Rolling out the red carpet - Buy your next car or truck on line

September 17, 7:14 PMAlaska Transportation ExaminerGeorge Angus

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There are lots of ways to buy a new car.  For years, buying a car meant loading the family up and spending an entire fun-filled day at a dealership. Since we only have two seasons in Alaska (winter and the 4^th of July), odds are you were exposed to less than ideal weather conditions as you trudged through the car lot, the salesperson brushing snow off the car while you scraped the ice from the passenger window, trying to get a peek at the price.

Today, buying your new car or truck on the internet is the only way to go.  From the comfort of your own home you can research exactly the vehicle you want.  You can download the actual factory sticker and look at every car and truck on the lot.

Major manufacturers and dealerships have spent a great deal of time researching who buys cars on line and they’ve discovered a number of things:

• On line buyers are more educated about their purchase.  Internet shoppers do their homework and research all aspects of the car they’re looking to buy.
• Internet car buyers are generally more credit-worthy and know about financing options and rates.
• Folks who buy on line expect their treatment at the dealership to be a bit more personalized
• Having a user friendly web site that displays all of the vehicles for sale, with complete descriptions of features and options will drive business to their dealership.

For the internet savvy buyer – that would be you, this means a dealership is willing to go the extra mile to ensure you have a pleasant experience.  The internet sales department will set an appointment at a time that is convenient for you.  They will have the car or truck you selected inside, washed and ready for the salesperson to demonstrate the features before your test drive.  Most of the necessary paperwork will be completed and the folks in the finance department will be aware of your arrival.

In short, they are going to roll out the red carpet for you. They are willing to do this because internet shoppers are car buyers and not just out “kicking tires”.

Take advantage of the unique position on line shopping gives you. The research you do from home should make buying a car on line the best car buying experience you’ve ever had.

Tomorrow: The 5 best on line dealerships in Alaska