Thursday 31 January 2013

How To Buy Your Dream Car And Avoid Car Dealers' Dirty Tricks

How to buy a new Car

Buying a car is usually our second biggest investment after our home purchase and most of us will do it more than once in our life.

There is something emotional about cars, it represents our taste and style, our economic status and our character. Some women even claim that a car is a man's extension of his reproductive organ. One the other hand (the good hand) there are women out there that might express their exhibitionism and extravagance by choosing to drive a red flashy car for the whole world to notice them. Both sexes would agree they sometimes feel they "fall in love" with a certain car model.

There are people who get very existed from a small scratch on the cars lower side, as if it were their own skin. The beauty of the car, its aerodynamics shape, the gadgets inside, the seats the feel of it all play a major part in our decision making.

In our modern life it's almost impossible to function without one and it's expensive to acquire, to finance and to maintain.

Buying a new car is a lot of fun, the new car has its unique smell no doubt about it, the very fact you can afford to own a brand new car is a great feeling.

When is the best time to buy a new car?

There are two "best times" to buy a car. The end of December is a good time for car buyers to buy a new car. Everyone is out buying Christmas gifts, leaving new car dealer lots void of customers, motivating dealers to cut costs, and break year end sales records. Another good time to buy a car is July to October as new car dealers sell off cars at low prices to clear space for new car models. Secret factory to dealer incentives can be $1000-$6000 in addition to new car consumer rebates!

How and where to search for prices:

Invoice price - what the dealer pays the manufacturer - has become the real negotiating point. Allowing for the dealer's need to make a profit, the price you pay should be somewhere between sticker and invoice.

Virtually all car buying sites on the Internet show invoice and in most cases their buying tools automatically add option/package invoice amounts as you work your way through the process.

Any car buyer, with very little effort, can get an accurate summation of a car's value, which immediately puts him or her in a stronger negotiating position.

Happily for the consumer, the Internet now allows a prospective buyer to uncover market conditions at any moment in various parts of the country.
http://www.Edmunds.com/

for example, reveals the True Market Value: http://www.CarsDirect.com/, which sells cars online, has its own version called Guaranteed CarsDirect price http://www.Intellichoice.com/ sorts out the Best Deals of the Month.

The negotiation phase and the dirty tricks:

After you made your research via the Internet, it's important you make some phone calls to car dealers and ask for some written offers to be sent to you via the fax or email for the car of your dreams. That way, you can compare prices between several dealers without being pressured by a salesperson.

You would be much better off selling your old car yourself rather than to trade it in through the dealer because the dealer will have to earn some money on it as well.

Remember, everything is a negotiable, car too. Buying a new car is tricky from the moment you step into the car dealership arena, you might be manipulated by scam artists, well trained sales persons that will use every trick in their fat book of tricks to extort every last Dollar out of your bank account.

There is one well known trick they teach in car dealers sales courses, it's called "throwing a lowball", in this tactic a customer is offered a very good price on a car,
Perhaps as much as $500 below competitors prices. The good deal, however, is not genuine, its only purpose is to cause a prospect to decide to buy at this dealership and not from the other dealers. Once the decision is made a raft of purchase forms are filled out, extensive financial terms are arranged. The dealer knows, customers develop a range of new reasons to support the choice they have now made.

Then something happens. All of a sudden an "error" in the calculations is discovered, It might be the salesman forgot to add in the cost of the air conditioner and if the customer insists on having it, then $500 must be added to the price...

The cover up operation is played sophistically, some times they let the bank handling the financing find the "mistake", other times the boss is not approving the deal because "we'd be losing money". They make it look as if it's not that big mistake as it's a relatively small percentage of the price of the car and as they stress out it only brings it to be equal to competitors.

The impressive thing about the lowball tactic is its ability to make a person feel pleased with a poor choice. If anyone tries to change the originally-quoted terms or talk you into buying a different vehicle, just say "no" and go somewhere else.

