Consumers Put on Notice: Dirtiest Car Buying Myths Debunked - Savvy Shoppers Trawl Internet for Latest Car Buying Tips

ATLANTA, March 29 -- How does an auto dealership rate? That's actually a very significant question. The average consumer still fails to correct the most common mistake made. He fails to get educated on processes involved before, during and after an automobile purchase.

Consumers have long used their own lack of knowledge as an excuse for being ripped off, according to Clear Intelligence, an auto dealership comparison and rating service based solely on direct consumer intelligence reports (see www.mydealerreport.com ).

"There's never been an easier or better time to turn the tables on dirty dealers," said John Isaac, president and chief executive officer of Clear Intelligence, who spent many years on car dealership floors. "All the resources you need are available online and will save you time, money, and needless anxiety to boot."

Luckily, now all it takes is a bit of elbow grease to turn even the most hapless novice into a savvy shopper - thanks to a wealth of online tools and resources. Here are Isaac's suggestions:

   - Learn dealership lingo on vehicle financing and read the latest in
     finance tips. A good site to visit is that of the National Automobile
     Dealers Association (NADA) at www.nada.org . It also provides a
     calculator to determine if buying or leasing makes for a better
     investment, for instance.
   - Research your dealer. You can scope out reputable dealers at unbiased
     sites such as www.mydealerreport.com which provide an auto dealership
     rating (including lawsuit information) based on the customer's word
     only. The same site also lets you find car dealerships by city,
     manufacturer and zip code.
   - Look up comparative pricing information (manufacturer's versus dealer
     price) on the retail value of used vehicles at online sites such as
     Kelly Blue Book ( www.kbb.com ), www.autobytel.com
     and www.edmunds.com .
   - For a real history of any used car, run a vehicle history report
     at www.carfax.com

Worried about paying thousands for repairs? Don't be! Consumers may obtain extended coverage on vehicles at discounts of up to 50% by buying direct from www.warrantydirect.com , the largest online extended warranty provider.

Everyone is jumping onto the Internet bandwagon, it seems. According to the NADA 2004 Internet Utilization Survey, dealerships with websites have grown from 47 percent in 1997 to 94 percent in 2004. So take action now - it's never too late to get savvy online.

Finally, if all else fails, spread the word and vent about your experience at various blogs and discussion groups such as http://www.carbuyinginfo.blogs.com/ .