Six Things That Should Be Included in the Contract When Buying a New Car
The average price of a new car these days is approaching $50,000 , which is a lot of money and not always a good financial decision (not to mention that the purchase price is only a fraction of the cost ). In many ways, even worse than the price is the process : anyone who’s ever bought a new car knows how long and painful it can be, taking up hours (or days) of your life as you engage in Jedi battles with tricks of the mind. seller and then sign dozens of documents when you are emotionally and mentally exhausted.
One of the reasons why this process sucks so much: Car dealerships are notorious for using sneaky, sneaky tactics to get you to pay more than you need to. But you can change things up a bit because once you’ve closed the deal, you basically have more leverage – the seller smells the sale, and if you walk away, their time will be wasted, as will yours. This is the time to ask for all the little things that won’t cost the dealer much, but can add up to some nice savings and incentives for you, making this purchase a little less painful.
Full tank of gasoline
You can assume that the least you can expect from a car dealership is that your new car arrives with a full tank of gas. Usually this is true, but sometimes something goes wrong: the seller forgets to fill up after a few test drives or it is simply overlooked. Considering that a full tank of gas can cost up to $100 depending on the car you buy, it’s worth insisting that the contract states that the car will be delivered with a full tank, or that you will receive a fuel voucher for filling up. it’s up. And while you’re at it, include premium fuel, too.
Warranties and Service Plans
Dealers often include extended warranties (which cover some repairs after the manufacturer’s warranty expires) and routine maintenance, such as tune-ups and oil changes, in your contract and assume you’ll pay for them, even if it increases your costs. But they are not always worth it ; An extended warranty only makes sense if you intend to keep this car much longer than the included warranty expires, and even then you need to take a close look at what the warranty covers. And most dealers offer some kind of service and maintenance plan included in the purchase price.
If you’re going to skip the extended warranty, you should ask to have it added to the contract as a free gift – all they can do is say no. Likewise, if there’s a fee for a service plan, try to add that as well—even limited service options can save you some money down the road.
Coatings
When buying a new car, salespeople often offer a variety of coatings – protective coating, anti-rust coating, stain-resistant fabric coating – that they insist are necessary to keep your car from literally dissolving in the elements within days, if not hours. . For the most part, these coatings are not worth the money – cars are quite durable straight from the factory, and while these coatings do provide some protection against normal wear and tear, the markups on them are usually amazing.
So don’t buy these extras, but ask that they be included in the contract as part of the purchase. Dealerships don’t pay much for these services (which is why they love selling them to you – those profit margins are sweet), so they can be persuaded to just add them if you ask them politely – and firmly enough.
Additional keys or fobs
While most new cars these days use keyless entry and ignition (or even fully digital ), some base models still come with mechanical keys—and if you need a key fob to access the car, it’s really just a key with additional steps. Either way, having a backup that you can keep in a safe place is a great idea. However, many dealers act as if providing you with a second key or fob requires a huge amount of effort and expense on their part. Before you sign this contract, have them write down a second key or fob so you don’t have to worry about losing yours.
VIN engraving
VIN etching is a chemical process that burns your vehicle identification number (VIN) onto the glass. This is useful because it makes it much more difficult to sell a stolen car, which is why some insurers offer discounts on your policy if your car has one. You can do the VIN engraving yourself , so it may not be worth the several hundred dollars your dealer charges for the service—unless you can convince them to write it into your contract for free.
Rugs
If your new car doesn’t come standard with floor mats (and in some cases they don’t), you definitely shouldn’t buy them from the dealer. You can buy them for much less money anywhere, or buy custom laser cut mats that fit like gloves. But your dealer has mats they can give you, so write that into the contract and see if they’ll agree to it, because free mats will always be better than mats you have to pay for.