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Posts Tagged ‘Cars’

Tips For Dealing With Auto Detailing Shops

Communication is the key to a successful result when dealing with auto detailing shops. The first, and most important, aspect is for the car owner to be prepared to explain their wishes in detail. It may be helpful to have an idea or photo of the auto detailing that they wish to incorporate into their automobile. The artists at the auto detailing shop will be able to better understand the owners idea and wishes if they are able to clearly relay that through a series of communications andor photos. For instance, if you want stripes applied, be prepared to explain the color and design. Even if you have to sketch an image or look through an auto detailing guide to get the perfect design, this will be very important in making sure that you are pleased with the finished product.

While explaining the auto detailing that you want, it will be ideal if the car owner could provide a written list of the artwork that they want to purchase. It is also important that the car owner not be overly demanding, but rather allow the auto detailing shop to explain what they can do and how quickly they can get it done. The detailer is a professional who is knowledgeable with cars and what to look for, so it will not make the process any quicker if the car owner is suggesting a completion date before the detailer has had an opportunity to inspect the car.

The car owner should not be embarrassed to ask questions or request more detailed information regarding auto detailing terms. There is truth in the adage that indicates, there is no such thing as a dumb question. It is best for the owner to leave a telephone number, at which heshe may be contacted, with the auto detailing shop. The best idea is to request an update, cost estimate and approximate time of completion prior to the actual detail work beginning.

If the auto detailing shop informs the car owner that new embellishments can be applied, the owner should inquire about warranties and any available guarantee. If either exists, the information should be provided in writing and a copy given to the car owner for hisher records. It is also a good idea to inquire about payment options. Some auto detailing shops may allow their customers to make convenient monthly payments after the work has been done, while many require immediate payment in the form of cash, money order, check or credit card.

Discount Auto Parts: 4 Ways to Save!

If you are in the market to purchase replacement or performance automobile parts, you have several options before you in order to get what you want. Thanks to the internet, you can research your options and narrow down what you need right online. In fact, in many cases, you can order what you need right from the ease of your desktop. Still, some sources are better than others and you really need to know what you are buying before purchasing parts from anyone.

The following are four options for finding parts:

Salvage Yards. Also known as junk yards, salvage yards provide cheap parts for just about any type of vehicle. You just need to know if the particular makemodel you own is sitting somewhere on site. The larger junkyards inventory their cars and with that information you can find exactly where the vehicle is located. Prices are usually very reasonably, but you must remember that the part you are purchasing is used and quality levels can vary from junker to junker. Salvage yards are a particularly good place to shop if you need a door panel, fender, or other body component.

Retail Stores. The large chain stores typically have something for everyone. Sale prices can be good, but selection may be limited to a few key brands. Replacement parts for less common vehicles can be harder to find. Some parts are subject to big mark ups, particularly with retailers who rely upon intermediary suppliers for their entire inventory.

Car Dealers. New car dealers are an excellent place to find replacement parts. They should be if they feature your particular makemodel vehicle. The larger dealers generally have well stocked parts departments right on site. The drawback is often their prices typically reflect big mark ups. Youll pay through the nose if you have a dealer install anything for you too.

Wholesalers. Most reputable wholesalers are now marketing their inventory right online. The advantage to you is a wider product selection, lower prices, ease of ordering, and quick service. Shop only with those wholesalers who have a toll free number listed where you can contact a live person, if needed. Go with those wholesalers offering free shipping, typically available on orders exceeding 50. You can save big with a well known wholesaler, such as the Auto Parts Warehouse, as they cut out the middle man to offer you the lowest prices across the board.

As with any transaction, check your parts carefully as some retailers unknowingly stock counterfeit parts. Make certain that you can return whatever you purchase if a problem comes up. Use a credit card to back up with your purchase with the credit card issuers guarantee.

Auto Seat Covers – Ultimate Protection

Funny as it may seem, the most neglected thing in a car are the seat covers. Most people are fascinated with what their cars look like but tend to neglect its interior facilities; much less its auto seat covers. Basically, auto seat covers were not invented without any purpose. Auto seat covers are just as important as any other part of your car. Do not wait until you car seats are already soiled from dirt and another harmful elements. Go get your car seats the best auto seat covers so as to keep them in top shape.

- Universal, Standard Covers

One of the fittings of the auto seat covers is the Universal fit. As its name implies, universal fit covers is ideal to almost all kinds of car seats, whether it be a low-back or a high-back bucket seat. Universal auto seat covers are very easy to set up and they are easy to remove as well. The only thing that needs to be considered is the fact that the universal seat covers are not suitable for car seats with side-impact airbags.

