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Buy or Sell Your Used car, truck or van in Ontario on Shop Auto

The new kid on the block, Shop Auto Corporation brings a fresh look to online vehicle classifieds and bring rich colour to their weekly publication that is circulated across Ontario.

On ShopAuto.ca you will find various tools to help you find your next used vehicle. To start, when searching for your next car, truck, van or suv, you will be able to search for the standard options of year, make, model, and price. But now you may also search for transmission type and use their custom key word search option to find exactly what you are looking for.

With each search, Shop Auto displays the vehicle’s primary information, the dealership in which the vehicle is located at, with a map to location, an online application form for financing, if needed and many more options at your fingertips. With the multiple images of each vehicle, which is free of charge to all and the inventory scroll option on each summary page, it is rated one of the best online vehicle classified sites in Canada!

After finding your used car, truck, van or SUV, you can then used Shop Auto’s instant online insurance quote to find out what to expect on the your next insurance bill. Even if you are just browsing and not planning to buy or sell your vehicle right away, you may play their Win A Car  giveaway, which is drawn every month!

Currently, Shop Auto is offering free online classified listings to all residents of Ontario! That’s right. You may sell your auto for free and have all options at your fingertips! Take a look today, you won’t be disappointed.

Shop Auto soon will be one the biggest and well know vehicle classified sources in Canada.

Used Cars and the Importance of Vehicle History Reports

So you’re looking for a “new” used car.  You have weighed the pros and cons of buying brand new versus buying used.  And now, the daunting task of wading through all the myriad vehicles available looms before you.  Of course, you want a car that runs well, and will be reliable.  But how do you know whether to surrender your confidence to the smiling salesman that says “trust me”?  Once you have found a car that appeals to you in looks, and price, it is strongly suggested that you request a vehicle history report.

Obtaining a vehicle history report is one important step in helping to prevent a buyer from purchasing a used car that could potentially become a heart-wrenching experience of endless, expensive repairs after the fact.  The information which a vehicle history report provides a used car shopper, if known, includes the following in great detail:

• Rebuilt/reconstructed
• Airbag deployment
• Recall check
• Used as a crash test vehicle
• Mileage accuracy
• Stolen
• Odometer rollback and mileage consistency checks
• Lemon check
• Classified a total loss or "write off"
• Number of owners and date/location of ownership
• Accidents with descriptions
• Leased vehicle
• Used as a rental or fleet vehicle
• Damage from flood, hail, or fire
• Used as a taxi or police car
• Warranty check
• Salvaged, junked, or dismantled.

Routine maintenance and repair information is not included in the report.  Neither is data and information on vehicles prior to 1981 included.

A quick and easy way to obtain a vehicle history report on a specific used car is to do an online search and type in vehicle history report in the search field.  The search will render a list of companies from which to choose. Look for the ones that do a thorough search on a vehicle in both Canada and the United States. Some companies will offer a price for one vehicle report or a slightly increased price for multiple reports.  (Remember, you will need the VIN number of each car being researched).  The expense is worth it.  A report can be done over the internet from the comfort of your own home.  And you will save hours of time by quickly eliminating the lemons.

Lemons vs. Oranges

Once upon a time there was a boy who was not like other little boys. This boy was different. While the other little boys painted blue skies, this young boy painted purple skies. While the other boys commented how green the grass was, this little boy saw only brown. While the other young boys could match their own clothes in the morning, this little boy had to rely on his mother to dress him appropriately. Although a sad tale, it is true, for this little boy was me.

Living with the deficiency of colorblindness really is not as difficult as it may sound, but it can be challenging at times. Similarly, purchasing a used car isn’t as difficult as it may sound, but it too can be challenging at times.

When I was younger my parents read to me a scripture from the Bible which read “by their fruits ye shall know them”, but unfortunately when you’re color blind it’s much more important to first know the fruit before you know anything. I often confused yellows and oranges which wasn’t necessarily a major concern except when it came to fruits. Too many times I confused a lemon to be an orange, or an orange to be a lemon, and trust me, there’s a big difference in taste

Likewise, when purchasing a used vehicle it may look like an “orange” but in actuality be a “lemon”, and if you’re lucky, you may come across a “lemon car” that turns out to be an “orange”. Allow me to share some words of advice on how to recognize a “lemon car” so that you don’t’ experience what I have experienced in finding out what looked like an orange really was a sour lemon.

Research

Before shopping for a car, it is incredibly beneficial to do sufficient research to know what exactly it is that you want. Utilize all possible resources, including friends, mechanics, car salesmen and saleswomen, books, magazines, etc. There are various resources online which provide reviews of most models of cars including well known defects and other known issues.

Control Your Emotions

Don’t get too attached to a car before you buy it. It is extremely easy to allow your emotions to sway your decisions, possibly resulting in overlooking signs that would otherwise tell you that it is a “lemon”

Beware of Small Car Lots

If you decide to avoid private sellers, you should always buy used cars from lots that are connected to new car dealerships. Trade-ins are often much better quality vehicles. Also, since they are affiliated with a much larger dealership they typically will offer better warranties, incase your “orange” ends up being a “lemon”.

Professional Inspection

Before purchasing a used car from anyone, be sure to have it thoroughly inspected by a professional mechanic. Depending on the auto body shop, it can cost as little as $30 and as much as $100. Although most buyers would prefer to not invest in a vehicle they have not yet purchased, this small investment may be the difference between being colorblind and not.

Mileage

The average yearly mileage of most vehicles is 20,000 kilometers (15,000 miles). This is important to know as it allows the buyer to understand how hard the vehicle has been driven in the past, and the mileage life expectancy of the car.

Vehicle Identification Number

Find out the cars VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), and research the vehicle’s history online. Through running the VIN, you are able to view the car’s accident history as well as repair and recall history. Without researching the vehicle’s personal history by using the VIN, you might as well be blind picking oranges and lemons rather than only colorblind.

Over the years I have learned to compensate for my colorblindness deficiency and fortunately have not had as much difficulty telling the difference between a lemon and an orange as I did when I was younger. Hopefully by following these few words of advice you will be able to avoid the deceiving “lemons” and enjoy the sweet taste of “oranges” (whether colorblind or not).

Preserving Your Vehicle’s Resale Value

• Maintenance
• Change oil and filter every 3 months or 3,000 miles (regardless of ownership manual)
• Frequent servicing is inexpensive (approximately $20/oil change)
• Follow service schedule in owner’s manual
• Interior Upkeep
• Keep it looking new
• No smoking, eating
• Regular Cleaning (use protective products)
• Dash cover (avoid cracks)
• Matching bath towel (fading fabric in rear window)
• Seat covers (maintain upholstery)
• Exterior Upkeep
• Regular washing (use protective products)
• Touch up paint
• Park in shade
• Park far from other vehicles (avoid dings from doors)
• Re-seal exposed metal (avoid rust)
• Repair small/simple repairs (fender benders)
• Utilize salvage yards
• Driving Style
• Avoid hard driving (especially on cold engine)
• Allow engine to reach normal operating temperature (5-7 minutes on stone cold engine)
• Take it easy on accelerator
• Records
• Keep records (receipts) of all service and repairs
• Keep log for personal/private repairs
• Detailing
• Thorough deep cleaning (steam clean, wax, buff, vacuum)
• Knowledge
• Insure car’s value
• Compare classified ads
• Kelly Blue Book