Monthly Archives: June 2011

Cons And Cars

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Making a mistake when it comes to buying a second hand car will not only break your hopes and dreams for your future car, but will also cost you a lot of money. Buying a second hand car can be very risky when you buy it from a private source as you have no idea about the reputation or integrity of the seller. Buying a car form an established company, like S4 Used Cars, is a lot safer as you can hold the dealer accountable if something goes wrong, and you will feel more secure in the fact that dealers pride themselves on their reputations.

Find quality assured second-hand vehicles from Thrifty used car sales.

A Bad Experience

When it comes to making mistakes regarding second hand cars I seem to be an expert at making all of them at the same time. I learned a very expensive lesson when I sold my old car, saved up some money, and bought another one from two men. One of the men told me that his wife had been driving the car for eight years and I was very happy to find that the car had only 78 000 km’s on the clock, and the exterior was beautiful.  However, there were no service records and I ignorantly did not ask for any- my first mistake.
After buying the car I was ecstatic as I thought that I had made a very good decision, but I started to feel very uneasy after I opened the ashtray bucket and found a price sticker with my car’s details on it. The price on the sticker was 50% less than what I had just paid for it.

Visit Springs Hyundai and view our range of new and used Hyundai vehicles.

Another big blow came when I took the car for a routine service; the mechanic opened the hood and pointed out to me that the car had been in a very serious accident. While the car drove smoothly for the first few months it soon started to develop more and more problems and I in turn had to pay for them.

Who Takes The Blame?

Needless to say I had been conned; badly! Obviously the two men had bought the car when it was badly damaged form an accident and fixed it up just enough in order to sell it to some poor ignorant fool, who happened to be me. I have to admit that the blame does not solely lie with the two slime balls who sold me the car; if I had done my homework I would never have bought it. In the first place I was in a hurry to buy another car and had been looking at cars for two weeks when I finally found one that looked decent on the outside and fit my budget; big mistake! Needless to say, what’s under the hood of a car is a lot more important than the exterior.

I also failed to ask enough questions and took everything at face value. Independence is great, but when it comes to making a big investment like buying a car you should take people along who know what to look for and who will help you recognize all of the warning signs.

Lesson Learned

So what did I learn from this mistake? When buying a car do your homework, get an experts opinion and make the seller sign a contract that claims that the car is in a good condition. If it then turns out that you were conned, you will be able to lay a charge and to get compensated.

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Buying The Right Car To Suit Your Needs

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People buy cars for different reasons, and whatever your reason may be for buying a car, you need to ensure that it will suit your needs. Many tend to be hasty when choosing a car, but if you take a while to assess your needs and to see what you expect of a new or used car you will greatly increase the chances of being satisfied with the purchase for a very long time. S4 Used Cars can stress the importance of need assessment when it comes to buying a used car.

Before starting your search for a used car, stop and think about the following:

1. What Will My Main Use Of The Car Be?

Are you buying a car for a child who just got their drivers licence? Are you expecting an addition to your family and need a family car? Did you get a new job that expects you to travel regularly? As you can see people have different reasons for buying cars, and those reasons will determine the type of car you will buy. When buying a used car you need to look at the history, mileage, features and safety in order to decide whether the car would be fit for the purpose it will have to serve.

Find quality assured second-hand vehicles from Thrifty used car sales.

2. How Much Am I Willing To Spend On The Car?

You will need to set a budget for yourself and will then look at vehicles that fit into that budget. If you are planning on buying a car cash then a private dealer will be an option, but if you will be buying a car on credit, you will have to ensure that you fit the credit criteria and that you will not be turned down by the bank.

Visit Springs Hyundai and view our range of new and used Hyundai vehicles.

Another thing to work into your budget when buying a used car is unexpected repairs. You will need to do a thorough assessment of the car after you bought it so you can ensure that you and your family will be safe when driving it.

3. How Long Am I Planning On Driving The Car?

If you are planning on buying a car that will stay in your family for a really long time then your main concern will be that the car is in excellent shape and that it is safe and affordable.

If you plan to sell the car shortly after buying it, or only plan to drive it while saving up for a new car, you need to look at how fast the value of the car decreases. Cars that do not easily lose their value are cars that are not costly to maintain, have affordable parts that are always easily available, and are popular and easily recognisable.

4. From Whom Would I Like To Purchase The Car?

Will you use a dealership or look for private advertisements? There are pros and cons to each choice and the major things to consider are how much time you have, your knowledge of cars and the risk involved.