If you are interested to learn about many others car dealers scams and how to avoid them go to: http://www.carbuyingtips.com/scams.htm

Until all the papers have been signed there are still ways in which a shrewd dealer may add to his profit by talking you into extras you don't want and probably don't need. These can include added and overpriced insurance, extended warranties, rust proofing (absolutely unnecessary), paint or fabric protection, anti-theft plans, and more. Smile and firmly turn them all down.

Finally, before you drive away, do a careful inspection of the car, looking for scratches or dents; anything that mars the perfect finish. If you're not happy, get a written agreement (known as a Due Bill). It means you have the right to later return the vehicle in order that flaws can be corrected.

Sunday 27 January 2013

Cheap Car Insurance - Love Your Car and Express It

You can not imagine a day without a car such as it has become a part of your family. It provides you speedy service whenever you need and it is your traveling partner in your long drives. It runs over the road so that you can reach office on time daily. These are just some benefits of your car but do you take a proper care of it, if not then you should opt for cheap car insurance.

In fact, your car is prone to so many misfortunes. A small short circuit in the engine may result in a fire and it can damage the paint of your car excessively. It also can fall victim to some kind of vandalism while standing in the parking or sometimes some hooligan can try to steal it from you. These are general cases apart from the fact that your car can be damaged totally due to a serious accident.

But, you can avoid the financial implications of any such misfortunes by opting for cheap car insurance. Various kinds of car insurance can provide you financial security against fire, theft, attempt of theft, vandalism or accidental damage to your car. Most car drivers assume that car insurance simply pays for auto crash injuries; repair of damaged cars and for stolen vehicles. But the fact is that various cheap car insurance pays for a wide range of services. They provide benefits to the policyholders and the others affected in car crashes.

Sometimes, cheap car insurance coverage may also extend to others who drive the insured car such as, relatives who live with the insured driver and drive the insured's car, with or without permission. Furthermore, you can get benefits like a lifetime guarantee on all paint and bodywork repairs and a free courtesy car while your car is being repaired by one of their recommended garages. You can have 24 hours claims helpline and you can call for the repair assistance on road any time you want.

Some auto-insurance companies also cover for personal belongings, clothing, car audio etc. Hence, if you love your car then cheap car insurance is the best way to express it.

Wednesday 23 January 2013

New Technologies - The Electric Car and Its Infrastructure Will Bail Us Out of the "Great Recession"

Those that are getting their regular paychecks may not feel it. Those that read and hear of others going through bad times, may still not get it. Real estate publications, economists, prognosticators, politicians tell us things are getting better. Some of us are scratching our heads.

Unemployment hits 11% in Florida, the dollar collapses, gold prices near record highs, foreclosures, bankruptcies, short sales, people moving in with other people, vacant houses, people can't get credit, people can't afford their real estate taxes, cities are going bankrupt because no ones paying their taxes, higher crime rates, people jumping off of bridges, people acting like their losing children in hot air balloons. Are these strange times we're living in or what?

Business owners, entrepreneurs, people in sales, independent contractors, and those that don't get regular paychecks don't know what to believe anymore. They read things are getting better, but why don't they feel better? The stock market is inching up, ok. But what's causing this.... book manipulations? layoffs which produce higher profits? Google clicks that tell us people are thinking about buying? holidays coming up? who knows? They are real numbers, yes, but what do they tell us? Yes, the market has been rising since March of this year.

But we all know something's not right. We haven't seen this in our lifetime, unless you lived in the 20s and 30s. I was selling real estate in the 80's with interest rates at 17 ½%, but this is different. There are more societal ills, things are more complicated.

Something's definitely broken. Obama is bailing everybody out and is on a Christmas buying spree. He wants to spend our way out of this recession, but what will the consequences be? Runaway inflation, socialism, or the downfall of the American society as we know it?

