Online car shopping is getting bigger and bigger. The days of walking around a second-hand car lot are numbered, with more buyers turning up knowing exactly what they want. The question is – what do you do after you’ve bought a car online? Can you drive it straight home? Or do you have to do any paperwork first? We’ll answer those questions and more in this helpful guide. Here’s what to do after buying a car online.
Insure The Car
The first thing you need to do is ensure the car. You can’t legally drive it until this step is completed. Car insurance quotes can vary pretty dramatically, so it’s best to get a quote before you buy the car. You can compare car insurance quotes online. If you’re traveling a long way to buy the car, ask for the vehicle’s VIN number. This will allow you to secure a quote before you set off.
Deliver The Car
In some cases, the car you purchase will need to be delivered to you. Look to a car shipping company to assure your car is delivered to you safely and in good condition.
Register the car and transfer the title
You also need to register the vehicle before you can legally drive it on the roads. When you buy from a professional dealership, they will take care of this step for you. However, if you’re buying from a private seller, you might have to register the car yourself. Check out your local DMV’s advice on registering a car.
Get the car home
Now that the car is legally roadworthy, you need to get it home. In most cases, you can just drive it home. We’d recommend getting someone to drive you to the sale, so you can drive your new car home. However, if you’re shipping a vehicle from another state, you’ll need the help of a car shipping company. This is often cheaper than driving the car yourself.
Read the owner’s manual
We know that this step isn’t the most fun, but it’s still important. You should at least skim-read the owner’s manual before you set off. You need to know the basic information about the car before driving it. If the car doesn’t come with an owner’s manual, check for an online version.
Take care of routine maintenance
When you buy a car from a dealership, it should be taken care of in terms of maintenance. However, if you’re buying from a private seller, there might be some work to do. Check the oil levels, check the tire pressure, and perform a brake test. This should give you a good idea if the car is in solid working order. If you’re not confident about performing the routine maintenance yourself, you should take the car in for a professional service.
Check out the car’s features
It’s amazing how many people live with a car for years, without knowing all of its features. Read car reviews and do a deep dive into the owner’s manual to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Who knows? It might have heated seats that you never knew about.
Take it for a drive
Now you’re ready to take the car for a drive. It’s important not to skip any of these steps when you’re buying a car online. Rush the process, and you could end up with a heap of junk.