Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-11-05
CARS
CARS
Reputable Dealers
Not Hard to- Find
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Continued From First Page
cal dealers use bait" advertis-
ing to get you on their lot. They
advertise a car at less than
prevailing rates to attract GUS
toners. but that car has al
ways been sold before you get
there. Then, they switch YOU
to another car. This is called
bait and switch" advertising.
Avoid dealers who give the
impression of offering ''repos-
sessed" cars at bargain prices.
The fact that a car is repoSses-
sed doesn't make it better or
cheaper than any other used
car. In fact, legitimate used car
dealers say they do not adver-
tise repossessed cars because
they are no bargain at any
price.
Beware 81 Down
Be wary of 81 down promises.
If you plan to get your car
financed, you can't do it for 81
down. One way or another,
you're going to have to raise
about one-third of the cars
value before it can be financed.
Don't buy a car if you don't
have that kind of down pay
ment and don't borrow in order
Ito meet the down payment. If
you do. you'll have to pay of
two loans at once-no matter
what the dealer may tell you
while he's selling.
Insist that you try out the
car yourself on a test run be-
fore agreeing to buy it. And
don't sign anything before you
make that trial drive-even if
the driver tells you the paper
is just for insurance purposes
or to keep you from being
picked up by police.
Don't sign a contract without
reading it. AS law enforcement
officers say repeatedly, "Once
he signs, he's on his own. No
thing can be done. He's had it. "
All Blanks Filled
Be sure that every blank is
filled in-either with a figure
or the word none" A thin line
through a blank or an x can
easily be turned into figures
you don't want.
Don't make a down pay
ment until you know what all
the charges will be. A legitimate
dealer will return the down.
payment If he can't get the
balance financed. An unscrupu-
lous dealer-no matter what
he tells you in advance-will
not return the down payment.
if he can't get the contract
! financed on the down payment
you have offered. he will insist
that you borrow more or accept
a beat-up car you don't want.
Don't be misled by small
monthly payments. The finance
company will only finance the
loan for a specified period, de-
pending on the age Of the car.
To keep the loan within that
period and pacify you with
small monthly payments, the
dealer will either require a
large pickup payment" with
in a few days or add a balloon
payment a large lump sum
after you've been making
payments for two years.
Read All Papers
Read all the papers you are
asked to sign-even if you're
told they're simply duplicates
of the original. If the copies
have not been filled in when
you sign, any one of them can
be written into a new and more
!: costly contract. Or you may be
signing a mortgage on your
home.
Don't trust verbal guarantees
One man was told he would be
. given three new tires. He wound
up by paying for them himself
Don't trust figures on a Sepa-
rate unsigned sheet. They don't
mean a thing unless they APP
pear on your contract.
Don't authorize life, health
and accident insurance unless
you want to buy it from the
insurance company represented
by the dealer or the finance
company. You don't have tc
take it from him. You may gel
it cheaper elsewhere and you
may not need as much cover
age as he provides.
Exact Copy
Don't sign your name Of
initials in the margin on the
side Of the contract unless it,
Immediately after something
ALREADY written there. An un'
scrupulous dealer can stick II
an extra pickup payment" i
he has the space to do it.
Don't sign the contract If TIT
price is different from the ont
Iquoted or If the payments art
!. mot what you agreed to. b