Our only consolation is that we live in a world economy now. Everyone is hurting. Our countries are interconnected economically. It is a world recession. We won't stop buying Japanese cars, because Uncle Sam asks us nicely. We can, however, start developing and enabling new technologies that are already here.

We need to develop the electric car and its infrastructure. This will bail us out and start the cycle of prosperity again. Millions of jobs will be created by this development, we will start eliminating burning of fossil fuels, and this will set us in the direction of the "green economy".

Many studies and research have concluded this. Larry Burns, the retired head of GM's research and development, has said that the electric-vehicle age will reshape the energy grid, redefine driving patterns, and generally improve the quality of life especially in urban areas.

First, there will be many types of electric vehicles, including the plug-in hybrid, the all-battery vehicle, and vehicles powered by the hydrogen fuel cell, which is essentially a battery fed by external source of hydrogen. These vehicles will come in all shapes and sizes, including all-terrain vehicles to large commercial trucks. These different vehicles will be able to tap into many different energy sources.

Solar, wind, or nuclear power, all free of co2 emissions, can feed the power grid that will recharge the batteries. Also, these energy sources can be used to split water into hydrogen and hydroxyl ion, and then use the hydrogen to power the hydrogen fuel cell.

Second, the storage capacity of the vehicle fleet will play an important part in the stabilizing of the power grid. Not only will the battery powered vehicles draw power from the electricity grid during the recharging, but when parked, can also feed additional power back into the grid, during periods of peak demand.

Third, the electric vehicles will open up a new age of smart vehicles, in which sensor systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communications will enable collision protection, traffic routing, and remote managing of the vehicle.

Automakers, utility companies, broadband providers, government road builders, and public-private funds will all have to contribute to this integrated system. The beauty of it is, it's already here, but it needs to be implemented and expanded in America. A company called Better Place has already built some of the infrastructure with battery swapping stations and recharging stations throughout Europe, Japan, and Israel. America must stay at the forefront of the implementation and development of this new coming electric vehicle age. Tomorrow is too late.

Several other studies have been done to show how many millions of jobs can be created throughout the world by implementing the electric car, its infrastructure, and the subsequent green technologies. The new age of the electric vehicle illustrates the opportunities that are now available as we make our way from unsustainable fossil-fuel technologies to a new age of sustainable technologies.

This is true not only for automobiles but in the choice for energy systems, building designs, urban planning, and food systems. So in a way the breakdown of the world economies has provided an opportunity for the new green revolution to evolve.

Wednesday 16 January 2013

For The Best Car Performance Parts

Automobiles are rather difficult to maintain. There is so much that can go wrong. From regular engine trouble to the drifting of the vehicle in a particular direction, there are a wealth of things that need to be taken care of to make sure that your car is running in perfect shape. This is a fact for all cars irrespective of their make or design, but this counts all the more for high performance cars, like muscle cars and sports models. They have engines of higher power, thus generating more heat and consequently more wear.

Say for example you are having trouble with your suspension. You will need to get a good sports suspension system installed, to be able to drive smoothly. There are companies who will take this matter in hand, and they will make sure that all bolts are torqued to exact specifications so that it is perfect for your vehicle. You can choose from different manufacturers like Koni, Eibach, Hotchkis and so on. Using braces is one important way of getting your suspension going. Other components are camber kits, shocks, lowering springs and spray bars. You can choose from different manufacturers for all these components, and then get the whole system assembled.

These companies will also install a great braking system for your vehicle. If you are looking to have a well balanced street machine, then an important factor is increased stopping power. There are a number of braking products supplied by these virtual garages, from famous companies like Brembo, Powerslot and Hawk. By spending less money than you will on dealer replacement parts, you can upgrade your rotors and pads to high performance units! These companies also offer braking fluid, brake pads and performance rotors. Better braking means that you will have less brake dust and thus a general reduction in the amount of effort you take in cleaning your vehicle.

