If you've found a used car for sale online and want to take it for a test drive, you might be thinking about the car and gearing up for some negotiation. You should also be mindful of safety, especially if you're a woman. While everyone needs to focus on safety while meeting an individual selling a car online, this is especially true for women. Fortunately, with the right approach, you can stay perfectly safe during this transaction — remember, many people buy used cars that they find online and do so smoothly and safely. Here are some safety tips that you should remember.
Get An Initial Feel For The Seller
Before you actually set up the appointment to meet the seller and test drive the used vehicle, exchange a series of emails or text messages with him or her. In many cases, this conversation will give you a feel for the seller. While it's true that you can't fully assess someone just by how he or she corresponds with you online, you may notice that you feel extremely comfortable with the person or a little unnerved. In the latter case, you might wish to find a different car and seller. In the former scenario, having a short phone call to discuss the car may help to make you feel more comfortable.
Meet In The Right Place
A big part of staying safe when you're meeting someone to look at a used car is to do so in the right place. You don't typically want to meet at the person's home, especially if it's in a remote area. A better option is to agree to meet at a public area in your community. A coffee shop or grocery store parking lot can work well, but there's no harm in also suggesting meeting at a police station. Police departments often encourage online sellers/buyers to meet on their property, as suggesting this location is usually quick to eliminate scammers or people who may wish to cause you harm.
Have Someone With You
Private used car sellers won't typically want you to take the test drive without them, and you might feel a little uncomfortable with the idea of riding around with a stranger. A simple solution is to take a friend on the test drive with you. The presence of someone you trust, especially if he or she is strong and confident, can make you feel more at ease so that you can focus on assessing the used GMC for sale, rather than thinking about your safety.
It is never easy to think about investing boatloads of money into a new vehicle, but a few years ago, I found myself doing just that. I had dealt with a dying car for so long that it was hard for me to imagine having a car that worked well, but before I knew it, things were really coming together. I was able to work with a friend of mine to find a vehicle that worked just as well as it said it did, and to make matters even better, it held its value well. This website is all about getting the price of a car down when you want to buy one.