Online shopping has made things so much easier for everybody. It’s cheaper for companies to sell products without having to pay the overheads of a shop and it’s obviously easier for customers to get their products delivered straight to the door rather than having to go out and get them. But when you’re buying a car, it’s a different story. Car sales online have still been on the rise but is it really the best thing to do? If you’re in the market for some new wheels and you’re wondering whether to buy online or go down the traditional route, here are some of the pros and cons.
You Don’t Get The Personal Touch
When you’re buying a car, it’s nice to have that personal touch. You want somebody to go through the specs with you and show you the features. There something special about going to a family run car dealership like BobGillinghamFord.com and speaking with a proper salesperson. They’ll be able to answer any questions that you might have about the car and it’s an all round more enjoyable experience. If you’re buying online, you’re going to miss out on that personal touch.
It’s Easier To Compare Prices Online
Comparing prices is the easiest way to make sure you aren’t getting ripped off. If you’re doing it at a dealership, that means driving round all of them and checking in person. Whereas online, you can quickly open up a load of different tabs and get all of the different prices right there and then. Often, it’s the best way to make sure that you aren’t getting caught out by high prices.
Lack Of Financing
Most people don’t have the money to buy a brand new car outright so they’ll use financing. That’s one of the major drawbacks of buying a car online, you can’t get financing. You can still take out a car loan from a third party lender but it’s a lot easier if you get your financing through the dealership that you’re buying the car from.
You Don’t Have To Deal With Salespeople
We said earlier that the personal touch is a benefit of dealerships but in some cases, it can be a drawback. Salespeople are professional hagglers and they’ll have all sorts of tricks to bleed you dry. Even if you think that you know how to get around them, you can still get caught out. But when you buy online, you can take your time and make a decision without being influenced by their sales tactics.
You Can’t Drive It
This is surely the biggest problem with buying cars online. Looking at the specs is fine but you don’t really know if a car is right for you until you’ve driven it. When you’re getting a car online you can’t get a feel for it by taking it for a test drive so there’s always the chance that you’ll get it and you won’t like it, by which time, it’ll be too late.
There’s no right answer here because there are benefits and drawbacks on both sides but this list should help you decide which is best for you.