Then there are turbo chargers. A turbo charger is a device which is used to increase engine power. The gases flowing out of the vehicle as exhaust are converted to a high speed jet. this high velocity gas jet then impinges itself on a turbine (within the turbo charger) and then this adds to the engine power. These companies will supply your vehicle with turbo chargers and other forced induction systems, while keeping the requirements of your particular vehicle in mind. There are different turbo kits available, depending on the make and model of your vehicle's engine.

Apart from these performance units, there are also a number of gauges and meters that you can use in order to know what exactly is going on in the engine of your vehicle. For example, there are boost controllers which you can use to increase boost. Then there are digital oil pressure gauges, fuel pressure gauges and boost gauges to measure different parameters. If you have a turbo charged engine, you can use a turbo timer which allows the engine enough time to cool down before turning off. This is imperative to minimize wear.

Saturday 12 January 2013

Must Have - Vehicle Back Cameras For Cars and Vans!

As incidents of road accidents continue to climb, yearly, auto-makers have been scrambling to meet safety standards, that seem to get harder, and more expensive, to meet each year. Despite these efforts, on the part of the government, and car makers, accidents continue to go up.

This simply proves that we aren't doing enough for our automobile safety. With car insurance premiums rising each year, not to mention the death toll, it's clear we aren't doing enough. One safety enhancing addition, not usually bundled with cars is an aid to reversing safely, something that has been tricky for drivers, since cars were invented.

Backup cameras on vehicles aren't, exactly, new but they used to be pretty hard to get(and even harder to have installed). These days, however, these safety devices are as cheap as ever and an important boost to your safety, and peace of mind, while driving.

Even now, you might be thinking, isn't my rear-view mirror enough? Is it really? There are so many ways for accidents to happen, when relying on them for safety.

1) They can move, meaning that even a strong wind can push it out of its proper position. Once this happens, either the seconds required to fix the mirror, or the consequences of not doing so, can be fatal or highly costly. If you think the cost is trivial because you have insurance, think again. Accidents push your premiums up.

2) Not all drivers can adjust, from the view of the road, to the view of the mirror, quickly enough, on the fly. It's trickier than it seems to glance in a mirror AND react to what you see before its too late. Let any driver who has ever backed into a light post tell you, it jumped out at them. Most people agree that using a proper screen to see behind you simplifies reversing greatly.

3) Rear view mirrors have an annoying habit of breaking off. It happens in so many irksome ways, passing another car and clipping off each others mirrors, vandals, accidental damage from someone walking by, distractedly etc. When that happens, what do you do? Resign yourself to reversing blindly and hoping for the best. Usually, you wouldn't have much of a choice until you replaced the mirrors(which can take a longer time that you might think...trust me That's where a well placed backup camera would come in very handy.

Now that I've made my point about the inadequacy of mirrors alone, I'll go into some of the pros of using backup cameras. As I mentioned before, the screen is easier to use than a mirror. Also, you can adjust the camera so that you have the perfect view of behind you, that you need to avoid mistakes.

Finally, you can see more of behind the vehicle, enabling you to judge better and prevent serious damage to your car (and an unfortunate fire hydrant).

Monday 7 January 2013

Boy Baby Shower Cars and Nautical Themes

When planning a baby shower for a boy there are many fun ideas that you can incorporate into the party. Of course you could make the baby shower a neutral theme but it will be a great memoir for the baby if the theme is something he can relate to. By making the baby shower more boyish you can also invite men and they will fit right in. This article will give you ideas for the nautical and car themes for baby showers.

Cars Baby Shower
If you've been around boys, you know that cars are one of their biggest passions. Buy an already made car banner and use a permanent marker to write a saying like: "Our baby boy is racing to get here". If the parents have already chosen the name, you can use it in the banner. For the entrance way have black and white checkered flags just like those in car races. Buy lots of cars and decorate the foods tables with them.