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Emotions And Cars

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There’s nothing that compares to getting your driver’s license; the feeling of independence and finally entering the adult world. Some of us were lucky enough to get rewarded with a nice small second hand car after passing our drivers licenses and others worked hard to save up enough money for a cheap set of wheels. But whether the first car you drove was cheap or not it was the best ever! S4 Used Cars understands the meaning that a car has for many people; cars give us independence and security, they take us places and leave us with experiences.

Find quality assured second-hand vehicles from Thrifty used car sales.

The first thing most men think about when getting a promotion at work, is that they are one step closer to buying that amazing sports car they have been dreaming about since they were little boys.

Women on the other hand see their cars as accessories, and no matter how old or ugly your car may be, there is nothing that gets you as excited as to buy pink seat covers or strawberry flavoured fragrances for your set of wheels. Women seem to look for safety and convenience in a car and get very emotionally attached to them; they even name them.

Visit Springs Hyundai and view our range of new and used Hyundai vehicles.

The fact of the matter is that our cars form a big part of our life; we depend on them, take care of them and create memories in them. No one will ever forget the first time they were horribly let down by their car and got stuck on the side of the road; but the fact remains that no matter how mad you get at your car, you are always unbelievably relieved when you get it back from the mechanic, slide behind the wheel and blast music from the open window as you cruise down the road.

Saying Goodbye

I will never forget saying goodbye to my first car; my grandma passed it on to me after she bought a new one. As you can imagine it was pretty old and not too good looking, but the pride I felt when I saw it standing in the driveway and knew it was mine, was an unforgettable feeling.

Thanks to my new/old car I was able to get a really good job 30km from where I lived. While this was far to drive every day I did not even realise as I was so amazed at the fact that I could get to work and back all by myself. Yes my car did let me down sometimes, but never left me stuck on the side of the road; something which I am eternally grateful for.
While working I saved up some money and as luck would have it, I had to use that money to buy a new car after my old car’s engine decided to give out. Was I happy with my new car? Only after the first two weeks as I kept feeling sad for my old car; I cried for two hours straight after selling it to a dealership. Weird but understandable.

Cars mean a lot to us and form a great part of our life; whether your memories are of a great kiss on the backseat, a sad break-up, or taking home a newborn baby, your car helped to make that possible.

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How To Ensure Your Car Will NOT Sell

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We all have those moments in life where we seem to do something really stupid, and afterwards console ourselves by saying that we actually learned a really important lesson from our mistake; even though in some really rare cases this might be so, you should try to avoid having one of those moments when it comes to selling your car.
S4 Used Cars specializes in buying and selling cars and as experts in a field you tend to come across some really bad mistakes that people tend to make. Luckily we can all learn from those:

Find quality assured second-hand vehicles from Thrifty used car sales.

1. Do Not Sell Your Car As It Is

While some people pride themselves on being exceptional neat freaks, there are very few of those people in the world, and chances are that your car looks like mine; with paper, straws, take-out and jackets strewn all over it. Of course there is nothing wrong with using your car as a dressing room, but when you plan on selling it, you might want to make it look as if you used your car as a car only. Ensure an excellent presentation; spotless exterior, interior and air freshener.

Get the best prices on Aeon quads and more at S4 Lifestyle, leading suppliers of lifestyle vehicles.

2. Do Not Sell Your Car Without Checking The Market Price

Needless to say you will not be able to look at your car and guess exactly what the market price is unless you work as a car sales man. There is nothing worse than selling your car and then finding out afterwards that you could have sold it for a lot more. Do your research and ensure that you are selling at the right price.

3. Do Not Throw Away Service Records

Even though you may be a really honest person; about half of the other people in the world are not. This means that someone who comes to view your car will not just believe that you had faithfully serviced the car every year and that nothing is wrong with it; they actually would like to see it. Ensure that you keep a service record; people prefer black on white, saying “I swear” will unfortunately not convince them.

4. Do Not Sell Your Car To Friends And Family

Some people have no problem with standing firm on their asking price, but others waver quite extravagantly when it comes to friends and family. Off course you cannot ask your parents the full price you were planning on; they brought you into this world. And your best friend since fourth grade; he once gave you his play station.
Another thing to consider when selling your car to those close to you is that they will hold you personally responsible for every little thing that goes wrong with the car after they bought it. Might as well just give it to them- spare yourself the trouble!

