Used car salesmen suffer from a bad reputation. In some cases this might be justified, but it’s not really fair to judge them all negatively. Whether you like them or not, used car salesmen may become obsolete in the near future which will affect all used car buying. Let’s see why.
Demographic Shift
The entire consumer landscape is transforming rapidly. More and more people are willing to buy anything online. Many longstanding brick-and-mortar business have gone belly up due to the ecommerce boom. Does anyone even remember Borders or Circuit City?
As the click and buy generation grows, more people also move into the age bracket where they can buy a car. More vehicles are bought and sold online than ever before, and this trend will only continue to increase.
Real Life Scenario
Let’s say you are shopping for a used car. You look online and find a variety of prices. You then go to a local used car dealer. When it comes to price haggling, you now have many more prices on hand – even out of state quotes.
Live salesperson encounters are decreasing as many now make car purchases based solely on info they find online.
Is There Really A Difference?
Does this make things more transparent? Unfortunately, just like there are dishonest live salespersons, there are also dishonest online vendors. One of the ways to protect against this is to get a vehicle history report. Thanks to the internet, when a car is serviced the visit is often recorded online. They can even keep track of routine oil changes.
With access to the vehicle identification number (VIN), you can get a record of all reported visits to the mechanic or dealership. These reports not only give you the service history, but they can also tell you about any major damage done to the car. One of the most valuable pieces of data are the odometer readings which can help you spot fraudulent odometer rollback on a used car.
Nobody knows everything about a car’s history, but a vehicle history report is a great place to start.
Get a used car vehicle history report from a CARCHEX partner today.
So Are Car Salespersons Going To Disappear?
There is disagreement about if the disappearance of the car salesman is a good thing. Salespersons actually provide useful services in many cases. For example, explaining how a car works, especially with today’s tech gadgets, can be useful. Also, questions about financing and leasing can be complex. Even though salespeople can take advantage of consumers in these areas, the honest salesperson helps buyers make wise decisions.
With the wide availability these days of price information, true service may actually be the best way for live salesmen to compete with online vendors.
You Still Have To Decide
In the end, you still have to make the call. Online car sales will continue to grow, but decisions can be made easier with tools like pre-purchase car inspections and vehicle history reports.
Find out the reported history of any used car. Get a vehicle history report from a CARCHEX partner today.
