How You Can Buy a Car Online

Whether you use the Internet to prepare for a visit to a local auto dealer, or actually purchase a car online, you will feel secure once you have done the research. This is equally true if you are going to buy a new or used car because you will have a clear picture of what you can afford and what you need.

Why it works. By shopping online, you can determine the "going price" for a certain model that interests you, along with its fuel economy, options, color choices and safety ratings. Also, regardless of how you go about making your purchase, your car will actually come from a dealer's lot since current legislation in the United States prevents auto manufacturers from selling directly to buyers.

If you visit a quote request site like www.autobytel.com/content/buy/lm/new/index.cfm?CPCID=21928-0-0-0-731-12-0-0&id=21928, you can configure a model for yourself and e-mail those details to a dealership or third party. The response to your e-mail will come via phone, fax, or mail (according to your selection), giving you a price quote and indicating the availability of the vehicle.

Purchasing a used car. Unless the vehicle you want to buy is certified and the dealer has all of the required information, you will need its "used car history." This should tell you if the car was involved in an unreported accident or stolen. You can do a preliminary check by using the vehicle identification number (VIN) to verify its make and model and trace any problems related to it at the site above.

To avoid any other complications, see that all of paperwork related to transferring ownership of the car to you is accurate and complete. (Remember that if the offer seems "too good to be true," it might be a scam, such as an attempt to sell a flood-damaged car.)

Getting financing. Regardless of what the ads may tell you, note that zero percent financing is really intended for buyers who have an outstanding credit rating. Also, you might end up paying the car's sticker price-and have no room to negotiate for a better offer-if you finance the car through the dealership.