5. Do Not Sell Your Car In Instalments

Unless you are selling your car to someone you see at least once a week like a fellow employer or family, it would be a very big mistake to sell your car to someone without immediately getting the full sum of money. If you do plan to go down this route you will need to ensure that you follow all of the legal requirements like a contract that stipulates what amount will be due exactly when each month.
For the sake of ease and safety: just sell your car for the full amount IMMEDIALTEY!

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How To Keep A Low Maintenance Car

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Buying a used car does not mean that you need to buy a car that will cost you a lot of money to repair. When buying you need to be smart and look for cars that are cheap to maintain with easily attainable replacement parts. When buying a car form a dealership, be sure to ask them what the maintenance costs are and how easily you will be able to get parts when break downs occur. S4 Used Cars will be able to assist you when buying a used car and will point out to you whether you are making a good or bad choice when it comes to maintenance.

Get the best prices on Aeon quads and more at S4 Lifestyle, leading suppliers of lifestyle vehicles.

How Will I Know What The Maintenance Costs On My Car Will Be?

In order for you to answer this question you need to look at the cars that get manufactured within your country. If you buy a used car that only gets manufactured in for example China, you will most probably pay a very high price for replacements as they need to be flown in and it might also happen that the part you need is not available, which means that you will not be able to use your car until the part arrives.

Find quality assured second-hand vehicles from Thrifty used car sales.

Many people buy cheap cars and then think that they are making a good decision, but as soon as the maintenance plan is up they realise what the costs to repair are and decide to sell the car. That is the reason why you will see so many small used cars, manufactured in other countries, advertised at very low prices with very low kilometres.

Which Cars Are Low Maintenance?

In South Africa the best low maintenance cars are cars manufactured by:

Hyundai
Toyota
Audi
Honda
Volkswagen

Before buying a car you need to call service and repair centres and ask how much they would charge you for a service, major service or for specific repairs for that specific make of car. If the quotes don’t match your budget then do not buy the car! Even though the used car might come at a cheap price, it will cost you dearly when it comes to services and repairs.

What Other Things Do I need To Consider Regarding Maintenance?

1. Fuel: The bigger the engine of a car, the more fuel it will consume and the more you will pay. Also remember that taking your car for regular services to have the filters cleaned will help your car use less fuel.

2. Use reliable mechanics: When taking your car for a service or for a repair you might be tempted to take it to a cheap backyard mechanic but this could cost you dearly. Rather take your car to the manufacturer’s service station and then you can be sure that the people working on your car are trained and specialize in that specific make. You will also be able to take your car back or get refunded when something goes wrong.

3. Service and maintenance plans: This will help you to get things fixed as soon as something goes wrong or to spot problems which might have caused trouble in the future.

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Should You Sell Or Trade Your Old Car?

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There are a lot of factors to take into consideration before deciding whether you will either trade or sell your old car. Most people opt for selling their used cars when it’s time to buy a new one, but when it comes to one of the biggest investments you own, you need to make sure that you are making the most beneficial choice for you and your future. S4 Used Cars deals with trade-ins as well as the buying and selling of previously owned vehicles and can offer you the pros and cons of each choice.

Get the best prices on Aeon quads and more at S4 Lifestyle, leading suppliers of lifestyle vehicles.

Trade-ins

Most people decide to trade in their cars when they feel that their old car would make a good deposit on a new one. You simply have to drive your car to dealership where you are buying a new one and the trade can be made. The advantage of trading in a car is that the process is much simpler; you simply give the keys to the dealer and drive away with your new car. You also don’t have to worry about advertising your old car, service and repairs before selling, documentation and the presentation to potential buyers. When trading or selling your car to a dealership they will take care of all of the paperwork and you just need to sign. Trading definitely saves you time and leaves less to worry about.

Looking for a second hand Mercedes Benz? Visit S4 Auto for the best in quality used vehicles.

On the other hand you might want to first look at the market price of your car and what you would be able to make if you sell it privately. If the difference between the trade in price and the selling price is too big then rather opt for selling. Off course you need to take into account the repairs you will have to do as well as advertising when selling your car privately.

Selling Your Car Privately

When you decide to sell your old car instead of trade it you will be getting a lump sum of cash in return. To some people this is a more attractive option as you might not want to buy a new car or you don’t want to put down a deposit on a new car.

Some things to consider are how much time you have on your hands as well as how much research you are willing to do. If you decide to sell your car privately you need to make sure that you will be able to sell it; if you are a push over then you most likely will not get the market price and will settle for much lower.
Selling privately has the benefit of negotiation to your advantage and if you are not in a hurry to sell, you can wait for the right offer to come your way.

