This morning, a huge billboard adjacent to one of the largest Toyota dealerships in the country, located on a busy street in San Diego, went up with this image: http://www.usedcarnightmare.org/ Views of the YouTube video, embedded in this website, have taken off, and it’s now received over 525,000 views, and the numbers are rapidly rising….
TOP TWELVE TIPS FOR BUYING A USED CAR Save thousands of dollars Get a better, safer car Avoid common auto dealer scams 1. Either save your money and pay cash or Join a local credit union and establish credit with them. It usually costs only about $25 to join. Ask them to help you improve…
Car loans are now lengthening again — up to 96 months now! In fact, 33% of new loans are now 72 months or LONGER. This is bad news for consumers as they will now be carrying finance costs for vehicles for virtually the entire useful life of the vehicle: 8 years of finance costs on…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is proposing changes to the Used Car Buyers Guide required by the agency’s Used Car Rule. As explained by the FTC, “The Used Car Rule, formally known as the Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule, has been in effect since 1985 and requires car dealers to display a window sticker,…
The Los Angeles Times recently ran an article discussing the fact that the estimated 250,000 cars flooded by Superstorm Sandy will drive up used-car prices across the nation. Nearly all of the consumers who lost their vehicles in the storm will need to quickly find replacements. As detailed in the article, this price increase…
Thousands of cars and trucks were damaged by Superstorm Sandy’s flood waters. Just as was seen with Hurricane Katrina, many of these vehicles may soon appear in the market via crooks who purchase the cars after they’ve been declared totaled by insurers, then clean and attempt to resell them. It can be very difficult to…
On June 18, 2012, in their “Money” section, Time published an article online entitled “4 Rules for Getting a Car Loan”. The author touches on some important tips that bear repeating. Some thoughts: If you plan on financing a car through a dealer, you should be aware of your credit before go. Review your credit…
Knowing that most working families need a safe and reliable car, the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) has an ongoing initiative entitled “Working Cars for Working Families”, which is fighting for policy reform in the areas of used car sales and car finance. This is one of the many ways that NCLC helps in the…
New York Times Op-Ed today has some interesting facts for those who don’t want to get pushed into unfair arbitration act in consumer contracts. Here is a section I liked “YOU buy a cellphone, computer or car. You sign up for a credit card or open a retirement account. You apply for a job. In…
Here is a list of 10 questions to ask about the car you are about to buy: 10. Is this the original paint? — New paint could indicate car was rusting or involved in a previous accident. 9. Can I check the oil? — An “earmark for trouble with a used car,” Jalopnik says, look…
