robt65
Oct 5, 2011, 7:27 AM
Post #4 of 8
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Re: [yodave] Good deals on used cars at Texas border?
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Hello yodave,
I have an RV at a RV Resort in Mc Allen, TX and I have been there for about a year now. I traded my GMC 2500 Crew Cab for a Tahoe in McAllen. You really do have to shop around. I bought my 2008 Tahoe at Charles Clark Honda and Mr. Clark has several dealerships in the RGV. You have to be very cognizant as he and most other dealers in the RGV buy a lot of their used vehicles from commercial auction houses. As the other poster has said do a little research on the previous owners and learn the geographic history of your prospective purchase. It doesn't really take long and for about $30 you can get your own Car Fax which will be good for a certain period of time and number of cars. It is really good and inexpensive insight to any car you might buy. Be aware that not all problems such as floods or accidents have bee reported on these different types of car faxes. Many are sold privately after an "event" and if they have not been reported to the owners insurance company or been repaired at a dealership nothing about the event will show on the car fax. I bought and had numerous problems and it took numerous times and visits but I did finally have all the problems resolved without paying for them. I wound up having such items repaired as the gas shocks on the rear hatch window, a universal yoke, brake switch (replaced twice), whole upper end of the engine replaced with factory parts (and warranties), cruise control repaired, CD / Radio replaced, new brakes installed, new shocks installed, new battery and cables installed, alignment, electric seat motor replaced, computer reworked, new oxy sensor valves replaced and new plugs installed . . . . all at no monetary cost to me. I had to be tough and pester the to death and talk loud in the showroom full of customers refusing to speak to the managers of different departments or cajoled into coming into their office instead of out in the showroom full of customers, but I kept telling them I had bought a $30,000 dollar paper weight from them and finally this got me a meeting with the dealership owner himself and I explained it would be a whole lot cheaper for his dealership to do the repairs with a new warranty for those repairs and getting rid of me than me taking out a full page and in the newspaper. Over several thousand dollars of repairs made at no cost (except my time and gas) and now, I have a pretty good car! They sure do not like having a customer refusing to be corralled into a customer managers office, but rather talking so others in the showroom can hear! Maybe I lost a little dignity but I saved thousands of dollars (that many persons would have paid) just for doing it! Remember it is a buyer’s market. I also took the car to the closest Auto Zone and for free had them do a computer check on the engine. I paid for new tires at a reputable tire shop and asked them to please also check out the whole undercarriage for me (springs, shocks,, tie rods, steering knuckles etc., and they were happy to do that at no charge as long as I was on the hoist anyway an thinking they were going to get a lot of work from me. That was where I found out the very expensive rear struts were going bad and the universal yoke bearings were not good), I said thank you and made my notes for the dealership! I had all the problems resolved over a period of time (time which I had anyway) and now I am happy (so far) with my new (used car). Any car is a lot of money, an investment and it is the buyers responsibility as to how bad they are going to allow themselves to get taken.
When we made the initial deal, they tried to sell me an extended warranty, which I turned down and also tried to get me to pay a “dealers prep fee” of several hundred dollars, I opened the office door to walk out on the deal, and holding the door open, so others in the showroom could hear and explained to the customer service manager this fee was just another way for any dealership to get additional money from their unsuspecting customers. He brought me back into the office and he removed all those fees.
They are tough but remember the buyer needs to be tough also. There are literally tens of thousands of used cars for sale in the Rio Grande Valley (or any other place for that matter) and they want your money, no matter how small the profit. They will always find unsuspecting or wimpy customers to make up the difference. Remember to shop during the last week of the month as this is the time they have to meet their quotas of units sold for the owner!
robt65
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