In order for you to decide what the best option between trading or selling your car would be, you will have to weigh the trade in price against the selling price minus all of the costs for repairs, presentation advertising and your time.

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Things To Do Before Selling Your Car

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When it comes to sales it’s all about presentation, but with a car you can expect that whoever is interested in buying would take it for a test drive as well. In order for the sale to go as fast as possible, you need to ensure that your car will look and drive well enough so people won’t hesitate and think back to other cars they may have seen. When comparing your car to other cars in the same price class; yours should come first.
S4 Used Cars specializes in buying and selling cars and knows exactly what you need to do before putting your car in the market.

Get the best prices on Aeon quads and more at S4 Lifestyle, leading suppliers of lifestyle vehicles.

1. Ensure A Good Presentation

Make sure that your car is spotless before presenting it to potential buyers. Think about what you would like to see and smell when looking at or climbing into a car that you might buy. You would most probably want to know that the car had been driven and owned by someone who took excellent care of it.

Looking for a second hand Mercedes Benz? Visit S4 Auto for the best in quality used vehicles.

Before selling you need to take your car to a valet or wash it yourself, but make sure that the interior, exterior and the wheels are shining. Air fresh the inside of your car as people will want to drive in a car that looks unused; seeing all of your gym clothes and cigarette butts lying around in the car will put them off immediately, while a fresh smell and spotless shine will make your car seem new and well taken care of.

Ensure that everything is in place inside of the car; the cigarette lighter should be in place and the boot should be clean and neat with a spare tire. People need to feel like they will be buying a car that is reliable safe and accessible.

2. Service

Unfortunately many people realize that they cannot afford maintaining and servicing a car after buying it and therefore sell it again just before a major service is due; if this is the case you need to be honest with the potential buyers so they can decide whether they will be able to afford it or not. You might want to make the selling price slightly lower than the market price to accommodate the buyers on the costs they will have to endure after buying the car.

If service costs are not the reason why you are selling your car then you need to take your car for a service before selling it. Make sure that the brakes feel strong and safe when stepping on them and that the potential buyers test-driving your car will feel very safe and at ease. There is nothing that will put you off of buying a car faster than a car that rattles and bangs.

3. Documentation

Ensure that all of the necessary papers are inside of the car like the license, registration and manual. If you had done any repairs before selling the car then leave the receipts for the repairs in the glove compartment so the new owners will be able to take the car back if they experience a problem with something that you had already paid to get fixed.

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Inspecting A Secondhand Car

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If you are looking through the “car sales” section of local newspapers for a secondhand car then you much be aware of the great value for money you can get when choosing to buy a secondhand car as opposed to a new car. The trick is to thoroughly inspect the secondhand car first to make sure that it is good value for your money. This prevents you from buying a car that will cost you thousands of rands in repairs further down the line.

Get the best prices on Aeon quads and more at S4 Lifestyle, leading suppliers of lifestyle vehicles.

Inspecting The Exterior

You should always try to buy a car that is in good condition and one that has not had any major repairs done to it. This means that it has not been involved in any major accidents. There are many things that you can look at that will tell you whether or not the car has been involved in an accident.

Have a close look at the bodywork of the car. Look for any dents and bumps and any ripples in reflections. You should also keep an eye out for any rust and body filler. If you suspect any cover ups then you should place a small magnet over the area. The magnet will not stick if there is an excess of rust or body filler in that area.

You can then also have a look at the gaps that surround the doors, boot and bonnet. They should all be equal and even along the length. If they are not then it could also indicate that the car has been in for major repairs as a result of the accident.

Test Driving The Car

The first thing that you should take note of is how easily the car starts up from cold. You should listen to the engine for any sounds that should not be there such as a knocking noise. Before you start the test drive you should check all the electrical components. These include all the lights, wipers, heater, air-con and radio.

When test driving the car it is important to switch the radio off so that you can hear the engine clearly. You should also try to drive it in different conditions so that you can see how the car copes. These can include highways, curvy suburban roads, uphill and downhill. Remember to also test how quickly and effectively the car brakes in these different conditions. Also, pay attention to how comfortable the interior of the car is while driving it. Take things such as leg space, head space and driving height into account.

Once you have completed your inspection and test drive then you should complete your notes before speaking to the seller. You can use all the notes you made to negotiate a better deal with the seller. You should only buy a secondhand car if you are completely satisfied with the deal that was offered. If you did find any faults then the seller should either reduce the selling price or have the faults fixed before you buy it.

Visit S4 used cars for top quality second-hand vehicles.

