Walking in Ready to Buy; What to Bring With You to a Dealership in Richmond

Car dealerships are like airports; waiting is eternal, all the proper paperwork has to be in order, and the food options while you wait are typically lacking. There are several steps you can take as a customer to make the process of buying used cars in Richmond, Va faster and smoother. While these steps are specific to our requirements at our Buy Here Pay Here lot at Airport Auto Sales, they will help make any dealership experience swift by having them ready before walking through the door.

If you are planning on financing at the dealership you will be required to provide references. For our Buy Here Pay Here lot we require six contacts. References are often confused with co-signers; however, they will not be responsible for the loan. References help the dealership protect themselves against loan fraud by providing further proof that you are who you say you are. They also offer the dealership several ways to contact you in case payments fall delinquent. You should be ready with their legal names, an address, cell number, and work number.

It may seem obvious, but making sure that you have a driver’s license in good standing order will make both the sale and insurance process go much smoother. A good way of doing this is by getting the DMV to run a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) that will show any suspended or revoked licences as well as driver activity and fines. Not only will the report allow time to go to the DMV if there is an issue with the license, it can give you and your insurance company a chance to better estimate if the activity will affect premium. The Virginia DMV charges $8 for an uncertified report you can order online. Many people assume their license is in good standing only to find out they owe a ticket or property tax when they get their insurance.

Getting insurance for used cars in Richmond, Va is the most time consuming part of the buying process. The most efficient way of getting insurance is to have it before you reach the Buy Here Pay Here lot to sign your paperwork. By calling the dealership and finding out what insurance is required for the financed vehicle, you can skip that 20 to 40 minute purgatory of having to sit in the dealership waiting room while being on the phone. Airport Auto Sales requires insurance with comprehensive and collision deductibles of 500. Other used cars in Richmond, Va may have different limits but if the vehicle is being financed it will always require comprehensive and collision coverage. Once you have the vehicle’s VIN, year, make, and model of that you want to purchase you can call and add it to your insurance. If you end up not purchasing the vehicle you can always have it removed from the policy.

Lastly, have your down payment ready. Calling ahead and getting a quote will give you an idea of how much money to bring with you. At our Buy Here Pay Here lot we can accept cash, debit, or credit cards. Other dealerships may require cash so calling ahead is a good way to not be blindsided.  Buying a car can seem like a tiresome process but by preparing from home, the process should be effortless ad quick once you arrive.