Buying a car on the internet

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Buying a car online? This is how you find out if offers are reputable

25.05.2021 13:47 updated: 25.05.2021 13:47

Being local can help when buying a car. But it's also possible online - interested parties should check offers carefully

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Buying cars online has increased during the corona lockdown. If you want to buy a car on the internet, you should pay close attention to the details.

Whoever has a new car wants to buy, the first thing to do is to ask for the relevant online car auctions search and only after inspection and test drive on site a classic purchase agreement conclude. But there are also ways to buy a car with the click of a mouse. Anyone who decides to use this form of trading, which has been on the rise since corona, should be aware of some of the rules of the game on the net in order to avoid mistakes or unpleasant surprises.

Buying a car on the internet: beware of fraudulent offers

One of the important questions at online-orders concerns the Trustworthiness of the merchant. To protect yourself from possible fraudulent offers to arm oneself, one should ask among others experiences of other users be guided and their reviews view. If there are a lot of feedbacks from other customers and if there are also good ratings, the chances increase that a serious dealer is behind this offer. If there is a new trading or brokerage platform, there should be articles about it in the press. Even if the dealer appears to be trustworthy after such a check, he should be contacted before concluding a contract, for example contact by telephone.

Car discovered during internet action? What drivers should know

Who buys a car at a internet auction discovered at the end of the auction – even if the current price is temptingly low – should not simply buy a car for fun bidding. if a bid is placed, the bidder is legally bound to it. Who at the end of the auction highest bidder automatically has a legally binding contract contract obliging to purchase and pay for the item. Also important for auctionsif a car offered by a private person is bought by auction, the generally applicable two-week right of revocation is not applicable in the case of internet trade. This can only be enforced against dealers.

Car purchase: contract by e-mail?

After a successfully completed internet auction, there is often the problem of the payment. Who in advance payment goes and transfers the sum, can possibly go out empty, because again and again here with false identities, hijacked accounts and mailbox companies worked. On the safe side you are, if the seller requires payment at collection. However, if the money is to be transferred, the buyer should ideally use a so-called escrow service, which auction platforms offer for higher-priced items. The buyer first transfers the sum to the account of the dealer trust service, who pays the money to the seller only after the receipt of the goods and their correct condition have been confirmed.

Besides the possibility of a direct purchase by online auction in the meantime, cars can be also order on other platforms directly on the net with online concludable purchase contracts. Here, too, you should act prudently as a customer, because even if a contract was only concluded by e-mail, it is still binding. The buyer and seller enter into a binding contract with a written declaration of intent, just as in real commerce.

Should there be dispute about whether a contract was really concluded, it is advantageous if the proof has to be made, that the declaration of intent sent by mail has reached the addressee. Therefore E-mails with a confirmation of receipt to be sent. Ideally the conclusion additionally still by fax or letter confirms.

The declaration of intent can also be contested if an error has been made, for example, because an incorrect price has been communicated. Whoever notices such a faux pas should react immediately so that the conclusion of the contract becomes null and void.

Right of withdrawal for online purchases: these rules apply

As with online business üblich, also applies to the purchase of cars from dealers from the moment of delivery of goods a two-week right of revocation. If you want to revoke the contract, you must declare this to the dealer in writing.

Before signing a contract, it’s a good idea to check out the agbs of the seller read through. must be referred to on the dealer website pointed out and they must also be placed in such a way that they are clearly visible to customers. Otherwise they do not become part of the contract. (mario hommen/SP-X) *tz.De and hna.De are part of the nationwide ippen-digital editorial network

