Louisville shoppers buy more used cars each year than they do new ones and that’s more true than ever in this tricky economy. But when you buy a used car, very often you’re the one who feels used.
I hear the sob stories about crummy used cars day in and day out. Problem is, most people make no effort to check out a used car before they seal the deal. Guess what, folks: You cannot return a used car. Let me say that again: You cannot return a used car.

There are federal laws that guarantee refunds for certain products sold in certain places but cars are not one of them. It’s an incredibly expensive piece of machinery and once you sign on the dotted line, it’s yours.

I recently heard from a woman from Louisville who bought a sleek Toyota Celica. Of course, she didn’t find out until three months later that the car had been in a wreck so bad that the front end was in the front seat. If She had the car checked out in the first place, she would have learned that there were still price tags on her rebuilt engine. Her hood was hopelessly crooked. The purchase hurt her pocketbook and could have hurt her. The car was too dangerous to drive, for her, and the other residents of Louisville.

So where should you shop for a used car?

New car dealers in Louisville have advantages because they get so many trade-in vehicles. Most new car dealers have their own shops so they can tune up the trade-in and offer a warranty. Typically, dealers sell the cleanest trade-ins themselves and dump the dirtier ones at auctions. But these days, used cars are in such high demand that new car dealers may supplement their supply by buying at an auction.

By law, a dealer in Louisville must post a “buyer’s guide” on each used car that tells you whether the car is being sold “as is” or with a warranty. The buyer’s guide becomes a part of your sales contract, so hang onto it. If the used car was serviced at the dealership, you may be able to get copies of the service records. If the dealer is offering a basic warranty on the car, you may be able to negotiate to get more things covered.

Louisville used car dealers get most of their cars at the wholesale auctions, which are not open to the general public. Keep in mind that even reputable used car dealers may get mostly the leftovers that new car dealers didn’t want. Beware of used car dealerships that are brand new, change names often or move around a lot. Used car dealers must also post the “buyer’s guide” that tells you whether a car comes with a warranty. If the guide is missing, it’s illegal.

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