Before you buy a used car

BEFORE YOU BUY A USED CAR (Courtesy of Bernard Brown, Consumer Advocate, Trial Lawyer, Member of The National Association of Consumer Advocates and all around good guy)

BEFORE SIGNING ANYTHING OR MAKING ANY PAYMENT:

1) INSIST ON BUYING ONLY A "ONE OWNER", AND ON TALKING WITH THE PRIOR OWNER BEFORE SIGNING OR PAYING ANYTHING,

and ask that owner everything you can think of (like are you the original owner, has the car been wrecked, why did you trade it off, did it have any problems, how much did you get on trade-in, and get a story that seems likely to be true)

AND

2) HAVE THE CAR CHECKED OUT BY A MECHANIC WHO ALSO CAN SPOT BODY DAMAGE,

making sure the mechanic looks for mechanical things of all kinds and body damage.

also:

3) ASK THE DEALER TO GIVE YOU A "CARFAX" PRINTOUT ON THE CAR

4) ASK THE DEALER IF THE CAR HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND REQUEST A COPY OF ANY INSPECTION DOCUMENTS.

5) IF YOU ARE DEALING WITH A MAJOR DEALER (FORD, GM, CHRYSLER, ETC.), REQUEST A COPY OF THE ONLINE WARRANTY HISTORY MAINTAINED BY THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT.

6) NEVER, I MEAN NEVER SIGN A CONTRACT OR ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS WHICH CONTAIN AN ARBITRATION CLAUSE OR OTHER DISPUTE RESOLVING CLAUSE WHICH IS BINDING AND ELIMINATES YOUR RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL.

7) READ FINANCING DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY AND SHOP AROUND FOR YOUR OWN FINANCING,

(and refuse to pay "document fees" or "processing fees", and make sure you get the interest rate you agreed on, and proper credit for any trade-in)

8) DON'T BUY ANY SERVICE CONTRACTS, OR CREDIT LIFE OR DISABILITY INSURANCE, OR UNDERCOATING, OR SUCH ITEMS ?

they are grossly overpriced and unnecessary.