Q&A

Question & Answers

This is why we do they things the way we do them.

Why do you do no haggle pricing?

No haggle pricing started for me because I was seeing in my own dealership when I would give big discounts to friends or people that beat me up over price then I would have to mark up other deals to people who didn't know how to negotiate very well. These tended to be single moms, some females, and anyone who was just shy in nature who had to pay more to make up the difference. THIS ISN'T RIGHT! When I say no haggle, what I mean is the single mom will get the same best deal as a dealer that walks in wanting to buy from me. You can beat me up over price till you're BLUE in the face, but you will always be treated equally and fairly at my business. 

What does CASH mean?

This sounds simple, but hey we have been asked before… yes cah means hard - old school bills. We do not accept wire transfers, checks, money orders, credit, online payment, etc. 

Do you hold vehicles?

No. Holding while sounding like a simple concept can cause serious problems. We never want to turn someone away that is standing in front of us with cash ready to purchase. The other part that makes this hard is when a customer is asking to hold a vehicle often they have not visual or physically inspected the vehicle let alone test drove the vehicle to be absolutely sure they are willing to purchase it. I would never want to hold someone to a commitment they made over the phone if they showed up and decided they did not like it, but I also can not risk losing any sales in the meantime till you make it. 

Do you finance vehicles?

We used to, but after years of doing it we not only saw it ruining our reputation, but our perception of people and our customers. Our mission is to put the people around us in a better place, and we found that financing while fixing a temporary problem created several long term frustrations. 

Do you take trade-ins?

No. We buy the majority of our inventory from auctions and other dealers selling new later model inventory. We found our customers come out better in the end when they sell their vehicle instead of trading it in. We want to offer the most competitively priced vehicles we can, and that last thing we want to do is low ball our customer or play numbers games. 

Do I have to bring cash to test drive?

Yes. Road testing the vehicle is the last thing we like to do before deciding to purchase the vehicle. We do our best to create a high demand for our vehicles with our pricing so we avoid any risk to the vehicles prior to purchase. There are so many risks and liabilities that are outside our control so unless you have the cash and ready to buy the vehicle if you like the way it drives it’s our policy to wait on road testing. 

What goes into pricing your vehicles?

There are many things that go into determining a vehicles price. Age, body condition, how desirable the vehicle is, miles, problems, etc. The best rule when looking at vehicles is “you get what you pay for”. If you see a nice newer vehicle in the same price range of older & high mileage vehicles then it probably has a mechanical issue or maybe a title issue. Whatever the vehicles problems we try to list them in the description or the test drive video. 

Do you ever go lower on your pricing?

Yes! We do our pricing based on time. We always have today's price listed, but we have access to many upgrades, mechanics, etc. If a vehicle does not sell as quickly as we think it should then we either lower our price or do reconditioning on the vehicle if needed. We try to post updates before we take stuff in for repairs as this does affect the price in most cases. 

Why do you sell vehicles $3k and under?

It’s all about putting people in a better place and helping them make good investments. Fact is we can’t choose the vehicle for our customers, we can’t make them be honest with us, and can’t change someone's mind who has already made it up. 

Expectations vs Price 

This is a hard position for a lot of people, especially those customers who may be going from a higher dollar vehicle and are now downgrading into something cheaper. 

Can we come and just look at the vehicles?

Yes! We are usually very busy answering phones, emails, and messages in the office or out on test drives most of the day so we won’t even hound you. Feel free to bring a friend and a mechanic if you would like to help you inspect the vehicle. If you don’t have someone and you need some extra help inspecting and finding the right vehicle just be honest and explain that to Matt or Miriam and we will do our best to walk you through how we inspect our personal vehicles. 

Do you have titles to all the vehicles for sale?

If we don’t we will make sure to list it right under the price of the vehicle on our website. The Iowa D.O.T has strict rules for dealers and titles. We can only sell vehicles that are in our dealership name. Sometimes if we recently purchased the vehicle or need to make title corrections we will give you a copy of the title and will mail out the original within 2-3 business days.   

Do you have a vehicle history report?

Not usually. Majority of the time we purchase these vehicles at the auction and do not get much history. We have had mixed reviews when using companies like carfax and autocheck. Sometimes we get a lot of information and other times we don’t get hardly any information. We leave this expense up to each customer as we have found some people really value this information and others do not care and would prefer the vehicle to be that much cheaper. We would be glad to assist you if you decide to purchase a report with any VIN information.

Do you offer vehicle inspections?

No. We drive our vehicles and will be glad to answer any questions we can. Our experience has been that every customer has a slightly different expectations of what is expected when purchasing a used vehicle. My wife and I have been around thousands of vehicles and have been buying and selling for over 10 years now. We would be glad to give you our opinions, but please understand that we are not mechanics. We price our vehicles the way they are for sale at their current state.   

Do any of your vehicles have prior salvage or branded titles?

Sometimes. From time to time we will sell vehicles that have a branded title. We will do our best to list this in the description and test drive video. We also will have a damage disclosure form to let you know in writing when we do paperwork as well. If nothing is said then or noted below the price then it’s safe to assume that it is a clear title.

How to buy a car

Everything we do we do it for a purpose. 

This is our step by step playbook on how to successfully purchase a used vehicle.

