Auto Estrogen

Whenever I see one of these car advertisements, I become a bit suspicious. I mean when you think about it, what does that really mean?

Bad credit. You’re a credit risk. You haven’t paid somebody or you’ve paid them late, consistently. No offense.

No credit. You’re young, inexperienced, and lacking in maturity. You haven’t had a chance to make credit decisions because you haven’t had one of those 3.5 x 2 inch cards that fit easily into your wallet pretending it’s the answer to all of your money needs, looking ever so attractive until the bill comes in and you suddenly realize that they want you to pay them back, with interest!

We Can Help! Why would they want to? They don’t know you and the little they do know about you isn’t so good, right? Yet, they’re right there willing to put you into a car. Are you kidding?

I’m sorry; maybe I’m just cynical. That can happen after you’ve lived a little while, but if truth be told, I’m mostly an optimist, but something here just smells a bit funny to me. And knowing what I know, which may not be a whole lot but I’m constantly learning from day to day, leads me to say no — they’re not really trying to help. They’re trying to sell you a car, in any way they can and they’re willing to put you at risk to do it.

Let me stop here and make a disclaimer: This is my opinion only. My 2 +2 thinking that looked at this picture and came to the conclusion that something indeed is not adding up here.

Let me ask you, logically, can you think of a reason why somebody that doesn’t know you — who doesn’t have the knowledge of understanding that you lost your job, bills piled up while you looked for work and you really are a hard working decent person or . . . . You’re young but have always been beyond responsible, graduated college, made good grades and you’re just really looking for someone to put a little trust in you —- why would someone that doesn’t know all this great stuff about you really take a risk on you? They wouldn’t right? Unless of course they had a hidden agenda, which really isn’t so hidden: WE WANT YOU IN ONE OF OUR CARS. WE NEED SALES. AND WE’RE WILLING TO MAKE YOU OUR GUINEA PIG.

Here’s my suggestion to you if you see the ad above — Bad Credit? No Credit? We Can Help! —-and it happens to speak directly to you.

1. Bad Credit – Give yourself several months, 6 – 12 maybe, some time to rebuild. I know you really need a car, but others have survived without one and maybe you can too. It’s probably well worth it to put yourself in position to buy the car you want, down the road, at a better interest rate, without people judging and taking advantaged of you for a few past mistakes.

2. No Credit – Take some time to build a little credit and let people know that you are trustworthy, can and will pay your bills. Finish school, get a job and start with a small credit card – a gas card, or a card like American Express (where you have to pay the balance at the end of the month). Then buy a car you can purchase with the cash you’ve saved up. Hey, it may not be so pretty, but as they say, don’t despise small beginning. Pay less and fix it up. You’d be amazed at what a paint job and a good detailing can do.

3. We’re Here to Help – Hey, look to your family and friends, those individuals that do know you and really want to help. Ask around and see if anybody has a car for sale. Find out if anybody’s working in or near the area where you are. Have you heard of carpooling? Listen, gas is high! They might be elated to have someone to share the gas expenses.

Happy Mother’s Day - Here’s our Mother Daughter Car Buying Video Journal - Part I

I don’t know about you, but the more choices I have, the harder it is for me to make a decision. Restaurants with extensive menus, while appealing, are often problematic, especially if I don’t have a taste for anything in particular. As much as I enjoy eating out, having a meal at home gives me far less to think about. And then there’s car shopping. When I was looking for my car, my first obstacle, outside of my lack of knowledge was figuring out what type of car I wanted – so many choices, so many styles, and so many brands. If it wasn’t for the extended time I spent driving my brother’s car during his time overseas, I might still be pondering. But the experience made me all the wiser and I’ve started an informational and educational business and website that educates women on what I learned to boot. I’ve become a Car-Buy-Her, informed and empowered and am championing other women to do so as well, so there have been some benefits.

But now here I am, smack in the middle of my mother’s car search. While tackling robust restaurant menus are no feat for her, the sampling of dealer menus has had her vacillating and it’s time to make a decision. It’s been almost five years ago since I was looking for a car. I was challenged, frustrated, and overwhelmed, mostly of my own doing, but I have some knowledge now and have happily passed it on to mom, but things haven’t been as simple as they might seem.

Your first thought was probably, surely things are easier, you guys know what you’re doing, the internet is packed with information, and there’s plenty to choose from, not to mention the current state of dealerships and their need to move cars off the lot. I know. I know.

But in some instances, therein lies the problem. And then there’s the ever so slight issue of the age difference and the car shopping approach, and well, let’s just say we’re still looking.

So since it’s May and Mother’s Day is coming up as well as my mom’s birthday, I thought I’d chronicle our journey of mother-daughter car shopping. Mom has given herself a deadline to have a car by her birthday. It’s coming up in just a few weeks, so we’ll see how it goes.

Stay Tuned . . . . .

If you’re a woman looking for a new car, you’ll probably pay more than a man according to a news report on Negotiating, which can be seen here:
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/16140692/index.html

The report shows both a man and woman going into the dealership to purchase a car. After being in the dealership, the man comes out with a great deal while the woman leaves without even getting a quote. Are you surprised? We’re not. But why is this? Why do women tend to pay more.

Apparently it’s because Women Don’t Ask. In her book of the same title, author Linda Babcock shares studies that reveal:
· Men initiate negotiations about 4 times more often than women;
· Women will spend up to $1,300 dollars more to avoid haggling at the dealership;
· And 20% of women say they never negotiate.

The reasons why goes beyond the extent of this particular blog post, but here’s the deal ladies, we have to wise up and begin to ask!