Stvo-novelle 2020: these road signs are new in traffic

StVO amendment 2020: these road signs are new in traffic

the traffic sign for the no overtaking zone should be known to all motorists. this new street sign is a variation of the. It applies explicitly as an overtaking ban of single-track vehicles. This means that multi-lane vehicles (cars, trucks) are not allowed to overtake motorcycles or bicycles* in road sections marked with this traffic sign. © federal highway agency

this road sign also serves to protect cyclists. It marks an area that is considered a bicycle zone. This means that drivers are allowed to drive at a maximum speed of 30 km/h from this sign onwards. In addition, they must not endanger or obstruct bicycle traffic. © Federal Highway Research Institute

let’s be honest: many cyclists have probably made use of this rule anyway – even though it has been considered a violation up to now. Now, turning right at a red light is officially allowed – at least where the green arrow for bicyclists indicates it is.The same traffic sign has been available for some time for car drivers. But there is still a lot of ignorance among road users about the green arrow*. Because, correctly, you have to behave like a stop sign here. This means that the vehicle must first come to a complete stop and, according to road traffic regulations, remain stationary for at least three seconds. Only then is it allowed to turn right at a red light, provided that no other road user is endangered. The same rules apply to cyclists. © Federal Highway Research Institute

StVO amendment 2020: these road signs are new to traffic

this traffic sign indicates cycle lanes irrespective of the road conditions. for example, on sandy roads, this is to indicate that it is a bicycle lane. © bundesanstalt fur strabenwesen stvo-novelle 2020: these road signs are new to traffic this road sign is intended to keep areas free for freight bicycles in the future, such as parking areas, parking spaces or loading zones. © bundesanstalt fur strabenwesen stvo-novelle 2020: these road signs are new to traffic vehicles used by carsharing services* must be clearly identifiable with this sticker on the windshield. The company name as well as the license plate must be visible on it. © bundesanstalt fur strabenwesen stvo-novelle 2020: these road signs are new to traffic cars, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians: most road users have a corresponding symbol for traffic signs. There is now also one for carpools. However, there are not yet any areas where this could be used. similar is the case with the following traffic sign. © bundesanstalt fur strabenwesen stvo-novelle 2020: these road signs are new in traffic also carsharing vehicles get their own symbol. It is to be used among other things in parking areas, which are intended for carsharing cars. © federal road agency

Haggle over the price of a car? To be successful, you should be well prepared for the negotiations. choose the right time to negotiate, emphasize the car’s weaknesses to get a discount, ask for additional services and stay confident and self-assured. To help you negotiate better the next time you buy a car, we have some practical tips for you.

the good news first: in the used car trade almost no price is fixed, but everything is a matter of negotiation. The bad news: the starting conditions for negotiations are by no means fair: a professional salesman usually has more technical knowledge than the customer, plus experience, skill and training in negotiating tactics. In addition, the buyer enjoys a home advantage, while the buyer has to venture into foreign territory – even when selling from private to private, this circumstance should not be forgotten. Therefore, the first rule on how to best negotiate when buying a car is: get as much information as possible before you start negotiating.

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The 5 most important rules for negotiating

Rule 1: enter into negotiations well prepared

If you want to negotiate properly when buying a vehicle, you first need to have a feel for it, what is a realistic price for the chosen model is. Therefore, you should determine in advance the usual price range for the desired vehicle. Make sure that the cars are directly comparable with each other. Because the models differ considerably depending on the version, the prices of the vehicles on offer can also differ significantly from one another.

There are numerous details that can influence pricing: hatchback or notchback, three or five doors, gasoline or diesel, engine capacity, horsepower, air conditioning or sunroof. Even the listed extras in the equipment – whether special paint, sport rims, leather seats, lane departure warning or infotainment system – are usually associated with extra costs. The more of these features are available, the higher the price for the used car will be. So decide on a model and equipment variant – and only then compare them.

To obtain comparative offers, the various internet marketplaces are best suited. Not only private individuals offer their vehicles here, but also most commercial dealers are now active online. you can use the filter functions to display all available vehicles that match your desired model – whether nationwide or regionally limited is your decision.

Rule 2: choose the right time to negotiate the price

The perfect time of year to buy a car depends on two factors: how urgently the seller needs to sell the used car and how much competition there is on the market. Whether a car type is in season or not is therefore less of a factor. The old recommendation to buy convertibles in winter no longer applies. In fact, price comparisons for used cars show that the average prices highest in winter are. Reason: many owners still want to use the vehicle during the winter and only offer it in the spring. That’s why prices for used cars are cheapest in the spring, remain moderate until the summer, and start to rise again in the fall. In winter, a used convertible can be more expensive than in spring. If the temperature rises again, private sales could become more expensive get a bargain – if the seller wants to buy a new convertible and wants to get rid of the old one by all means.

