San Diego Auto Connection

If you are searching for a pre-owned vehicle, have you ever wondered what the "story" is of the one you are considering buying?  In other words, who owned it before, how did they take care of it, has it been in any accidents, etc...  With the introduction of vehicle history reports such as CarFax and AutoCheck, they have helped open the eyes of the industry and the consumer to care more about this information.  

While the above mentioned vehicle history reports are great, they don't tell you everything!  A savvy shopper will want to know how it has been maintained, what service work has been done recently, and what service work is coming up soon for that vehicle.  Unfortunately a vehicle history report doesn't offer you that information.

"Sounds Great", I am sure you are saying, but wondering how you can get that additional information.  I've found a great pre-owned dealership in San Diego that has been around for over 20 years that can help you with that information.  You see, San Diego Auto Connection gets their inventory from consumers just like you.  They have been operating an auto buying service since they started, where they buy vehicles directly from other consumers, recondition them and then remarket them to new consumers.  During their buying process they actually get to meet the prior owner of the vehicle, conduct a thorough inspection of it, learn about the history and maintenance of it, and properly identify all that should be done to the vehicle before it is re-sold!

Unfortunately for consumers, most dealerships stock their inventory from vehicles they have purchased at area auctions or from wholesalers - neither of whom can provide the valuable historical information about that particular vehicle to help make a sound and wise purchase decision.

So why even go a store like San Diego Auto Connection versus just buying from another consumer?  Good question and here are a few good reasons why:  1) SDAC puts each vehicle through a thorough mechanical and cosmetic reconditioning process to address any major issues with the vehicle, 2) They are a reputable dealership rated A+ with the BBB and stand behind what they sell, and 3) Unlike another consumer they offer some tremendous financing options, take trade-ins, and offer extended warranties to provide you peace of mind coverage for the future!

Bottom line, if you are shopping for a pre-owned vehicle - know what you are buying before you do it!  Learn all that you can so you can make a smart purchase decision.  www.sandiegoautoconnection.com

Trying to sell your current vehicle?  How fun!  I hope you caught the sarcasm.   The initial question that comes to mind is “How much is my car worth?”  Consumer sites do provide some basic guides, but do not factor the five primary considerations of the value of a vehicle; 1) what is the current market demand for your vehicle (remember Econ 101…supply and demand), 2) what is the current cosmetic condition, 3) what is the current mechanical condition, 4) how many people have owned this vehicle and finally 5) Has it been in any prior accidents.  The answers to each of these questions can swing the value of your vehicle by hundreds to thousands of dollars.  Unfortunately most people don’t realize that and use a guide online to pick a price.  What happens is then it takes longer to sell the vehicle and/or you get offers that you feel are unrealistic, when in reality your asking price might be unrealistic!

Once you’ve come up with the price you are going to try and sell your vehicle for, you than have to ask yourself “Where will I advertise it?”  There are a few primary options – First, the local street corner or shopping center, which then leaves you without your vehicle for the day, at risk for it receiving a ticket (many cities have now banned citizens from parking vehicles on public streets for the purpose of selling them), or even having it broken into.  Second, you can try craigslist, which gets a lot of attention because it is free (in most markets).  However then you run the risk of the potential customer you are meeting turning out to be a robber.    “The married couple from Fremont thought they were buying a silver 2003 Mercedes-Benz through Craigslist.  After meeting the seller at the Lake Merritt BART Station this week in Oakland, they climbed in the back seat of the luxury car and were driven to their bank, where they withdrew $8,500 to complete the deal.  Minutes later, the seller picked up a second man - and that's when the guns came out. The Fremont couple - forced out of the car and stranded on an Oakland freeway - had just become victims of one of a growing list of Craigslist robberies, dubbed by police "robberies by appointment."  It's a worrisome trend that has prompted renewed warnings from authorities, who say the criminals have been especially busy in the East Bay over the last few months. In Berkeley, police say, four victims hoping to buy cars off the popular Internet site have been robbed at gunpoint since June, possibly by the same two men. There have been several other such holdups in Oakland, and similar heists have been reported this month in Castro Valley and Fremont. (www.sfgate.com, August 30, 2012).  The third primary way is to pay for an online package with a car advertising website.  Your challenge here is that you are mixed in with hundreds of other vehicles, including ads from dealerships who offer financing, warranties, and typically pay extra for premium placement above the competition.

After all of this, you are then still left with not knowing if people will actually show up for their appointment, whether they will even make you an offer and if they have the money to pay you for the vehicle.  What happens if you have an auto loan on your car and you need your customers’ money in order to pay off the bank and get the title, but they want the title before they pay you?  Who is going to do all the DMV paperwork?  What if the customer needs a loan?  What kind of payment can you accept – remember, a stop payment can even be placed on a cashier’s check!  To quote the great talk show host, Arsenio Hall, “Things that make you go…Hmmmm”.

There is an alternative to all this in Southern California.  San Diego Auto Connection opened its doors in 1992 as an automotive buying service – a solution for people looking to sell their vehicle.  In about 25 to 30 minutes, they inspect your vehicle and make you an offer (unless you misrepresent your vehicle or it has frame damage, you’ll get an offer!).  If you accept the offer in about another 15 to 20 minutes all the DMV paperwork will be prepared and you’ll be receiving your payment!  If you have a payoff with a bank, San Diego Auto Connection facilitates that and will process the payoff to your bank and wait for the title themselves!  I know what you might be saying, “But they are a business.  They won’t offer me enough!”   San Diego Auto Connection buys 25 to 30 percent of every vehicle it sees (not bad considering the condition of some of the vehicles that they evaluate).

San Diego Auto Connection is The Auto SuperCenter  in San Diego’s Best Auto Mall, the Mission Valley Auto Circle.  Their address is 1561 Camino Del Rio South, San Diego, CA  92108  (858)546-1222.  They are open 7 days a week, except major holidays.