Car Buying Tips, Techniques and Resources
Car Buying Tips Blog has all you'll need to quickly arrive at a decision that results in you finding the best car you've ever owned.

• Feb 14, Background Check Services
  What to look for in a background check and a Background Check Services Company
• Jan 28, Really Stupid Law Makers in Kansas City Try to Legislate a Law Against Stupidity...Huh!
  Yes. A really stupid move was afoot in the Kansas City halls of justice where a proposal to ban smoking in cars carrying children was floated on the back of a larger bill and was ultimately nixed. Thank God. Currently, the proposed law stops people from lighting up in restaurants, most bars and other public places.
  
  The proposal to ban smoking in private vehicles lasted only a day as part of this larger bill dealing with smoking in public places. Kansas lawmakers removed language from the bill that would make it illegal to smoke in cars with children.
  
  That decision was made by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  
  Smart move!
  
  I'm a smoker and I don't have a problem with that. I'm respectful of others around me and their right to breath clean air, so if I want to smoke I'll go outside.
  
  But sorry folks...this floated bill was just plain STUPID.
  
  Don't these lawmakers have more important issues to contend with?
  
  Let's face it. It's pretty dumb to drive in a car with children and smoke in their presence knowing what we know today about the effects of second-hand smoke. But come on now! What's next...legistation against people smoking in their own homes because non-smokers are present? Smoking bans in public places are one thing, but now non-smokers are infringing on smokers private places too...no not down there silly!
  
  It's a personal choice to smoke. People around smokers who don't smoke don't have that choice. I realize that and I respect it. Maybe some folks still don't realize the effect second-hand smoke has on their children. Maybe they don't take it seriously enough. Or maybe their just plain STUPID!
  
  However you cut it...raising public awareness further is needed, not government involvement our private lives. Let's face it, you can't legislate STUPID.
  
• Dec 15, J.D. Power and Associates says that customer satisfaction with new vehicles purchased in 2006 up 5 points from 2005
  JDP's 2006 Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study released in November showed that customer satisfaction with the new-vehicle sales process has reached a record high. On a 1,000-point scale the new car industry achieved an SSI score of 847, a 5-point increase from 2006.
  
  The 2006 SSI Study was based on responses from 42,218 new-vehicle buyers who registered their vehicles in May of 2006.
  
  Overall customer satisfaction was measured based on five factors: dealership facility, salesperson, paperwork/finance process, delivery process and vehicle price.
  
  A leading cause cited for lost sales at new-vehicle dealerships was poor customer treatment, according to about 50 of all shoppers who walked away from a dealership.
  
  Vehicle shoppers hit the new car dealerships better informed than ever before and ready to buy with more than one-half visiting only their selling dealer.
  
  A major concern that customers had dealt with the time it took to purchase a new vehicle. On average, the entire purchase process takes approximately 3 hours. Vehicle selection typically takes the most time, averaging 47 minutes, followed by negotiating the deal (38 minutes) and paperwork/finance (32 minutes). One area impacting sales satisfaction is the time customers wait between negotiating the deal and beginning the paperwork and financing process, which currently averages 31 minutes.  It was determined that auto dealerships need to do a better job managing the buyers time productively by doing things like introducing the customer to the service department or acquainting them with the features of the new vehicle.
  
  It was determined that nearly one-third of all new-vehicle sales occurred on either a Saturday or Sunday. However, satisfaction was consistently lower on the weekend compared to weekdays on every factor, primarily due to a longer process (more people = longer wait). It took an average of 22 minutes longer to purchase a car on a Saturday or Sunday verses a week day.
  
  The study showed that Jaguar ranked highest in satisfying buyers with the new-vehicle sales process. With an SSI score of 912, Jaguar lead its closest competitor, Cadillac, by 21 points. Jaguar ranked highest for its third consecutive year.
  
  Also, the purchase experience set the tone for the subsequent relationship with customers during the entire vehicle-ownership cycle, according to the study. While four of five new-vehicle buyers expressed a general interest in spending future service dollars at the selling dealer, less than one-half (45) indicated that they definitely planed on doing so. It appears that when sales satisfaction declines, the intention to return also declines, which is what you would logically expect.
  
• Dec 2, 50 Million Souls May Now Be In Reach Of Credit Bliss!
  Listen up all you credit underserved (no...not undeserved...silly)!  Fair Isaac, those FICO score guys, recently completed a study for the credit industry, whereby, they proved that they could reliably and consistently predicts credit risk levels using non-traditional credit data.
  
  Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking..."so what does this mean and what does it have to do with me?"
  
  Right! Well...  
  
  Maybe nothing if you've got a long established credit history, but this is really big for the younglings just starting out on their own, or immigrants for that matter.