Buying a Used Truck from an Individual

You are looking to buy a truck, and you don't have a whole lot of money. So, in order to be able to get what you want, you decide that you are going to get your truck by using the classified ads in your local newspaper. Congratulations! This is probably one of the best ways that you can go about getting that perfect truck you have always wanted.

As you are going through the classified ads, and making your decision on which ones to try and buy, keep in mind a few things. The first thing that you should try and remember is that you are going to want to use your best phone etiquette when calling to set up a time to look at your future truck. This is an important step, due to the fact that you want to make a positive impression on the person selling the truck. What this means is that you do not want to call to ask for a chance to look at your new truck during the middle of the night. Before calling to set up the appointment, make a list of all the questions that you are going to ask the owner, and that way you can write down the answers, and help in your comparison of the vehicles.

As you head over to your vehicle viewing appointment, keep in mind that you are in essence going to a business meeting. Make sure that you behave yourself, and at the same time if you are going to be late, call ahead and let them know. Try and take a mechanic along with you to view the vehicle, if you can't then you need to take a checklist along with you to know what you are looking for. Basically, you are wanting to look at the wear and tear of the vehicle to make sure that it is consistent with the purported age and use of the vehicle. Anything that does not look like it matches with what you are being told, feel free to ask why not. One of the new ways that you can check a vehicle's history is to get a CarFax report. You can go online, and as long you are willing to pay about $30.00, and have the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) then you can receive a fairly comprehensive and detailed history for your future vehicle.

Finally, if you are pretty certain that you are going to be buying the vehicle in your ad, then take along your payment. Use cash if possible. Many people are going to be willing to come down in asking price, some times quite significantly, when they see some cold hard cash in their faces.