by: Charles Essmeier
Do you check your credit score and credit report before you go shopping for a car? You might find out that it is well worth your while to do so, as some auto dealers are taking advantage of the fact that many consumers do not know their credit scores.
No one likes buying a car; the entire process is awkward and cumbersome. Most items we buy are plainly marked with the price, but with cars, the price is often a mystery. Then you have to haggle with a salesman and hope that you have worked out the best price possible. Having done that, you have to arrange financing. You can often get an acceptable interest rate when financing through the dealer, but some dealers are padding their bottom line by offering loans at higher rates than they otherwise might.
The scam works like this ? You negotiate your best price with the dealer and you agree to finance through them. You fill out the credit application and hand it over to the salesman, who has promised you some reasonable terms. He takes off to process the application and to check your credit report while you have a cup of coffee. He returns a few minutes later, shaking his head. He informs you that your credit score is only 600 and that you will not qualify for the interest rate he offered you. He says that you will have to pay a higher rate. And not knowing any better, you agree.
Had you done your homework by checking your credit score ahead of time, you would have known your actual credit score and you could have pointed out that the salesman's assessment of your credit score was incorrect. At that point, you could insist upon receiving the more favorable interest rate or threaten to finance elsewhere. This is a common scam that works because most people really do not know their exact credit score.
Learning your credit score is easy. All you have to do is visit the Websites of one of the three major credit bureaus ? Experian, Trans Union or Equifax. For a modest fee, you can receive a copy of your credit report with your credit score. Armed with this useful piece of information, you can shop for a car with a bit more peace of mind, knowing ahead of time whether or not you can qualify for the best financing.
About The Author
©Copyright 2006 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing. Retro Marketing, established in 1978, is a firm devoted to informational Websites, including http://www.LemonLawHelp.net, a site devoted to automobile lemon laws.
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The Rise And Fall Of The Muscle Car Era
The Rise And Fall Of The Muscle Car Era
by: Jason Tarasi
Power, speed and performance ? those are the three major traits of a muscle car. When first produced, muscle cars were just pretty darn amazing because they combined the efficiency of a lightweight, mid-sized body with the performance of a high-power V8 engine and special design features that further increased the cars? acceleration capabilities. Because muscle cars topped all other vehicles in terms of power, speed and performance, they were ideal for racing.
Muscle cars were produced from the mid-1960s into the early 1970s, but the production of such beasts fell drastically due to a number of factors. First was the controversy over whether it was wise and responsible to make such powerful vehicles available to the general public, primarily due to road racing. Because muscle cars were often used irresponsibly, liability relating to them was pretty high which forced insurance companies...
The Rise And Fall Of The Muscle Car Era
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Beware of Hurricane Damaged Vehicles!
Beware of Hurricane Damaged Vehicles!
by: Matthew C. Keegan
Nearly a half million cars were destroyed by two of this past season?s biggest hurricanes, Katrina and Rita. Some of these cars may not have received much apparent damage but they were totaled nevertheless because of water, mud, and debris which flooded engine bays and the interior. Damaged cars are supposed to make their way to the junkyard for scrap, unfortunately some unscrupulous parties are gaining a hold of the vehicle titles and turning around and selling damaged cars to the public. Should you be concerned? Absolutely! Read on to learn more about this problem and what you can do to avoid being stuck with a vehicle that is certain to be a lemon.
Let me just say this: it is not illegal for weekend mechanics to buy a salvaged vehicle, repair it, and sell it to you. What they must disclose to you is this: you are buying a salvaged vehicle. This is where most of the problems begin:...
Beware of Hurricane Damaged Vehicles!
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Car Accident Injuries ? Causes and Preventive Measures
Car Accident Injuries ? Causes and Preventive Measures
by: John Schwartz
Car accidents that cause injuries have happened virtually since automobiles were invented.
The first recorded accidental injury occurred in 1869.
An Irish woman named Mary Ward was thrown out of the steam-powered carriage she was riding in when it hit an especially deep rut in the road.
She was immediately crushed by one of the wheels, her injuries causing an instantaneous death.
Her cousin had actually been the inventor of this new type of vehicle, in a cruel example of irony.
Over the last 25 years or so, car accident injuries resulting in deaths have declined an impressive 50% worldwide.
This is due primarily to increased emphasis by both governments and car manufacturers on safety, including the standard use of air bags to reduce the number of severe injuries and deaths caused by front and side car-to-car collisions.
Sadly,...
Car Accident Injuries ? Causes and Preventive Measures
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MP3s on the Road: 3 Ways to Play your MP3s in your Car
MP3s on the Road: 3 Ways to Play your MP3s in your Car
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Let?s face it, by now who doesn?t own some sort of MP3 player? Whether it is an IPOD or a less popular MP3 player made by manufacturers such as Sony or Creative Labs, everyone that I know has an MP3 player (except for my grandmother, who still doesn?t know what an MP3 is anyway). Regardless of the brand, to be able to use any type of MP3 player, you must have MP3s to upload and listen to on your MP3 player. That being the case, many people prefer purchasing single MP3s from sites like iTunes and Napster versus paying ten dollars or more to purchase an entire CD which only contains one or two songs that the individual likes. With all of the MP3s that people have amassed over the few years that they?ve been extremely popular, it now presents somewhat of a dilemma when they want to play the MP3s they?ve collected in their car audio system. For those who have a standard in-dash CD...
MP3s on the Road: 3 Ways to Play your MP3s in your Car
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Vehicle Extended Warranty - Protect Your Purchase
Vehicle Extended Warranty - Protect Your Purchase
by: R. Palkra
A couple weeks ago, on a Sunday morning, I was running late. My morning coffee didn?t wake me up like it should have, and I was dragging. As a result, I was going to be late for church, and as a teacher, that wasn?t going to be good!
I finally got my stuff together and ran outside to my car. It was raining. As I put the key in the ignition, I knew something wasn?t right. I turned the key?nothing. The car wouldn?t start. I hoped the problem was only with the battery, so I rolled the car onto the street, pulled my wife?s car out, and jumped the battery. It worked!
After church was over, I took my car to a garage, where I found out the problem was the battery, and I replaced it.
But what if the problem wasn?t the battery? What if it was some kind of engine failure? The car was only five years old, but there could be an engine problem at any time. Before I found out definitively...
Vehicle Extended Warranty - Protect Your Purchase
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ringtones Car rental Buying a Car? Check Your Credit Score First