How to avoid being scammed when buying a vehicle from a private seller.

The internet is rife with horror stories of people misrepresenting themselves while selling a vehicle, and scamming shoppers with schemes that seem legitimate, but end up with them losing hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars. How do you protect yourself from people who would abuse an honest car shopper?

Are all used vehicles of the same year, make, and model the same?

Say you're searching on a site like Autotrader or KBB's Classifieds, and you see two used vehicles that seem identical, but are drastically different in price. What's the cause for this? Why do vehicles of the same year, make, and model, have such a range of values?

Where do our used vehicles come from?

Hi there! Rob here,

I'm going to tell on myself a little bit. Before I began working at Daniell Motors, I thought that used vehicles on car lots were all trade-ins. Which, if you think about it for more than ten seconds, doesn't make too much sense--especially in relation to an independent used dealer. So, just where do used vehicles come from?

What to bring with you when buying a used vehicle.

If you spend much time around an owner of a quality used vehicle, they will likely share the many benefits of buying used versus new, such as the lower buying price, great values on extended warranties, and the joys of interacting with dealers like us! Whether you're planning to buy your first used vehicle, or your fifth, here are some things to make sure to bring with you.

Should I trade in my vehicle or sell it myself?

Breck often tells customers that it would be better for them, financially, to sell their vehicle privately than to trade it on a new vehicle. But how is that distinction made? Breck says it's fairly simple.

My trade in is worth HOW much!? Part two.

Last time, we talked about some factors that do and do not affect the actual value of a trade in vehicle to a dealer, such as mechanical condition or aftermarket accessories. Another factor that may cause a shopper to ascribe more value to their trade in vehicle than it is actually worth is what is known as the "endowment effect."

My trade in is worth HOW much!?

Often, society and status can influence our perception of how valuable something is. This happens with vehicles a lot. Vehicle owners make upgrades and adjustments to fit their personal preferences or to gain status or attention, and expect these changes to raise the value of their vehicle.

Many times, however, we have shoppers who are looking to trade in their vehicle and are surprised by how much the number they have in their head differs from the actual appraisal value.

Been A While Since You Shopped For A Car? Be Prepared For "Sticker Shock"

How long has it been since you shopped for a car? A year? Two years? Ten? If it's been very long at all, you may be surprised when you see prices on currently available used vehicles.

We've seen steady, sizable increases in the prices paid for vehicles in the auction lanes for the last several years. This has led to a relative increase in our asking prices for the same styles of vehicles, which has led to some "sticker shock" in a lot of shoppers.

Trailer Hitches Can Save You Money

Have you ever thought about adding a trailer hitch to your truck at time of purchase? In addition to serving it's purpose it can also serve as a source of protection should you be rear-ended by a smaller vehicle. I just heard of a gentleman who will save on a repair bill due to him having a trailer hitch on the back of his truck. He was involved in a accident where his truck was at a complete stop and was rear-ended by a car. His vehicle revealed no damage while the other unit received incredible damage. Although a trailer hitch may be a small investment initially, in the long run, it may just save you money.

For more information on the Daniell Motors family, and to find your own vehicle, visit DaniellMotors.com.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? We'd love to hear them. Tell us what's on your mind in the comments!

The Windows XP End of Support Date and Daniell Motors

Microsoft is ending support of Windows XP on April 8th, and Daniell Motors is not unaffected. The machine our Internet Manager uses to get our used vehicles online is a six-year-old HP Pavilion and could still have a year or two of good service--if it weren't for needing a new operating system. We've tossed around the options of whether to simply upgrade this machine, or replace it with a brand new one.Very quickly, some things we considered:

To upgrade, we would need to buy a copy of Windows 7, a new hard drive (the average life of a drive is about 5 years, give or take), and we decided that it was time to upgrade from Office 2003, so we would also need to buy a copy of Office 2013. This was the cheaper option.

To replace the machine, Windows 7 is included, and there would be no worry about the physical components. We would still need to buy Office 2013, though. This option is about twice as expensive.

The deciding factor was the fact that while it's not common for non-moving components in a computer to go bad, everything wears out eventually. Being six years old, the current machine could keep trucking for another six--or go down in a cloud of smoke tomorrow. We've opted for the security of brand new components and the manufacturer warranty.

