New Car Booking Guide at Dealer Showroom for Perfect Experience

New Car Booking Guide at Dealer Showroom. 5 Most Important things to do before you book Car at Dealership for Perfect Buying Experience

New Car Booking Guide : Best Practices

So, you have Shortlisted your Dream Car and now decided to Own it. Here is Important Information related to Car Booking at Dealer Showroom with all Checklist

Before Booking the Car

1. Have you Taken Test Drive: Test Drive is Must. If you are buying your Next Car based on Online Reviews or YouTube Videos without a test drive then trust you are making a Blunder.

Remember - this car will be with you for several years. Those Videos, Car Reviews can be used as reference guide to shortlist a car, but Test Drive Experience is most critical before making a final call. Important:-

• Have 2 Test Drives - One Solo and One with Family. Some Cars have Stiffer Suspension which causes a problem to rear Seat Passengers. So have your family seated on Rear Seat

• Dont Miss to Tell Pre Hand to Dealer Showroom that you will have relative Longer test Drive when going to experience with Family

• Have Test Drive of Same Engine - Transmission. Like if Planning to buy Kia Seltos 1.5 Manual Petrol, but if you take test drive of Kia Seltos 1.4 Turbo DCT Automatic - its like a disaster as there is considerable difference in Pickup, Performance, Suspension and TRansmission.

2. Shortlist Dealer Showroom: As its the Car Manufacturer who Manufacture Car - but supplied by Dealer - so irrespective of fact which Dealer Showroom you going to buy the car - the model is supposed to be manufactured from Same Plant. Now Important for you is to check and shortlist dealer on interaction

• How responsive is the front sales consultant in interaction and how Pro Active is he in explaining Car, checking availability, offering test drives, Deal Breakup

• How Transparent the deal is offered and is delivery time lines acceptable by you. Also, How Good is the deal Offered in comparison to other showroom

• Is Dealer Showroom Manager involved in deal and did you interacted with him and how responsive is he or she in communication.

• Is Dealer agreeing to offer flexibility in Online Insurance and PDI without creating any hiccups for you

3. Ask for Manufacturing Month of Car: Is the Car in Waiting or in Dealer Stock. If not in Waiting, ensure to ask first thing as Vehicle Manufacturing Month, Year

Its a Perfect Situation to Own a Car which is 1 to 2 Month Old, and still reasonable Okay even if 3 to 4 Month Old.

But - if the Car Manufactured before 6 months or even more at 7 to 8 Months or higher then it needs slight a Caution to check as there can be a :- 

• Probability of Usage as Demo Car with Odometer Tampered

• Conditions in Which Car was Stored. Been Most of Dealer Stockyard are slight Off Location in Open. With Paint, Dust, Continuous Prone to Sunlight or in Rains for Month can definite Impact Paint Oxidation along with Possibility of Fuel in Tank of Car to get Contaminated.

Now You can also Decode in VIN Manufacturing Month on MyCarHelpline. Ask Dealer about VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) as Chassis number. Decode VIN Manufacturing

Tip: A Dealer has his Funds blocked, the Older the Car Manufactured is, the better Discounts can negotiate on

4. Interacting with Sales Consultant: Sales Consultant at most of the Brands are having Tough Job Profile where they have to Sell not only Car but lot of Bi-Products with Targets Set

Apart from Targets of Number of Cars, are also Targets for

• Accessories
• Inhouse Insurance
• Finance Cases
• Value Packs - Warranty, AMC Service Contract
• Exchange Cases even

Be Clear of What all want. Instead of been offered a Bundled Package, be clear and Transparent in understanding Needs, Offered Value Proposition, Accessories Needed, Comparison of Insurance Cover and Premium with Online Quote. 

5. Everything Should be Written and Documented at Time of Booking: At Time of making Booking Cheque, ensure the agreed quote, offered Accessories, Discounts, Cost to pay should all well be documented in Clear Way in Order Booking Form or Deal Contract Copy.

Discounts Nature Should be Clearly Mentioned - Cash Discounts, Freebies as Accessories, Free Insurance, Warranty, Corporate Discounts - all that what is committed by dealer should be transparent and be there in the deal quote. Also Tentative Delivery Date should be clear specified.

Ensure you ask in writing about cancellation and refund policy. It should be in black and white as some time the cancellation may happen - where a dealer could over-commit on car delivery including color or timeline - Ensure to have this in place before signing off a new booking at dealership.

If you dont consent with any clause, ensure to have an alternate one in writing with due sign and stamp

Exchange if you selling Car to Dealer: 

• Ensure that you ask dealer in Advance pre-hand for NCB Transfer from your Used Car to your Proposed New Car

• Exchange Benefit, Car Exchange Value and Exchange Coupon including Delivery Receipt - should be thoroughly checked while handing over car at dealership. Keep them in stock - Do read that all liabilities of the car - for any challan, insurance, claim from date of sale gets transferred to dealer from the date of sale, including due stamp & signatures.

• If Possible, incorporate a Term where Old Car RC will be transferred and would be what responsibility of Dealer, who will ensure providing Transferred RC within specified days. Can be 120 or 180 or even 365 days. Ensure to have number of days documented in it.

• Though its a slight favor - Do Take in writing that - dealer will arrange for NCB Transfer from your Insurance Company . Also - as once No Claim Bonus is transferred - the policy gets cancelled by Insurance Company, if dealer does not transfer insurance to his own name by paying difference amount of NCB

• Ensure you have this in clear terms - that if policy gets cancelled after NCB Transfer - its the dealer responsibility to get insurance done on the old car or transfer it without any liability of seller (i.e yourself)

Payment Terms

Whatever Payment want to Make, ensure to Hold Atleast amount Equivalent to

• Registration Amount
• Insurance

till the time you do Car PDI. PDI is Pre Delivery Inspection where purpose is to Inspect Car before Delivery in terms of Odometer Reading, Manufacturing Month as Committed, Paint Condition, Tyre Condition, Interiors, Car Function so that there is no Foul Play at Dealer End

Been if the Registration Amount paid before PDI and Dealer Register the Vehicle, then there is nothing can do even if you reject the Car at PDI.