Posts tagged: Consumers

Shipping your new car

By admin, October 1, 2010 5:36 am

Many people shop for used cars and trucks online today, especially when they are looking for a specialty vehicle. There are fantastic deals online, plus many websites offer great opportunities to search thousands of cars. But once you find what you are looking for, how do you arrange to have it delivered?

Car shipping is simply the method of transporting your vehicle from point A to point B. As consumers, there are a few things that are very important when choosing someone who is going to ship your vehicle. First, when considering car shipping, the cost to ship is very important. Is their price competitive and reasonable? Second, you need to know if the business has a good quality and safety record. Will the methods they use for shipping my car assure me that my vehicle will arrive safely and in one piece at the destination? Finally, it is important to consider punctuality when considering a car shipping business. Will my vehicle arrive when it was promised to arrive?

Some shipping companies are only domestic. Other shippers deal with international countries. When looking for a car shipping business, you must consider from where you will start and what your destination will be. How much experience does the company have in shipping to that destination?

I have learned the hard way about which questions to ask when shipping a car or other vehicle internationally. My experience taught me that there is a lot to learn before committing to a specific car shipping company. The costs to ship your vehicle will be significantly more than shipping domestically. Also, when shipping internationally, you must have clear title to the vehicle in order to get the vehicle through customs with both the outgoing and incoming countries.

When selecting a car shipping company, ask them in writing, when exactly your car will depart and when it will arrive. My last experience was not good. My car sat around waiting for other cars to go to the same country. It took an extra four months for my car to even leave port, let alone arrive at its destination.

It is important to verify the arrival date as well. You will likely have to pay some customs fees to receive your incoming vehicle. Be sure to have the original title with you as well as the original bill of landing when you want to claim your vehicle. The car shipping company should be able to provide you with an exact date of arrival for your vehicle.

The best advice is to shop wisely and ask a lot of questions when looking for a car shipping company. Choose someone who has a lot of experience and a proven track record. If your car shipping company does not have the experience needed, you may find that you have many paperwork headaches, not to mention the chance of your new car being damaged.

2008 New Car Release Strategy

By admin, June 11, 2010 5:36 am

Why do automobile manufactures release new models at all times of the year?

People shopping for cars today, face the same decisions they did in years past, 2-door or 4-door, car, truck, van, or SUV. The idea of buying versus leasing is now on the table once again. The idea of buying a car in the middle of 2007 and having to decide between a 2007 and a 2008 muddies the water. Some of these vehicles will be all-new models, others radically different, while still others with only slight alterations.

Manufacturers are using the release of the new 2008 products as more of a strategy than in years previous years. They realize they have the power to create targeted traffic at given points of the selling season with these new releases. They no longer have to share the same pie with every other automaker. The traditional introduction of the models in early October created to much competition between the manufacturers. All the automakers were introducing their new lineup at the same time and sharing the spotlight with all the other automakers. A model can be deemed a 2008 so long as it goes on sale after January 1st of the current year.

Consumers are split relatively evenly between the bargain of the left over model and the idea of having the latest and greatest. There is certainly a price to be paid for stepping up into a new 2008 model. Many consumers opt to pay more for the 2008 because the 2007 does not seem quite so new anymore. While the bargain hunters can save even more during the buzz of the newly released models.

This is a win-win for the dealerships. The manufacturers need to assist the dealers in moving out the 2007 products (heavier incentives) and the profits for the dealers can be significantly higher on the fresh 2008 products.

More and more new models for 2008 are being produced monthly.