Buying a car off the web

I'm thinking about using a website like vehix.com, cars.com or Costco to
buy my next car. Any recommendations for which website is best? Which to
avoid, and if it's a good idea at all.

 

I dunno, would you buy a house just from a photo? Your car is the second
most expensive thing for most folks; personally I wouldn't buy one without
a thorough inspection unless it was *really* cheap & I was expecting to do
*alot* of work to it. An exception might be a ground-up restoration backed
up by *alot* of photos.
Having said that, however, there are a few reputable folks that you
*might* be able to find to buy from...(but I would check them out too...)
BTW I have an '89 VW Cabriolet (mild custom) that's *real* nice FS right
now. Pics at http://AngelOnEarth.net/Cabrio/Cabrio.html . I'm above
Atlanta - come check it out!
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Giggle Cream - it makes dessert *funny*!

 

I'm not talking about used cars, I'm talking about a new car. Obviously
I've already test driven the cars that I'm interested in but when I get
around to buying I'd like to avoid having to deal with car salesmen. The
salesmen in Chrysler dealerships are completely unreconstructed, if
anything they seem to have gotten even more obnoxious because they are
desparate now because nobody is coming into Chrysler dealers anymore.
The salesman in Acura dealers, which is the other car I'm considering,
aren't high pressure because they don't have to be. But they also don't
have any incentive to deal. That's why I'm asking about alternative means
of buying a car. A friend of a friend used Costco and supposedly was
pretty happy, but I'm getting that report second hand. There are also
several websites where you can order a car. I want to hear about peoples
experiences with these alternative means of buying a car.

 

No experience with buying new (well except for the Volare Roadrunner I
ordered in '76 but never got - long story), but I'm thinking you can find
out what the dearler pays (it's online somewhere), & go haggle with your
local dealers. You'll get the best price, & have the local dealer to
service the car that you bought from *them* (surely that will help in
getting service).
That's my thinking on the matter...
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Giggle Cream - it makes dessert *funny*!

 

That's what I've always done in the past but I don't think that works with
Acura dealers, and the Chrysler 300C is in short supply so it will
probably won't work with that car either. If I wanted a 300M, which I
don't, I could go in and offer them a few bucks over the dealers invoice
and they would take it. But it would still be an unpleasant process. The
salesman would give me the bullshit line about having to check with his
manager, I'd have to get up and threaten to leave, they'd try to sell me
rust proofing, I'd have to tell them NFW. The last time I bought a car, in
94, I had to fight with them for an hour and a half. I had the advantage
that time because the Concorde and the Intrepid were same car and the
Chrysler dealer is next door to the Dodge dealer. This time around there
is no Dodge equivalent of the 300. I'd much rather be able to buy it the
same way I buy everything else which is over the web.

 

so, whats the story?