Automobiles
Tips for Purchasing a New Car
- Check your local library, bookstore or the internet for information on the vehicle you wish to purchase before you go shopping. Research invoice price, financing options and repair history.
- Read and/or watch advertisements carefully, making sure to know all the details of the offer.
- Negotiate the total price of the car rather than the monthly payment for a lease or purchase.
- Leasing a car and buying a car are two very different transactions. When leasing, low payments combined with a high buy-out (residual) price may not be the best deal in the long run.
- Get everything in writing, including all verbal promises.
- READ READ READ! Everything! If you don’t understand something, ask about it before you sign the contract.
- There is no three day right to cancel and automobile purchase.
Tips for Purchasing a Used Car
- Before you buy, you can check a vehicle`s history through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles or by using CarFax.
- Before you pay for a vehicle history report, ask what repair records it includes.
- Never buy a car at night or in the rain.
- Take the car for an extended test drive (at least 45 minutes).
- Have a trustworthy mechanic thoroughly check the car for problems.
- “AS IS” means just that; the car is not covered by warranty and you will be responsible for the repairs.
- The Lemon Law does not cover vehicles more than one year old or driven more than 18,000 miles.
Car Repair Tips
- Check a repair shop`s reputation with the Attorney General`s Office and/or the Better Business Bureau.
- If the cost of repairs will be more than $25.00, you have the right to choose a written estimate, an oral estimate or no estimate at all.
- Save copies of estimates, invoices, work orders, receipts, guarantees and warranties.
- Ask about warranties and insist that they be put in writing
