Car shopping? You might need a man if…

WHILE more women seem to be buying cars, knowledge of motor vehicles and the purchasing process are still not our strong points. The chance of being ripped off by salesmen therefore remains a real risk for many of the fairer sex.

To prevent this, more women ask male companions to accompany them, even when purhasing new cars, to reduce the chances of being treated unfairly.

“Some women know cars like the back of their hands. Some businesses have fixed prices, while others will negotiate. Some cars are new, some are second-hand — with all these elements at play, some women can find the whole buying process overwhelming. Others find it intimidating because, at the back of their minds, they will be thinking, ‘Could I have gotten a change if I were a man? Or did I get value for my money?’,” auto mechanic and car enthusiast Roshane Holness told All Woman.

He said, if a woman does her research, is confident and is armed with information when she walks into a car dealership or goes to meet the individual selling the motor vehicle, she should be fine on her own.

However, he said it wouldn’t hurt to have a man with automotive knowledge present when purchasing a vehicle for these reasons:

You are not sure what you want

If a woman is going to buy a car and she is not completely sure what she wants, then it’s best to take a man along who knows cars.

While the salesperson will have knowledge of cars, he also has his own selfish objective in mind — most of them work on commission, for example. He will probably want to give you a more expensive car than you intend to purchase and he may also try to persuade you, often with exaggeration and flattery.

When you have a man with you, he is more likely to be more open and completely honest because he doesn’t want to lose the potential sale. As such, he will likely show you a range of options in line with your needs. Of course, your companion with auto knowledge will also help to guide you through the process.

You need to negotiate

Not to take anything from women, since we know that you are top negotiators, but having a man who knows cars and how car sales work can help improve your chances of getting the best value for money.

Especially when it comes to buying second-hand cars, Holness noted that even with depreciation and aged cars, some Jamaicans like to sell cars at their original or too close to the original sale value.

You are purchasing a second-hand car

When the car is used, your limited knowledge about cars could work against you. In this case you don’t want to just take any man — you should consider taking a mechanic so that he can check the car thoroughly.

This way you will be sure that the car is thoroughly inspected for faults that you wouldn’t be able to identify on your own. “Sometimes people, even some less-established dealerships, will try to pass off vehicles with recurring problems and faulty parts as ‘in good working condition’, only for you to inherit a host of problems and have trouble trying to resell the car because you bought it as is,” Holness warned.

— Penda Honeyghan