Have any of you bought your new car off the internet? Why did you do it, and how? For a few months I’ve been researching cars on the net, went a couple of weeks ago and testdrove a few. I know what I want, but I hate the thought of going in and haggling with a car salesman.
I haven’t done it myself but I know people that have and the internet is far from screw-proof as far as cars go. Some dealers advertise low, no-haggle prices on the web and then tack on lots of extra fees at closing. Something like a $500 processing fee (filling out the forms) is something to watch out for. Other places may charge ridiculous fees like advertising fees.
You can get a good deal without much pain but the fact that it is sold on a web site rather than a newspaper ad won’t protect you. If you are talking about used cars, then the same rules as a traditional car auction apply and there are many scams out there.
Make sure you know the final price that you will actually pay rather than something like “$100 over invoice” that can end up being much more when you sign.
Good luck and caveat emptor.