Got questions about shopping for a new or used car and don’t know who to ask. My Carlady is an impartial auto expert with 20+ years of auto industry experience.
I know the car shopping/buying process is often described as horrific, confusing, nauseating and tiresome. Currently there are over three thousand different makes, models and packages to choose from, and that’s just for 2009 new car selections. Add to the hysteria ten years worth of used cars available from new car dealerships, used car lots, rental agencies, auctions and your neighbor. Add to this mounting pit in the bottom of your stomach the X factor. I call the X factor the tremendous number of poorly trained, disaffected, limited business skills car sales representatives tasked with helping you find the car of your dreams. Forget that the average NEW car costs $19,000.00 today.
Now I’ve been both the consumer and sales person in auto dealership’s for most of my car career. The majority of that time I was the only woman on the show floor. In many cases I was the only certified sales representative, and most recently, the only WBENC-certified (Women Business Enterprise National Council) business owner dedicated to automotive consulting.
So it is with great humility, that I offer my services FREE of CHARGE, to help you sort through all the choices, rhetoric, web-blogs, and corporate propaganda to answer the questions you want to ask about car buying. I, Sarah Lee: the MY CARLADY of MY CARLADY, have decided to become the ASK DAVE TAYLOR of the car business. (Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery) This section of the website I call: ASK MY CARLADY: You can ask me anything about cars. I’ll offer you advice on car buying, car prices and dealer incentives. Do you want to know about auto loans, second chance financing, 0% interest rates and your credit score? Should you buy a dealership warranties vs. certified cars? Want to know what’s the difference between used cars and pre-owned cars? Nothing, they’re the same! Should you believe manufacturer advertising? Ask MYCARLADY about car insurance, body shop repairs, manufacturers’ suggested service intervals? Do you know want to know the true difference in cost between hybrid vs. gas engines ? Did I get a good deal? Should I buy the warranty? Should I lease or buy this car? Is the seller is charging too much? What you should do after the sale when a problem occurs? and How do you get an issue resolved between you, the dealer and the factory? I’m not a lawyer or a mechanic, but give me 24hrs and I’ll get you the answer, even if it’s a tough or complicated question. Consider me the 911 on a car deal.
Now let’s be honest, I can’t fix everything. This is an ADVICE column. I can give you suggestions, maybe offer an alternative or two, but I’m not going to mislead you into believing I’m the all-knowing Carmack (sorry if I’m dating myself). I’ll do my best to answer your emails questions as quickly as possible.You can email your question to askmycarlady@mycarlady.com or you can Twitter me in 140 characters or less @mycarlady.