This rule does not necessarily apply to rare models, rarities or oldtimers. After all, demand also determines the price. And the price for certain vehicles can be higher than the offer – regardless of the season.

With a little skill, however, you can at least find a good time of day to negotiate the car purchase. Those who enter sales negotiations in the late afternoon or early evening, directly after work, may be unfocused – and more easily influenced by the seller. Therefore, it is better to take the day of the car purchase off and ask the seller for a quote in the morning or in the early afternoon hours to visit. Then things are usually quieter at the dealer too. And without time pressure you can negotiate much more freely and relaxed.

Set yourself a price limit that you are willing to pay. Then, when negotiating the purchase of the car, stick to the limit you set. Any higher price must be compensated with extras or discounts elsewhere.

However, asking for additional discounts at the beginning of the conversation is clumsy. Instead, another approach is more promising: first get comprehensive information from the seller, ask for details and insist on an assessment of how well the car compares to other models. First build up a personal relationship and then ask the seller to make an initial price proposal. This could already be below your intended limit. If the dealer insists on the asking price, your offer should not be more than 25 to 30 percent below it – a higher difference is seldom justified by a reputable dealer, unless the actual poor condition of the car indicates that this is the case.

Some people like the big stage when haggling – but these are bad conditions for negotiating the price of a vehicle. Because attention-grabbing negotiations in front of an audience usually make sellers less inclined to give a discount.

Rule 3: emphasize the weaknesses of the car in order to obtain a discount

Inspect the vehicle carefully and note any things you notice during the test drive – all of which you can use to your advantage during the price negotiations. Watch out for wear and tear on the steering wheel, seats or surfaces that provide information about use. If this does not match the stated age or mileage, there is room for negotiation. Some models are also known for typical defects that appear after a few years of use.

Conspicuous are for example:

Scratches, dents or rust marks on the bodywork
Rust spots in the engine compartment and trunk
Rust spots on the exhaust system
Black-blue coloration of the exhaust gases
Defective headlights
Stone chips
Too much play in steering or gears
Unusual noises from the drivetrain
Worn brake system
Soon expiring main inspection (HU)

Anything that seems strange can be used as an argument. Even several previous owners or a very high mileage for the age should be used to negotiate a discount on the purchase of the car.

Give the seller reasons why he should sell you the car at a lower price. This could be.B. Be a cash payment or a prompt payment and pickup of the car. In addition, no vehicle gets better when it stands for a long time and every further sales talk costs the salesman valuable time.

Rule 4: if you can’t get the price down, talk about additional services

You have to realize that nothing can be done about the price? Then there are the possibilities, "intangible discounts" to receive. Such perks include, for example, a free inspection if the service interval calls for it soon. Convey to the seller that he is winning you over as a potential customer for his workshop. Then he will be more inclined to meet your demands.

Ask also if the seller will add a set of summer or winter tires, a warning triangle, floor mats, a first aid kit or a gas voucher. It is also possible, for example, that the dealer will take over the registration or extend the legally required liability for material defects to include a more comprehensive used car warranty – free of charge, of course. Even if the actual purchase price is not reduced as a result, you will at least benefit from the discount at a later date.

All verbal commitments and all agreements must be in writing. Extended warranties and other extras should also be included in the purchase contract. Since it is not uncommon for disputes to arise after a used car purchase, a traffic legal insurance helpful. the costs of a legal dispute can quickly reach four figures, without traffic legal protection insurance a financial risk.

