Should You Buy Your Car From an Online Dealership?
Jane Lu
· 3 min read
You can do a lot of things online, such as buy
car insurance
, but it’s more difficult to migrate to fully online dealerships. Due to the pandemic, buying from an
online dealer
has become more popular. Before you make your car purchase, here’s what you need to know about buying a car online, and how it compares to shopping at a physical dealership.
Quick vehicle pickup when you shop in-person
Perhaps the biggest drawback of buying from an online dealer is delivery time. While there’s no exact number for how many days you’ll have to wait for delivery,
USA Today
said it can be anywhere from one to three weeks.This might not impact you much if your household has another vehicle that can be easily shared. If not, you’ll likely have to take public transit or Uber while you wait for your new car to be delivered.
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Less shopping time required for online dealers
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On the other hand, the biggest advantage of buying a car from an online dealer is shopping time. Instead of spending a whole day driving from lot to lot, you never need to leave the comfort of your home. Additionally, you won't have to deal with pushy salespeople if you just want to browse and compare prices.
Some online dealerships, specifically Vroom, will also take care of the paperwork that comes with buying a new car. Things like sales tax and DMV registrations are all handled by this online vendor.
Haggling and negotiating have long been a part of the car buying experience, but you don’t have to do this when you buy online. The price you see listed is the price you pay. This is beneficial for consumers who want to avoid the stress from trying to negotiate and worrying about being low-balled.
Lookout for unreliable dealers online and in-person
Whether you’re shopping online or in a car dealership, you should be on the lookout for scams or unreliable sellers. With a brick-and-mortar dealer, it might be easier to take legal action or file a complaint if necessary.
To avoid being scammed online, make sure you do your research to find reputable dealers.
The Balance
has compiled a list of the best online dealerships. They recommend only buying from dealerships that have a generous return policy and a good online reputation. You can get higher trade-in offers online
USA Today reported that you might get a higher
trade-in
price online. If an in-person dealer knows you want a new car, they might not have any incentive to offer a better deal.Online sales people assume that car buyers are informed and might not purchase a new car that same day. Sites like Autotrader and Edmunds give instant offers, and you’ll have to bring in the vehicle for an inspection.
Ultimately, buying a car through an online dealer has its pros and cons. It might give you more confidence to give your car a test drive, but buying online can save a lot of time. Regardless of how you buy your next car,
Jerry
will make car insurance shopping easy. After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers, Jerry will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don't have to. So why do all that extra work when Jerry can do it better?
