back to articles | April 14, 2020 | Abby Drexler

Categories: Tips & Insights For Car Buying Auto Loans & Financing Buying & Selling Cars

Your Guide for Buying a Car During a Pandemic

Buying a new car can be a stressful experience. Doing it during a pandemic, and that stress can be compounded. Here are a few steps to help you deal with the process.

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If you are ready to buy a new car, it’s actually a very good time to do so. A lot of car dealerships are offering some pretty great deals during this pandemic. Car purchases are down, and they are trying to do almost anything that they can in order to make a sale. However, before you rush out to buy a car, there are some things that you need to keep in mind. Here’s what you need to know about buying a car during a pandemic.

Spend A Lot Of Time Researching What’s Offered

You may find that you are inundated with the amount of incentives and discounts that are offered right now. It actually can be overwhelming as to what each car dealership is offering potential buyers. Some of them are advertising an unprecedented 0% financing while others are offering deferred payments for at least three months. Take your time to really research what’s offered right now so that you can get the best deal on a new car. You might be able to purchase a car that was out of your price range just a few months ago.

Ask About A Virtual Tour And Test Drive

Many people are in areas to where it is not recommended that they leave their home. This can make it difficult to go to a car dealership to view or test drive a car. A lot of car dealerships are dealing with this by offering virtual tours of their cars. These video tours will allow you to see all of the different aspects of a car that you're interested in. If you want to go the extra mile and test drive a car, some dealerships will actually bring the car to you. They will drive the car to your house, clean it before they get out of it and stand six feet from you to ensure that they aren’t putting you at risk. You will get to test drive the car for a predetermined amount of time, and you will just leave it outside of your house after you’ve finished.

Negotiate The Final Price Over The Phone

If you want to negotiate the price of a car, you can do so over the phone. You don’t have to go to the car dealership to sit down and talk to a salesperson. In order to have the most success at getting the price down, you need to know the market value of the car and how much other similar cars are going for you in your area. Make sure they do fully communicate with you about the financing terms if you come to an agreement on the price. You want to make sure that you are really getting a great deal without a lot of interest tacked on because of a high finance rate. Car dealerships may be a lot more willing to negotiate with you during this time than they were in the past. Many of them are really struggling to sell cars, and they don’t want to miss out on a sale right now.

Be Prepared To Sign Paperwork Online Or Have It Delivered Directly To Your Home

Once you’ve agreed to the terms for a car, you will need to sign all of the paperwork to finance the car. This can be done in a couple of different ways. The car dealership might have you fill everything out online. You may even get to securely sign it online depending on the type of program that they use. Other dealerships will have the paperwork delivered directly to your home. You will need to fill it out, and you have to mail it back to them, or they will pick it up. If you will need to make a down payment, you can provide them with your credit card or bank account information. No cash needs to be exchanged.

Buying a car is a lot different than it has been in the past. Because of the current pandemic, there’s no need for you to ever visit a car dealership. If you are ready to take a plunge and buy a new car, you can get a great deal without having to leave the safety of your home.