The Used Car Market. The Ways Of Sellers – As A Warning

UNITED STATES—In today’s post, we will deviate a bit from the formula we usually use to warn you about the dishonesty of used car dealers and private individuals. We do this because of the need to show the perfidy “professionals” in the field of cheating buyers of aftermarket cars. If anyone doubts why our business is so important and the scale of the problem we have to deal with, we recommend the following post or one of the car forums, where we found all these “clever tricks” in just one post. As an appetizer, a quote from someone who wants to hide the absence of airbags after an accident: “if you lit up the airbags, which are no longer there after the accident, you need to solder a diode”. Want more?

What are dealers willing to do for money?

In new cars, it is electronics that are the buyer’s friend, because it informs about malfunctions that need to be eliminated and should increase safety on the road. JunkCarsUS team gives you cash for junk cars in Las Vegas and in other cities of the world, while we understand both the market and your needs. Used car sellers, for the most part, however, do not care about such a trifle, because among them, you can come across those who know how to deal with unwanted errors displayed on the dashboard. You will never guess how it is done. However, this thought explains a lot:

If we have an appointment to sell the car at the service center, then you need to come to the service center in advance with your own laptop and delete the errors. Errors usually return only after a few or even several kilometers of driving, so it is important that the car enters the service in perfect condition without errors, and in ASO they will not find much. Then, when the guy buys it, we are protected that after all he was in the service and everything was fine, and you can even say on the service that they broke something.

To be dealt with at home

The customer is supposed to be happy that everything fits and looks authentic. With used cars it can be done at a cost, only you need to know how to go about it. Forum specialists know their stuff very well, so they recommend the following patents to other whacks who want to make money:

• buying the cheapest, tired, but original windshield, as it is better received by the customer than a brand-new replacement (a way to hide suspicions about the accident past of a particular unit),
• new gaskets are just an unnecessary waste of money, besides, they can arouse suspicion, especially in copies of several years old,
• protruding seals should be corrected with cyanophage (it holds poorly, but if you do it before the visit of the customer, it will last and look good),
• when the car pulls to one side while driving we say that the bearing is probably damaged (a defect with a low cost of elimination, and you can hide the crooked structure after the accident),
• pulling the car when driving straight also works the argument about the recent replacement of wheels and the need to do the geometry and alignment (also a small cost for the buyer, even a trifle),
• at ASO they do not check wheel alignment and geometry unless the customer requests such a service extra, but it costs a lot, so there is a good chance that the crooked design will not come out,
• the argument with customers who just want to drive and have no serious intentions when it comes to buying vehicles is a good excuse for having to drive the car by the seller, not the potential buyer,
• black upholstery and steering wheel trim can be renewed with reskin (the effect for a few days, so it is complete enough to sell, you just need to remember that it is not a plastic cleaner, because it shines too much),
• it can be patched with fluid (the system will maintain pressure for a while and there is a good chance that the error will not pop up),
• for engine problems, it is good to wipe the underside of the oil filler cap because if it is clean it will not arouse suspicion (possibly you can pour “doctor” some only if the viewer does not buy it is better not to drive such a car, so as not to damage something additionally).

Market

In the first four months of this year alone, more than 291,000 cars entered our country. This is 59.4 percent more than in the same period last year when there were 108.5 thousand units. So far, the record-breaking month was March, when more than 83 thousand cars were imported. In April (which a year ago was a better month for importers) it was less than 79.8 thousand cars.

A strong final

It’s time for the final rundown of used car dealers’ scams:

• for the problem with each module, there is one simple way, and that is to remove the corresponding fuse (which to remove, you have on the spread in the trunk and the front passenger compartment on the dashboard),
• the car indicates an error in ABS, traction, etc., but it is enough to tell the customer that the sensor is probably screwed up, and for a few tens of dollars the problem can be eliminated at any service center,
• worn absorbers and too-low ground clearance can be safely justified by the user’s settings (someone lowered it to this level so has),
• so if they have dropped because the sensor is whacked, just a moment’s spin and a hex bolt,
• it’s only a car for enthusiasts and as such, it’s only worth showing it (it’s also a waste of time and money to pick),
• in order not to spoil the market, do not sell pickup cars to friends and people from the forum, because many of them are pretty cool people.