Why I Deal with a Car Broker

It was almost 5 years ago that began the search to find a replacement to my Volkswagen Rabbit 2008.

That car was very enjoyable, and it suited all my vehicle requirements. Sadly, after two major accidents, that occurred in a short period it was losing its fun to drive factor. Decidedly, time had come for a successor and this recounts the experience that lead me to using the services of a car broker.

First, it was important to determine what I wanted and was willing to spend: budget, compact size and fun to drive, a/c, etc. This obviously included making the decision of make and model. In my case, it was almost a no brainer, a newer Golf, fulfilled that want and thus the search began.

The Search Begins

Online classifieds became a little bit of a nightmare in the search for a used, more recent car. The condition of the cars often weren’t exactly as described. Some people tend to romanticize the value and condition of their belongings, which brings out and for whatever reason tend to change or embellish the facts. Often times, a few specific questions would reveal less than desirable treatment of the vehicle or previously unmentioned facts. Also, and importantly the vehicle maintenance never seemed up to date.

One thing was certain time was being wasted in what should have been straightforward and easy, according to me. So I then went off the private sales and onto dealerships; thinking they have guarantees on their cars and if I find a reputable dealership, my Golf would be found in no time.

I recall this one time, finding a low mileage, black, Volkswagen Golf about 1 year old. Seemed like exactly what I wanted. A phone call, quickly led to meeting to see the vehicle. Upon my arrival, was told it had been sold and hence was no longer available. I would have wished that I had been told since it would have avoided an unnecessary drive. The frustration didn’t end there, since the sales person tried to convince me of other models that were similar and more expensive in the end.

Decided it was enough and done with that time consuming process. Clearly patience was wearing out and was not how I saw this. Convinced there was a better and less frustrating way looked up a broker I knew from a friend.

My First Broker

Upon making the call to the broker, we discussed the essentials budget, make, model, color and other options as well.

Within 3 hours, got a call back and was presented a possible car and time to go see it. It was interesting to see that, what had taken so much time, and running around, was going to be resolved.

Of course, I then went see the vehicle. Quickly ensued the usual formalities, such as, test-drive, delivery date and contract signing.

Within 2 days I went to pickup my car and drove it home. All this was made much easier and with none of the hassle.

Indeed, that search that was using up so much of my time and patience had come to an end.

I now had exactly what I was looking for and didn’t have to deal with all that misleading and time consuming exercise any longer.

Another story happened when about 3 years ago. My wife and I were expecting a baby and decided that a bigger vehicle for the family was necessary since our compact cars just would be insufficient in handling the task. A month or so before the arrival of our child, we went on the hunt for a new family car. We knew what we wanted and went on a mission.

We assuming it would be easy and would get a great deal on a small SUV. Unfortunately it was not.

Our search would require the visit of a number of dealerships.  We then revisited our target vehicle and moved onto another model. This time, knowing what we wanted since we had nailed all details but still no one would deliver everything on our list. With time ticking and baby soon to arrive, we made the call to a car broker.