How To Speed Up Your Car Buying Experience

If you've ever bought a car, you probably remember the length of time it took to get through the car buying process. Below are some tips to help speed up the car buying process, so you don't get stuck at the dealership for an extended length of time.

1. Have a copy of your driver's license. Yes, I've had a few customers that didn't have their driver's license with them, so they couldn't test drive the car and they couldn't fill out a credit app since there was no additional proof of identity.
2. Peak hours for dealerships are in the evenings and on the weekends. The best time to shop are weekdays and mornings. If you go at peak hours, you'll be dealing with the bottleneck of customers waiting to get into finance.
3. Arrive with a pre-approval from your bank or credit union. Not only does this save you time since the dealership won't have to run your credit, you will also most likely be getting a better interest rate. Plus, then the dealership can't submit your credit to countless banks, which dings your credit score. If you need financing and don't have a pre-approval, know your social security number and employment information. Yes, you will need to provide a phone number for your employer.   NOTE: Get a pre-approval unless you want to qualify for special financing rates the dealer may offer with approved credit.
4. If you will be trading in a vehicle, make sure the vehicle is in your name so that you have the right to sell it. Be sure to bring your title and registration to the trade. If you're still making payments on your trade, have the bank that holds the auto loan send you a 10 day payoff amount, or know how to access the 10 day payoff amount online. This is especially important when you visit dealerships when banks are closed, like evenings and weekends, because you may not be able to get ahold of anyone at the bank to get the payoff information.
5. Bring a copy of your insurance. Also have a copy of the declaration page that shows what kind of coverage you have. If you don't have full coverage, add full coverage to your policy before getting the declaration page. You have to have proof of full coverage insurance before you can drive your new car off the lot.
6. If you're paying cash, be sure to have your method of payment with you like check, credit card, or debit card.
7. If you add additional accessories, expect to schedule an appointment to come back at a later date to get them installed.

Doing the things listed above should shave a considerable amount of time off of your car buying experience. Be prepared when you arrive at the dealership. It's not like car shopping is an unplanned stop. People don't car shop for fun.