Step 1 - Determine your budget

Step 2 - Create a “needs vs wants” list

Step 3 - Narrow down & inspect vehicles

Step 4 - Ready to make a decision

Step 5 - Paperwork and ownership

Step 6 - Share the Love - Our model 

Q&A

Buying a used vehicle is a big decision, and there is no reason to make the process more complicated than it has to be. We offer a fresh and honest approach to buying vehicles. My goal / job is to be able to offer our customers the most product (value) for the lowest price. Instead of tricks, gimmics, sales people everywhere, and a mini carnival we decided to make it our job to find and eliminate any “FLUFF” as we call it. This means you might not get the special treatment, free soda, test drive every vehicle, or other things dealers do… BUT our hope is that you will get the most BANG for your buck, and will be in a better financial situation after doing business with us. 

Every customer is different, and therefore has different needs and expectations. We are not here for everyone as we realize some customers are better off with newer vehicles with warranty protection. We are set up more like a “wholesale” outlet. We sell our vehicles with very low mark-ups and require a fast turn around selling several vehicles each month (volume). We know that price sells and have found many customers prefer a cheaper vehicle that they can recondition vs paying a higher retail price for a vehicle that is in retail condition. Everything from the moment we purchase a vehicle has a cost...we want to keep that as low as possible. 

Step 1 - Determine your budget. 

• We are a no haggle dealer meaning the price you see is the final price. We do not offer financing or trade-ins. There are never any extra fees. 

• We only accept CASH (bills) so we only road test vehicles that are within your budget which is determined by the amount of cash you have in hand.

• If you find vehicles that interest you that are outside your budget today we will gladly answer any questions, but our policy is to wait on the road test (test drive) till you have the ability (cash in hand) to purchase the vehicle after the road test - if it meets your expectations.  

Step 2 - Create a “needs vs. wants” list. 

• Buying a used vehicle has its fair share of trade offs. Miles, age, body condition, mechanical ability, history, desirableness, features, room, etc all go into this decision. 

• The biggest mistake I see is customers who shop with their “eyes” and not their “head” - BE SMART, and remember we are here to help you get to a better place… if that’s not with us were honestly cool with that, and we will help guide you in the right direction. 

• We just need our customers to be honest with us so that we can best assess your situation and explain what options are available for you. 

Step 3 - Narrow down & Inspect.

• We specialize in 1 thing… sell vehicles $3k and under. Once you have narrowed down you choices from step 1 and 2 then you need to inspect inspect inspect! This is a big investment that could lead to a lot of future stress, frustration, and financial loss so take your time and ask as many questions as you need. 

• Check your needs list first to make sure it will meet those expectations. This should include things like checking the oil, tire condition, cosmetic condition (rust), options / features, miles, price, etc. 

• Some vehicles may be priced low due to mechanical flaws and we try to mention these issues in the description or the test drive videos. If you do not see personalized notes or a video please feel free to ask as this may be a newer vehicle to our inventory. 

• After narrowing and inspecting the vehicles that will meet your needs and are within your budget then we move on to road testing the vehicle. The road test is designed to answer one question… “If you like the way the car performs on the road are you ready to take this vehicle home with you today.” Our team (staff) accompany our keys and vehicles along with our customers and being just a “ma and pop” style business this means we have to lock up and sometimes have a small wait. We will try to help everyone in the order they come. 

• Bottom line...  the test drive is the most important part to buying a cheap used vehicle, and also the most risky part of the car buying process as there's so many unknown variables. 

  • Our goal is to eliminate as much risk in our business in order to keep our costs down in return allowing us to deliver a cheaper product to our customer.  

  • We also want to be able to assist any new customers that call or stop in on a timely manner so the reason for inspecting the vehicle prior to the road test is to find anything that may stop you from purchasing. 

  • Having a small staff helps keep our costs down, and in return allows us to keep our prices low. Thank you for working with us and helping us help you the best we can. Community = Teamwork.

Step 4 - Ready to make your decision.

• The test drive is for you to gather the information you need to make the best educated decision you can with YOUR money. 

• A member of our team will pull the vehicle up for you after we have copied your driver’s license in the office. 

• We will sit quietly and answer any questions you have. Car dealers get a bad reputation for always having a “motive” for doing something so we will respect your space and listening ability… just know we are here to help you better yourself… it does not benefit us one way or another which vehicle you choose nor will it hurt our feelings if you don’t find what you're looking for. 

• Simply put… we are a guide for you! From directions, questions, or concerns we are here for you. This is a big purchase without a return policy... so we want you to be confident! The more we can help you do homework and prep you beforehand the better off you will be over the long haul of vehicle ownership. 

• There is no pressure for you to buy. 

Step 5 - Paperwork and your new vehicle.

• Paperwork usually only takes 5-10 minutes to complete. We take our time and read over the purchase agreement, federal buyers guide, and any damage disclosures that we know about.  

• After signing everything you will receive a copy of all your paperwork you signed along with a copy or the physical title to your vehicle. 

• Our insurance ends at the time of the sale. To be legal when driving away make sure your policy covers your new vehicle. Most states allow 30 days to drive the vehicle before getting regular registration and plates. Check your state laws as this is state to state. 

• Our experience has been the happy customers are the ones who are prepared and understand what to expect. The majority of customers who have a negative experience are those who assume and have hopeful thinking. Vehicles are not a good investment, and require upkeep, repairs, and maintenance.

Step 6 - Share the Love! What makes us different. 

• We have one main theme… We want to put people in a better place. My wife and I love Jesus, and He has completely changed the way we operate our business. For the first 7 years I almost ran my business into the ground because my focus was on “using people to grow my business”, and since I was baptized in July of 2017 it’s changed to... “how we can use our business to better people”.