Buying a Car Online Vs. Buying From a Showroom

Buying a car always has the potential to be a major headache. Haggling over the price, warranties, and dealing with salespeople can turn what should be an exciting purchase into a lot of stress. However, heading down to the local dealership is not the only option available to potential car buyers. Online car sales are big and getting bigger all the time. Is this really a good way to buy a car? Will it eliminate some of the hassles that dealing with a dealership often entails?

First of all, let us be specific in discussing types of cars. Used cars are probably still best purchased offline, as test driving the vehicle is a must. Exceptions to this might be if a used car being sold online is local and can be taken for a test drive or has a test period that allows the purchaser to return it within a day, week, etc., if it does not drive as expected. Used cars are always a risk to some degree, so extreme care should be taken in learning as much about the vehicle as possible wherever it is purchased.

Regarding new cars, online purchasing is an excellent option. It allows you to take a step back and avoid that first-person pressure that salespeople can apply when they have you face to face. It is much easier to have a clear head and negotiate sensibly when you are doing so via emails. Also, purchasing online allows you to virtually check out far more cars in a day than would be possible if you were to physically drive from dealership to dealership.

So what, if anything, is there to be gained by purchasing a new car at a dealership? That answer depends more on the individual than on any specific bonus to be found at the dealership itself. If you are the sort of person that has some slick in-person negotiating skills or can pick out a lie just from the look on somebody’s face, by all means head on out to that dealership and do your best.

If, though, you are not a hard negotiator and get intimidated by salespeople or confused by all the paperwork that gets thrown at you when you purchase a car, consider buying online. Not only will you be able to look over all the terms and conditions of the purchase, you could even do so in your pajamas.