Rule 5: stay confident and present yourself with self-assurance

No matter how hard you negotiate, there is one thing you should not let on when buying a car: that you really want the car. This puts you in a position of weakness, which a psychologically trained salesman will exploit. Instead you should put on your best poker face and not let the other party drag you down to an emotional level. Because that’s what car salesmen like to do: they emotionalize the product, make it seem particularly "sporty", "sexy" or "suitable for families". The price offer then appears more generous than it is from this point of view – and the seller gives the impression that he is in fact your benefactor. Some salesmen also let you know that there is a high demand for the vehicle in order to put you under pressure.

Do not go in for these tricks, but always remain objective and calm. During the conversation, calmly talk about competing offers in the vicinity if these are on average lower than the asking price of your counterpart – especially with private sellers, this approach can be quite worthwhile. You can also point out if comparable cars from other brands are offered at a lower price. There are many equivalent alternatives in the same price range or below, you can get the seller to concede relatively quickly. Do you act thereby however do not be impatient – just like you don’t want to be pressured by the salesman, he won’t be pressured by you either.

Do not go alone to the meeting, but take your partner or a friend with you. In the best case, your companion is of course knowledgeable and can ask things you haven’t thought of yet. But also otherwise the four-eyes-principle is helpful, mostly the companion sees the vehicle more soberly than you do.

Always be aware that you, as the buyer, are not a supplicant. Maintain your position of strength and negotiate at eye level with the seller. This also applies if even your counterpart’s "final" offer still seems too high to you. The danger: you have put a lot of time and energy into buying a used car. During the negotiation it is of course difficult to get out of the car at the last moment. In this situation, most tend to grudgingly accept the stated price. Psychologically understandable, but in the end you have become a victim of your devotion. But you still have one last ace up your sleeve: be tougher than your negotiating partner.

the trick is not to look at the time (or money) already invested in any deal, but to look ahead: does it make sense to stay?? If the answer is negative, stand up and don’t leave impatiently. When buying a car, this means: if the negotiation is deadlocked, end the conversation. Then you get ready to leave the room. the salesman will usually not let you go, but make you an offer – to get you to stay and sign the contract.

If the offer is then acceptable, accept it. Anything else would be greedy, especially since the seller also has a price limit that he will not go below.

Every application for a loan is only a request for the bank, not an obligation. Accordingly, it can also happen that your request for financing for a vehicle is rejected. Reason for this is usually a lack of creditworthiness on your part. Often, however, this refusal does not mean the end of your automotive dreams. Because you can also use other options for car financing – depending on why exactly your application was rejected.

Like any loan, the desire for a car loan can also be rejected by the bank.
The central reason is usually that the bank sees in the applicant too high a risk of non-payment.
However, there are many ways and means to still get a serious loan or otherwise get a vehicle.

This page at a glance

Why does the bank refuse financing?

There are problems with schufa

The schufa as the most important credit agency in germany can be the deciding factor in a bank’s decision for or against granting a loan. This is because the bank knows the financial situation of almost every German. Whenever you get a financing, conclude a cell phone contract, or otherwise have longer-term financial obligations, you can assume this: you must contractually agree that your data will be transmitted to schufa. Accordingly, they also get to know if there are financial problems. About:

Have you ever defaulted on the payment of your cell phone bill or a previous loan in the past??
Have you had difficulties in paying your rent??
Have you made several specific credit inquiries to banks in the past year, instead of the more schufa-neutral conditions inquiry?

All of this and more can mean that your schufa score, and thus an important part of your theoretical creditworthiness, is bad – that is, a score of at most 100 points. It provides a simple overview of how likely you are to repay the loan, calculated according to secret principles. The further your score moves down from 100, the more negative it is – and the riskier you appear as a borrower.

Your type of employment

Your schufa-score can be positive, and still your credit application can be rejected. Then your employment could be the problem. Especially often this is the case with the following things:

You are newly employed by an employer or even still in the probationary period.
you are self-employed or freelancer and also new in business.*
You are studying or are dependent on third parties in some other way to make a living.

In these cases, many banks will see you as too high a risk with too little collateral and reject your loan application.

*self-employment is not a reason for rejection per se, but most banks only grant loans at generally higher interest rates and only to self-employed persons/freelancers who have been successful for several years.

