saving additional money when you buy a vehicle online. There are numerous monetary incentives you can find via the web. You can learn more about financing rates, invoice prices (which is how much the dealer actually paid for the vehicle), and any hidden rebates. Of course, you can also get a simple price quote from the comfort of your own couch.

While the internet essentially does away with the additional cost of dealer incentives, customers generally receive better deals on the web than they do in actual dealerships.

As Phillip Reed of Edmunds.com notes through his own research, buyers could save themselves at least $500 by purchasing a vehicle online as opposed to purchasing an identical vehicle at a dealership. The writer made sure to consider the dealer's ability to trim down the price to finalize a deal, and you could anticipate your initial, standard savings to be worth at least that $500, if not more.

Endless Options

Well, endless may be a bit of a stretch. However, when you're shopping online, you're certainly not limited by the selection of an individual dealership. As the old saying goes, often times dealers will coax you into buying the vehicles that they want you to buy, as opposed to the vehicle you want to buy. The whole world (or online automotive market) is your oyster!

Often times, buyers at dealerships will settle for a vehicle that's currently on the lot, even though said vehicle may not contain all the features they wanted. This is especially true for the color of the vehicle, as it's impossible for a dealer to keep every color of every vehicle in stock.

You don't have to deal with that issue online. You won't have to give up that dream of a hot pink convertible, as your options aren't limited when you're shopping on the web.

Ability to Avoid Dealership

Buying A Car Online

Shopping at multiple dealerships can turn into a daylong endeavor. You might not only have to deal with a variety of fellow customers, but you'll also have to be on guard against the salesmen, who are understandably trying to look out for themselves.

There's also the negotiating and settlement of any loans or payment plans, and even after you've established all of that information, it's still unlikely that you'll be driving off the lot in a new car.

Sure, you also won't be able to acquire your vehicle that same day you make the purchase online. Still, you've gained (presumably) an entire day of free time by limiting your car search to the internet.

Of course, you don't have the luxury of getting to test drive the vehicle, but you know how you can remedy that? By visiting your local dealership and test driving the car!

If it proves to be more advantageous to buy from the dealership, go that route. It's more likely that you'll find a better deal online, in which case you should thank the dealership and move on.

No Time Constraint

Not that there's ever any rush to make a purchase via a dealership, but you'll often feel that way. The salespeople will often accompany the negotiations with some arbitrary and an unenforced deadline for which you have to make a decision. It's not like they'd ever refuse your service if you took longer to decide, but the dealership may add incentives for purchasing early. "That free year of satellite radio?

Well, unfortunately, since you took three months to decide instead of the two we required, we're no longer offering that deal." The pressure can certainly make the entire process a dreadful experience.

There's none of that rush when you're purchasing online. The (practically) an unlimited number of options means you'll never have to fear that your vehicle isn't in stock. You won't be coaxed into making an impulse decision that you ultimately regret, and there's a good chance you can still negotiate for those special extra features when buying online.

What did we tell you? There's honestly no disadvantages to buying online, and any minor issues can easily be resolved. We wouldn't be surprised if more advantages pop up as the industry becomes more popular, and it may eventually not even be a question of what route you should take.

If you're ready to make the jump, head over to NowCar.com. Not only is the site easy to navigate, it's also fun to use! In no time, you can have your ideal vehicle ready to go!

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