- Custom Covers

The next type of fitting auto seat covers is the custom auto seat covers. As it name implies, the custom fit auto seat covers is tailor-made for every specified and measured car seats. These custom fittings are precisely patterned according to the make-up and measurements of the car seats. Thus, every details of the car seats are considered and mulled over. Among the three fittings of auto seat covers, custom fittings are the perfect items that are specifically designed to make a properly covered car seats.

- Hybrid Semi-Customs

For those who cannot afford custom fittings of auto seat covers, there is one other type of fitting – the semi-custom fit. Semi-custom fit covers may not render the same features as that of custom fittings but, nevertheless, they are good enough to protect your car seats from harmful elements that may destroy the durability of your car seats.

1. The soft touch

The most common and widely-used auto seat covers are made of poly-cotton. This type of material offers a soft touch while at the same time rendering optimum shielding against harmful elements.

2. Sheepskin

The next material common to most auto seat covers is the sheepskin seat covers. Because of their capability to warm occupants in cold conditions and cool occupants in warm conditions, this type of material is often claimed to be the thermostat of nature.

3. UV protected sheets

The next best material to consider for your auto seat covers is the Velour seat covers. Like the Poly-cotton seat covers, the Velour seat covers also render soft velvety touch to its user. What makes it different from the others is that it is treated with an exceptional amount of ultraviolet coating. This, in turn, will protect your car seats from imminent color fading.

Auto Financing Scams

Car dealers are often portrayed as predators just waiting for an unsuspecting customer to come along. This is because many people believe that they are always on the prowl for unsuspecting buyers that are not very knowledgeable about cars. This can be unfair because we can argue that there are car dealers out there who would not cheat just to get an extra profit.

How do you tell the difference?

To avoid becoming a victim of sneaky car dealers, look at the following auto financing scams.

Yoyo scam

You will be allowed by the dealer to bring the car home as soon as possible. The dealer will take care of the financing, a few days later he will contact you again and tell you that there was a problem with your financing plan. He will tell you to set up a new financing scheme through him which, of course, will be at a higher cost and this will also entail a very high profit on the dealer’s part.

Be wary of this trick and avoid it at all costs if you detect it. If you have a bad credit standing, don’t have your financing done by the dealer and make arrangements for your own financing. If you ever do avail of the dealer’s financing, you should never drive the car back to your home immediately. Wait for at least 24 hours just to make sure that the processing of your financing scheme has been completed already. By allowing 1 whole day to pass by, you are assured that the dealer cannot use this scam on you.

Window etching trick

Window etching is a very common scam. What the dealer will do is to offer to etch the VIN number of your car onto the window of the car for a price. Basically, the price ranges from as low as 300 to as high as 1,000. Some buyers think that they did a good job by being able to talk down the price to a few hundred pounds, but unfortunately for them, a few hundred pounds is still a good amount of money. The best way to avoid this kind of scam is for you to buy an etching kit that you can do on your own. This is available in most auto shops and costs around 20. See how much they profit from you!

Preparation fees

For preparing your car, the dealer will often add an additional preparation fee to your bill. Just to conduct a test drive, replace fuses, or take the car’s plastic cover off will have your bill increasing by at least 500! If you visit other shops, you can get the information that these add on costs are already included in the MSRP as set by the manufacturer. Some dealers automatically add it to the buyer’s order to make it look mandatory. To take care of this scam, you can ask the dealer to classify it as credit (it should be identical to the amount of the preparation fee) on the following line. If the dealer does not agree to this, you can just simply walk away from the dealership.

Market adjustment

The dealer will convince you that the vehicle you want is selling like hot cakes and very popular. In order to sell you the vehicle, they will do some “market adjustments” amounting to a few thousand pounds. This is usually indicated by a tag near the MSRP tag set by the manufacturer. Even if the car you want is very popular and is very much in demand, if it is in stock you should not be tempted because getting a “popular” car is not worth it if you have to pay a few thousand pounds more. You should never pay more than the MSRP set by the manufacturers. If you do, then you are allowing others to take advantage of you.

Warranty extension

Although this type of scam is old already, it is still being used and there are many who fall for this trick. What happens in this kind of scam is that when you make a loan for the car, the dealer will tell you that you are required to purchase an extended warranty because it is one of the conditions of the bank. There is a simple way of avoiding this scam. Ask the dealer to specify clearly in writing that the extended warranty is required for the loan to be approved. The dealer will most probably find a way to have it excluded. If he persists in including the extended warranty, do not do business with this guy and go to other dealerships.

These are some of the most common auto financing scams that are utilized by some car dealers. Always keep these in mind if you are going to buy a car. If you or a friend were treated fairly by a dealer in the past, consider using the same dealership again. Its a good indication that they do care about their customers and arent just looking for a fast buck.

Think very carefully and do not buy on impulse. Good luck to you and go get that car!