Buying Used Cars Through an Auto Locator Service

If you are a person who loves going to a used car lot and spending hours being sold a vehicle you really don't want, please leave now. The rest of you can stay.

Most people would rather go to the dentist than to visit a used car lot. If you're like that, you've come to the right place.

I've just had my first experience with buying a pre-owned vehicle from an auto locator service and it's the only way I'll ever buy a used car again.

You can Google for used cars reno or used cars austin or whatever city you're in to find an auto locator in your town. Or you could try auto brokers and auto locators.

What is an auto locator, you ask?

The easiest way I can describe it is a place where there are no cars on a lot. The locating service doesn't have anything to sell you. You have to let them know the car you want and they go out and find it for you.

A traditional car lot has a certain number of vehicles, certain features, certain colors, etc.

If you visit the lot, they are going to do their best to sell you one of those cars, no matter that none are even near what you came in to buy. You want a blue mini-van but you go home with a red coupe because a salesman pressured you into buying a car while you were on the lot.

When you visit an auto locator service, you'll notice a lack of pressure because the are only trying to find out what your dream car is so they can buy it for you. What make, year and model are you looking for? What color and options? How many miles?

You'll answer those questions and many more so they can find the exact car you want.

Auto locators have many sources to buy from and that makes it muvh more likely that you'll get what you're looking for than visiting a used car dealership.

Locators have access to dealer only auctions across the country. There are over 180 of those auctions going everyday and that isn't their only source.

These vehicles come with an inspection done right before the auction, by a trained and experienced auto inspector. You'll know everything you need to know about the car right down to if it smells like smoke or has any other objectionable odor.

This inspection is much more thorough and reliable than a CarFax report.

There have been cases where a CarFax report showed the car being clean while the visual inpsection showed other defects, even as much as a bent frame.

You will know most every detail about the car before you give the go-ahead for the auto locator to buy it. You're welcome to take the car to your mechanic for verification of it's mechanical worth. Most locator services will have the car detailed so when you get it, it's in as near new condition as a car of it's age can be.

Most auto locator services will allow you to trade in a vehicle but they encourage you to sell it on your own to get a higher price for it.

Getting the exact car you want at a price that's usually less than what's being asked on the lots is a great service and you come away feeling good about everything.