The ratio of your income to the amount of the loan is correct

Imagine you get 1.400 euro net salary. You want a car but a credit over 40.have 000 euros. This would mean that even in the completely unrealistic case that you would have to pay monthly 1.if you pay back 400 euro and we completely ignore the interest, it means a 28-month risk.

In other words: with every credit application, the ratio of your income to the credit amount is checked. The more you want to borrow, the higher your income must be – because the banks only want you to repay as much as you can realistically afford each month. it is not in their interest to get the money back without considering the feasibility; because that would also increase their risk.

By the way, this reason for rejection can also be based on the fact that you have other liabilities to service – such as several zero-percent financing or other loans. If such are present, your desired credit sum must be again smaller, in order not to be rejected.

Summary

When a loan is refused, in most cases there are problems with the creditworthiness.
Often it is a problem with the schufa-score or the employment relationship.
Often, however, the bank also considers the credit request to be too high in view of the applicant’s income. This is exacerbated by other ongoing obligations.

What to do if the car loan is rejected? Your options

clean up your schufa score

If the schufa is the reason for rejection, the bank will inform you about it. Then you should do some research: ask schufa for a postal check data copy according to article 15 DS-GVO to. Analyze this paper very carefully. Sometimes it can happen that there are still things in it (and drag down your score) that should have been deleted a long time ago – and in rare cases there may also be false entries.

You discover in your schufa documents such old burdens, which should not appear there in view of the deletion periods any more? There are records that demonstrably do not match your financial history? In this case, you should contact the credit agency immediately and demand that it be corrected. If your score was the reason for rejection, but only therefore negative, this is probably enough to get the loan.

ask other banks

There are over 1.700 different banks and savings banks. Just because one of them turned you down doesn’t automatically mean they all will – especially in cases where your credit rating is only "borderline" but not overwhelmingly negative.

As long as the schufa is not a reason for rejection, it may well be that your loan request, which bank A has rejected, goes through with bank B without any problems. However: this requires several credit requests. Since these affect the schufa, you should not inquire with too many institutes.

Bring a second borrower into play as guarantor

As the sole applicant, the bank will not lend you the desired amount? Then it may be that the financing works out if there is a second borrower – and thus the risk of non-payment is considerably reduced.

Whoever is considered as a second borrower is largely the same for the credit institution, as long as he or she has a good credit rating. For you, however, it should be absolutely trustworthy people from your immediate environment:

Your partner
A very good friend
Close relatives (such as your parents)
Possibly your employer

Keep in mind, however, that the person may have to vouch for you. You should be able to pay for the loan on your own.

Reduce the credit amount

Does it have to be a new car for 40.000 euros or is a smaller new car for half that price enough for you?? Or: does it have to be a new car at all?? After all, the loss of value in the first years is enormous – very young used cars with only a few kilometers you can get for a fraction of the new price with the same equipment.

If you consider this option and it is suitable for you, you can probably reduce the required financing considerably. In principle, this increases the probability that you will get the loan – and you will also be debt-free more quickly.

ÜConsider leasing instead of buying

You only need financing if you want to own the car in a legal sense. But especially if it is a new car, you should also ask yourself if owning the car is that important for you – after all, there are a lot of obligations involved (like getting a loan) and the car will cost you a lot in a few years, for example when it comes to the MOT/repairs.

it does not have to be a possession? Then you should talk to the car dealer about leasing. Every new car dealer has something in his repertoire, and there are also numerous independent leasing companies that operate independently of the brand.

That can bring some advantages into the field:

Leasing is a form of rent. So you do not need a loan.
Your creditworthiness will also be checked, but in many cases the requirements are less strict.
You will only keep the car for a few years. After that you can buy it, as long as the residual value or. The mileage corresponds to the agreed data, without further payments return.

Again, leasing is much easier to get, especially in borderline creditworthiness cases – and it’s cheaper, too, considering the monthly costs. You should also keep in mind that you only pay for the use, so no interest is added, which every loan entails.