Another idea is to create a small race track on the table with black cardboard and mini tires and place the cars on the track surrounding the food. Purchase lots of large car cut outs so that you can tape them on walls and doorways. To create special car themed favors, buy lots of candy and chocolate bars and make candy race cars. You will also need a glue gun and glue sticks. For the tires glue peanut butter cups or any other round candy. Make sure to display these favors on a separate table.

Nautical Baby Shower
A unique baby shower theme that is always a hit for boys is the nautical theme. Cut out the shape of a boat to make the invitation. Write the words "There's a Baby on Board" in the front of the invite. When decorating a nautical baby shower, life savers can be used as part of the centerpieces on the tables and even as wall hangings. Spruce up the life saver by painting some navy stripes on it. Place flower pots inside of the life savers. The best color for the flowers is red as it will combine with the navy, white and red color scheme that is typical for a nautical theme.

Another idea is for you to make a lighthouse out of cardboard and place it on the end of a foods table. Use shiny paper at the top to simulate the light. You can also have someone hand make a wooden nautical decorative with the baby's name on it and after the party it can serve as a door hanger for the baby's room. Buy nautical themed decoratives to spread around the foods tables such as anchors, ships, boats, fish, and even teddy bears dressed as sailors.

If you have children at the party a fun craft to make is a boat out of newspapers and then paint it. You can also have a nautical bucket filled with fun goodies to keep the kids entertained. Buy cheap pails at dollar stores and fill them with coloring and activity pages, stickers, markers, and play dough.

For favors, purchase nautical themed cloth and use it to wrap scented soaps in. Tie the soap with a white satin ribbon. The soap is a favor that even guys can receive. A pretty anchor pendant is a favor that the women will love. Place the pendants in transparent boxes and tie a navy blue ribbon around each one.

Saturday 5 January 2013

How to Sell a Car and Get the Most Money For Your Used Car

How do you sell a car and get the best price from your buyer? The simple answer is "do your homework!" Since many car buyers and other car sellers don't prepare beforehand, doing so will put you well ahead of the curve before the transaction even occurs. To sell a used car is to participate in an activity that nearly everyone must experience at some point in life. If you go about it the right way, you can get a good price for your car and find the car selling process surprisingly easy.

Step One - Set a Price for Your Used Car

You will need a price to sell your car. As you probably already know, Kelley Blue Book is the very best resource for determining what you can get for your auto in its current condition. Trust KBB, but don't be afraid to set a price that suits you. Sometimes even KBB is wrong or does not include all the bells and whistles in your custom vehicle.

Step Two - Prepare Your Car to Sell

Nobody wants to buy a dirty car. You need to take time to get the car ready for sale by washing the exterior and interior thoroughly. Consider adding some air freshener to spruce things up and be sure to clean every nook and cranny. Your car needs to look great when driving around and when parked roadside, so be sure to stay on top of the regular cleaning.

Step Three - Advertise Your Car for Sell

Today it is remarkably easy to sell a car because advertising is so accessible. There are many websites available to list your car for free or a small fee. Your choice of website will largely depend upon the type of car you are selling and the demographic you hope to reach.

Step Four - Negotiate with Car Buyers

Now that your car is ready for sale and open to the market, you will need to think about communicating with buyers. The negotiation process in the car buying and car selling transaction can be tricky since so many people look upon this experience with some anxiety. If you are comfortable, relaxed, and confident, you will be a cut above the rest as you meet the people interested in your car.

Step Five - Make the Car Sale Happen

To close a deal in car selling will likely require at least some pressure on your part to motivate the buyer. This is not always the case, but is more likely than not. Don't think of yourself as a pushy salesperson; think of yourself as a facilitator. Most people are nervous to buy but if you believe in your car and are confident, that will translate very well to the buyer who wants to have full faith they are not buying a lemon.

Selling a car can be fun and easy if you follow these simple steps. Once you complete the process even just once, you will feel like an expert car seller!