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How To Sell Your Car

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There are many things that need to be taken into account when selling your car. Car sales can be a bit tricky but by properly getting your car ready for the sale you can ensure the successful sale of your vehicle at the desired selling price. It is first important to note that you do have the option of selling your car to a dealership. While this may be a lot quicker and more convenient than a private sale, you are unlikely to get the price that you desire. You should decide what is more important between the price you require and an easy sale.

Get the best prices on Aeon quads and more at S4 Lifestyle, leading suppliers of lifestyle vehicles.

Preparing Your Car

You should first decide how much money you are willing to spend on fixing up the car. The most important thing would be the mechanics. You should take your car to your mechanic and have him service the car as well as fix or replace everything that needs to be. This will make sure that your runs perfectly and that all the fluid levels such as brake fluid and engine oil are topped up.

You should then wash and clean the car thoroughly. This applies to both the interior and exterior. Remember to wash your in the shade and always wash it section by section from the top down. Always rinse the section that you have completed as soap can leave marks on your paint when left to dry. You can also wax and polish the car as this will make the paint look almost like new as well as protect the paint going forward.

These two steps will make sure that the buyers first impression and test drive experience is the best possible. You should then also have all the paperwork ready. This can include things such as proof of servicing the car, the maintenance plan and a report from your mechanic detailing the condition of the car.

Selling Your Car

You can sell your car by placing free advertisements online. There are many websites that will let your advertise the sale of your car free of charge. You can also place an advert in your local community newspaper under the “car sales” section. This may cost a small fee.

When placing an advert you should try to include as many positive specifications as possible. It would also be a good idea to mention any faults as well as whether you would be willing to negotiate or not. Try to include pictures of both the interior and exterior of the car and a few contact details.

When potential buyers do contact you to view the car you should make sure that it is ready to be inspected and test driven when they get there. Also, adding some pleasant scent or air freshener to the interior of the car might also make for a more pleasant driving experience. Remember that if they are interested then they have to sign the documents and make full payment before they take the car with them.

Visit S4 used cars for top quality second-hand vehicles.

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Selling Your Used Car

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If you are selling your used car, you should do so in a manner that will allow you to sell at the highest possible price while at the same time avoiding common problems with payment and paperwork. You could make it an easy process by contact S4 Used Cars that will help you from start to finish selling your car.

Get the best prices on Aeon quads and more at S4 Lifestyle, leading suppliers of lifestyle vehicles.

Repair and replace a few necessary things

Used car dealers usually know that if they clean up their used cars inside and outside, they can probably sell the car for a higher price. You should also use this same technique when selling your own car. Replacing some worn tyres, touching up some paint scratches, repairing windscreen wipers, pulling out small dents,  and balancing the tyres are a few simple things you can do; which efforts will probably pay off in a faster more profitable sale.

If you are not sure how much you should ask for your car, you could compare prices by looking physically at used car sales dealers or going on-line to get your car’s market value. Add about ten percent on top of the value you find which could be your starting asking price. If you want to sell quickly, then you could consider setting your price a bit lower than guide prices. If you do have a vehicle history report that would be great as many people want to make sure your car has not been wrecked or salvaged.

Sell privately or to a dealer

There are essentially two ways you can sell your car, depending on how quickly you want to sell and how much money you want. You could sell to a dealer for a low wholesale price and the dealer will then sell it at a higher retail price to make a profit. Or you can sell it privately to a particular individual. This could bring you a higher price than by selling wholesale.

To draw attention to potential buyers you could advertise in a local car magazine, through newspaper ads, at a car sales lot, on-line car sales sites, supermarkets, word of mouth to friends and neighbours or even putting a for sale notice in your car window as you drive your car around. If you do attempt to sell your car on-line on a classified web site you might well be contacted by seemingly genuine potential buyers. These often turn out to be people who just want your money.  Be on the lookout for these scams and read up about how they operate.

Do not accept monthly payment allowances

Potential buyers for your car will probably want to negotiate a price. Since you have already set an asking price that is ten per cent higher than the car’s market value, you could let the buyer talk you down a bit. Some buyers may ask you to accept a deposit and allow them to make monthly payments on the balance. Even if you know the person, this kind of agreement is full of problems. The best advice here is, just do not do it.

Buyers can pay you cash or get a used car loan from a bank or on-line loan company. They then use the money to pay you for your car after which you will sign the car over to them. It is your choice; you can sell to a used car dealer or sell privately. Doing your homework and learning the facts will enable you to make wise decisions when selling your car.

Find quality assured second-hand vehicles from Thrifty used car sales.

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