If you live in Oshawa, Whitby, Courtice, or Bowmanville and are in the market for a used car or trying to decide which car dealer to trust, we have some good news. There is an unusually high number of new and used car dealerships in the Oshawa Whitby Bowmanville area.
The obvious benefit to this fact is there is lots of choice and many Oshawa car dealers who are anxious for your business. The challenge is avoiding the seedy operations looking only to make a quick buck.
If your salesperson looks like this guy, its time to shop someplace else!
Here are 5 quick tips on how to sort out the good from the bad when it comes to used car dealerships in Oshawa:
1) How long have they been in business?
There is a reason that companies in every industry talk about how many years they have been around. Used car dealers are no different. If an Oshawa car dealer has been serving the community for over 50 years, they certainly didn’t survive by screwing over their customers.
2) Is the Oshawa Used Car Dealer you are considering a member of the UCDA
The Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario exists to protect you, the used car buyer. Oshawa Car Dealerships who are UCDA members meet the strict advertising and behavioral guidelines that are meant to protect you. Only about 60% of registered used car dealers are members so make sure you query the UCDA database to be sure.
3) Like the fox on the commercial says “Show me the CarFax!”
The Ontario equivialent to this is CarProof, or UCDA Vehicle history reports. If a used car dealer doesn’t have a vehicle history/owner history/lien search report on EVERY car in their inventory, then buyer beware!
4) Does the car dealer offer some kind of return policy or satisfaction guarantee?
An example of this is the GM Optimum program. Among other things, the Optimum program allows the customer to exchange a vehicle within the first 30 days or 2,500 kilometers, whichever comes first. Ask your Used Car Dealer if they have a similar program, and get it in writing!
5) Find real testimonials and reviews from actual customers.
We recently published a useful article about where you can find actual dealer reviews from real customers when considering where to buy your car.
Once you know what to look for in a Used Car Dealer, you can start to shop for a car. View our available inventory of Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in Oshawa.
