Avoiding Car Buying Drama with TrueCar.com
I have bought a couple cars in my lifetime. The first was a 68 mustang that I bought to restore with my dad when I was 16. The second was a 2005 Toyota Corolla, which I bought from a private seller and boy oh boy did I get taken advantage of. About the same time my husband (we were just dating at the time) also bought a car from a private seller, and had a similar experience. When his car died 2 months after it was paid off, we decided to go through a dealer.
I received compensation for this post, all opinions are my own.
At the time we were working across the valley from each other, and my husband was commuting almost an hour for his last college classes. There was NO WAY we could make it work with one car and so we were forced to buy a car fast. Our first mistake, and the biggest piece of advice I would give anyone buying a car, is to not rush the process. We knew what we wanted and how much we had to spend but we didn’t have the luxury of taking our time to ensure we were getting a good price. We didn’t mention this fact but our dealer sure picked up on it anyway. We ended up in a great car but had some pretty big battles with our dealership. We got roped into a frivolous warrantee and things that were promised on their end were never held up. It was extremely frustrating and left a horribly bitter taste in my mouth for car dealerships. I realize this is not fair because I know there are many honest and well run dealerships out there.
That being said, I honestly wish I had known about TrueCar.com back then. I will definitely being using their services next time I buy a car. TrueCar.com offers transparent and anxiety free car shopping. They have partnered up with like-minded dealers to address the primary stress point – the negotiation and haggling of price. The exact stress and pressure that I hated so much and remember so clearly from my last car buying experience.
TrueCar’s process is really quite simple. They show you what others paid for the new car you are considering, new or used. That gives you confidence that TrueCar Certified Dealer prices are honest and fair. Then their dealers offer guaranteed savings to for new vehicles in-stock and on the lot. It is such an easy way to do all your research in the same spot. Then you have the reassurance of never over paying for your car, while eliminating the hidden surprises we faced during our last car buying experience.
If you are in the market for a new car, go ahead and save time and money by using TrueCar.com. I know I wish I would have avoided all the headache a few years ago.
Car buying can be SOOOO annoying. We always have a price that we won’t go over and we just are prepared to walk out and leave the deal if they don’t meet our needs.
Buying a new car can be so stressful. I remember waiting hours just to leave the car lot.
I have never heard of this before. Definitely sounds very helpful and no headaches! Car shopping is so hard!
Hubby has been looking into buying a truck for work. I’ll have to tell him about TrueCar.com. Thanks!
That sounds like a GREAT way to buy a car. I can relate to your frustration dealing with dealerships and private sellers. I’ve had my share of learning lessons too.
I have not used TrueCar.com, however, I will when we start looking at buying a new vehicle. I try to do as much research online before buying, also ask friends and family to prepare, doesn’t always eliminate the car drama 🙂
I have not tried Truecar.com. But, I am looking into purchasing a new car in the next 2-3 years, & will definitely reference this resource when I do so. Thank you!
We are also in the market for a new vehicle. Great to know there are more tools for us buyers.
Even when I am not actually buying yet, I love to look at sites like this to keep my ideal car in mind. Thanks for sharing…
This would be a great service for me. I am looking to buy a new car but there is so much you need to know it can be so overwhelming.
Oh we will definitely keep this website handy! Thankfully we have a very close family friend from whom we buy almost all our cars! But if we ever need to go anywhere else it would be great to have a resource like this.
It’s the haggling that stops me from buying cars that often. I can not STAND that. I’ll try to remember True Car next time!
I’ve never heard of this website but will definitely check it out. Our van just blew up about 3 weeks ago and we are in the market for a replacement vehicle. Perfect timing!
we are in the market for a new car and are already dreading the thought of all the dealership drama. i’m gonna check out this site. thanks for the recommendation!
Yes it’s true. Owning a car is not an easy ride. Proven fact here.
Buying a car can be such a headache. This sounds like a great service to keep it going smoothly.
Car drama makes me cringe…literally! Trying to buy our last car was a total nightmare, wish I would have known about truecar.com!
So stressful! I hated shopping for cars since I found they all talked to my husband and not me – the one deciding on the car ultimately!
TrueCar sounds great. I’ve never been a fan of all the hoops you have to jump through to buy a car at a dealership.
I’ll definitely use TrueCar the next time we get another car. I’m not a big fan of hard sells, haggling, or any of the other junk you normally have to do at a dealership.
Buying a car is so stressful!. Thanks for sharing your tips to make it easier!
Buying a car can be so very stressful! Anything that can make the trip easier is a great thing.
That is really cool! We will be buying a new car for my husband when mine is paid off. I hate the car buying process!
I was reading Consumer Reports last night about cars, and I despise having to buy a car. My last experience was leasing then buying it after the lease, I’m sure I got taken advantage of, but I totally dread buying a car outright. I have to remember TrueCar!!! thanks for the tip!
I am going to be in the market for a new car after the first of the year. Great tips.