Tips on Buying and Selling a Car Online

Doesn't shopping for a car online sound much better than dealing with that pushy salesman? Well here are some things that you need to know and help you get started.

If you plan on buying your car new, window shop first to compare models and narrow down your choices, I would suggest to check out Edmunds.com for information on mileage, safety rating, price as well as features. After you have selected your favorite, head to the dealers for a test-drive. But do not get sucked into negotiating, even if you absolutely fall in love with the car. Get the real story on the prices. After your test-drives, go back to edmunds.com and look up the true market value, which is what a particular model is selling for in your area. Use this information to determine what you are willing to pay. When you are ready to make a deal, log on to Carsdirect.com and plug in the model you want and also your zip code. Dealers in your area who are affiliated with the sites will negotiate with you. Some dealers will even deliver the car to you. With others you will have to pick it up.

When buying used, it is best to go local. You will need to examine and test-drive the car before you buy. Log on to sites like Craiglist.com, autotrader.com, and cars.com which all let you shop by geographic location or by your zip code. Prepare for your price negotiation. Check sites such as kbb.com to find out the value of the used car that you are interested in buying. Most sites also lists actual prices that people have paid for specific models. Check the title and once you have made a choice, order a title search which will cost you about $20 from carfax.com or autocheck.com. By doing this you can search the car's history and see whether or not there were previous problems.

Now if you ever decide that you would like to sell your car online, here are some tips that can give you an idea of what to do. Know your market. You should check out autotrader .com to find out how many models like the one that you plan on selling are on the used-car market in your area and what they are priced for. This will give you an idea of what to price your car as well. And most importantly, advertise everywhere! List your car on various sites like autotrader.com and even eBay.com or just do some research and find out which sites will let you list your car and sell.