My experience buying used car
I have never bought a new car. I'm the kind of person that consider the car as a tool and not something I will enjoy driving. For me a car is transportation and since I live and work outside the downtown a car is a quasi necessity.
All car seller are not equals
I have bought 4 used cars so far. I just want to share my experience buying used car.
First experience buying used car
My first one was a Pontiac grand prix that was already 8 years old.
I drove it for 4 years. I buy it at a cheap used car dealer, I was lucky it works well
Second experience buying used car
For my second vehicule I got a 3 years old Chevrolet Cavalier from used car dealer auto Durocher of Laval in Dec 2000.
It was deliver with tire that had been repair on the side of the tire (This kind of repair I thing is illegal to do in Quebec since it's dangerous). I drove it for more then 5 years without big problems.
Third experience buying used car
It was in 2005; I give a try to the used car dealer type "from finance company car". 2 bad ones H Gregoire and Corporatif Renaud (3 of 4 places close and now the last one is name Automobile Renaud. but same owner)
First I go to H Gregoire. I hate having a used car dealer seller that put pressure and is always in your back. Then I run fast out of that place. this type of used car dealer is not for me.
Second I try the neighbour Corporatif Renaud. There I have see a Chevrolet Alero 2004 for 10K too cheap to be true. The used car dealer seller tells me it was a women that was driving, never been accident. I needed to sign the contract to keep it and been able to make an inspection, I used the service of the guy from APA that makes verification where you ask him to go. I learn from him it was easy to detect it was accident, from Ontario and buy from a body shop there. When I tell them I don't want this accident car and want to have write on the contract it is cancel. The seller asks me to go inside to see the boss since he can't write cancel on a contract. She immediately begins to yield at me saying your contract is not valid anyway it have take more then 48 hours to have the inspection. (Yes it have taken 72 hours to get an appointments, but no mention of time was anywhere only that I will make an inspection and I have tell them when and they say ok) She continue to yield at me "you want this contract cancel it is cancel" and she take the contract from my hand and rip my copy of the contract. I tell her that ripping my copy of the contract makes no sense since it's their copy that can be used against me. Then she yield at another employee to get their copy and then she rip it, but constantly yelling at me I know nothing that those contract are not real contract and that they don't need trouble maker like me as client.
My advise avoid Corporatif Renaud that is exactly the bad used car dealer that make the reputation they have.
In 2006 I have go to the Nissan used car dealer (Chomedey Nissan) and buy a used Sentra 2003, except for the "jobber" break they put on the car that always make noise, the car was very fine.
The price was 500-800$ over the "from finance company car" used car dealer place. But I think Brand Dealer worth this difference.
I recommend Chomedey Nissan for buying used car. Just need to check the price difference to other used car dealer (see below for why I don't buyed another used car there the second time)
Fourth experience buying used car
After I had an accident with my previous Sentra at the ends of Jan 2008 I shop again.
First I look around what is the price (4-5 used car dealer online, black book value).
Second I go to the same used car dealer as the previous one, Chomedey Nissan. But the price was a bit high and he don't really have the car I was expecting. And this time it was 1500-2000$ over the price of "from finance company car" used car dealer place.
I decided to shop to other "from finance company car" used car dealer place. This times autos P.B. and Auto Publique.
First I have go to Autos P.B. seems clean business. But what is written on car and the car sometimes don't match. Auto P.B. sell the 1.8 Sentra for a 1.8S with the price of a 1.8S without all the gear that make the S (odometer, cruise control, electric group, etc.) Auto P.B. also had a real 1.8S but not prepared well. possibly a single mistakes, but knowing all the bad things around used car dealer this was a big red light for me on auto P.B.
Now the used car seller story
I go to Auto Publique Laval they have 3 Sentra that interest me. One was sold during the time I look around on the net and other dealers.
Then I ask for another one. It was in Auto Publique Mirabel. I will try to get it here tomorrow morning by the transport, but it's not sure (Saturday, I call late on Friday and don't expect to have it on Saturday anyway).
I called around 11 he tell me it was on the back of the yard and they can't take it, but I can go to try it there if I want.Just call him if I want to go.
I decided to go to see the Auto P.B. Laval show room to look at other car and then to Auto publique Laval show room and see the seller and tell him I want to go to see the car at Auto Public Mirabel.
He then tells me that in the morning then can't open the fence and he want to confirm it is now open. I tell him if I can't try it on road I will not go.
He calls at Mirabel and they tell him that the fence was open. I got at Mirabel (25Km) I see the car. I ask to try it on the road. The answer was "It's on the back of the yard there is 6 car in front and I'm a girl and the only seller here today I don't move all the cars". I already tell the seller from Laval I will not move the cars. I drove back to see the seller in Laval. He tells me I will get it for Monday and the other Sentra in the storage that I will get also and can compare.
I was not happy and go back to Auto P.B. I start to look all Auto P.B. show room but only some vehicules had some interest for me. then I go back to examine more closely the previouly found Sentra 1.8S it had repair needed since there was a shock between park and rear. This is motor support, they say they will change it, and the seller added the car seems to have not been prepared it is not buff and compound, we will make it.
I don't like car in show room needing repair and it had higher millage and higher price tag. so I decided that Auto P.B. choice was not at that time better and I will wait for the other used car dealer for Monday.
First inconsistency
Let take a breath and see where I should have seen something is probably wrong. The transport can get it was on the back of the yard ... transport never go there since the fence is in the ice and can't be open by the 2 girls.
On Monday 4 PM the seller call me and tell me he can't get the car from Auto Publique Mirabel since it is not starting (it have start on Saturday, it has an ignition cut system (not really written well on the car what are the steps to start it), but he has the other one if I want to see and try it.
I tried it. I needed to get a deposit to take it to inspection. I hate that practice from the used car dealer but seems no way to get out of it. I then get it to inspection on Tuesday. nothing important found (rear window break light not working, speed 2 of air not working, broken and wrong wiper touching the body, etc.)
I will try to get it Friday, but it can be Monday. I will ask the Garage. He calls the garage. We make it for Thursday. On Thursday I call ... I ask and call you back. The rear window break light it's the piece that is broken they need to order it and they have no time to make it tomorrow it will be Monday. Ok on Monday he calls me around 3PM. I go there and finished everything on the paper side. I had forgotten my list and was a bit hurry to go back to works and have not verified the repair (yes I have made another mistakes). When I arrived at the office I looked. The wiper was not changed. The speed 2 of the air was not working. I call him back to tell him at least some repair have not been done and that I will verify in the evening and call him the next day around 2 PM since he work only after 1 PM.
I checked and nothing was done except the passenger door that seems to have been Lubricate. The next day I call him and then I got an appointment for the next morning. It took 30 minutes and it was solved. They tell me they had change the rear window break light the week before. Should I believe that? ....
Let see what happen now!
I'm neutral on Autos P.B. Laval and don't recommend Auto Publique
You can refer to the APA investigation on used car dealer:
APA investigation
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