We've also decided not to go all the way to Windows 8, for both ease of use and standardization within the office. This position is fast-paced, often performing clerical duties alongside posting vehicles, and we need to be able to do it quickly. We don't believe there's anything wrong with Windows 8, we just feel that the familiarity of Windows 7 will help our Internet Manager do their job faster and easier.

One of the small headaches we can foresee is having to reinstall and set up all of the software on the new machine. That would have been the case with either path, though, so we'll just tough it out. Hopefully anything unexpected we encounter will be an even easier fix.

Which path would you have taken? Upgrade or replace? Or did we miss an option? Let us know in the comments!

For more information on the Daniell Motors family, and to find your own vehicle, visit DaniellMotors.com.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? We'd love to hear them. Tell us what's on your mind in the comments!

Family Buys Their Seventh Vehicle from Daniell Motors

What do you call a couple that has bought seven vehicles from the same dealer in the same number of years? Loyal, to a degree few businesses are honored to experience from their customers these days

Herbert and Angel bought their first vehicle from Daniell Motors in 2006, a 2004 Ford F150. Since then, they have shopped exclusively at Daniell Motors, despite recommendations by friends to try other dealerships. "We only deal with the Daniells," Angel assures those who suggest a broader search for their next purchase. They make the trip from Collins to Hattiesburg any time they need a vehicle, which is no small jog. With at least a dozen other lots between their home and ours, what makes it worth it to come to Daniell Motors? For them, they like the culture of respect and attention to their personal needs

So once again, Herbert woke up that morning saying to Angel, “Let’s go see what the Daniells have”, and they made the nearly 30-mile journey in pursuit of a vehicle.

From that 2004 F150 to their most recent 2012 RAM 2500 in the third week of February 2013, a total of seven Daniell Motors vehicles have joined their family. Herbert and Angel exhibit the same loyalty that we are proud to return to them and every other customer. We can't express how thankful we are for their relationship to us, and even more so for the testimony that their loyalty is to their friends.

For more information on the Daniell Motors family, and to find your own vehicle, visit DaniellMotors.com.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? We'd love to hear them. Tell us what's on your mind in the comments!

The Impact of Last Night's Tornado on the Daniell Motors Familiy

For those of you who may not know, a tornado, yet to be categorized, took a joyride through Hattiesburg and Petal yesterday, February 10th. We have bittersweet news to report. It stayed well North of the lot and most of our homes, but Mrs. Pat McMullin, our property management service provider, lost both her home and her car. We are supporting her with prayer and anything else we can provide for her, and we encourage you to do the same for anyone you may know who lost anything to this storm.

On a more positive note, we are seeing the same kind of pulling together in the community, today, that we saw after hurricane Katrina in 2005. Say what you will about Mississippi and the people who live here, but we know how to band together to help one another when it really comes down to it. In the pouring rain last night, we have heard reports of friends helping to retrieve clothing and valuables from homes with missing, collapsing roofs, of strangers helping to clear felled trees from roads simply because they had a chainsaw available, and of people opening their homes to others who had nowhere else to go, after having just met them. And, much to Rob's chagrin, it was very apparent that drivers could be very cordial at stoplights which had no power.

In the daylight--with the damage more apparent--we are so grateful for the law enforcement, emergency response, and power company line crews who are working to restore Hattiesburg to working order. We've seen places where power is still out, but we think chances are that power will be back on by today--tomorrow at the latest.

And, with no deaths reported, we are definitely praising the Lord that the only damage was to property, which can be repaired or replaced. And that people, the true valuables, have all been spared. Thank you for your prayers, and we are still here to serve you in your search for a vehicle.

Walk in blessings!

For more information on the Daniell Motors family, and to find your own vehicle, visit DaniellMotors.com.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? We'd love to hear them. Tell us what's on your mind in the comments!

Breck Leaves for Leedom Group Session

Breck just walked out the door to begin his semi-annual trip to sunny Orlando! While he's in the sunshine state, he'll meet with a group of quality-minded dealers to learn how to bring even more value to our customers. We pray for a safe drive for him, and we'll see him back on Tuesday. We don't begrudge him even one minute of his mostly clear weekend, either. In the mean time, Blake and Steve will both be here to help you find the vehicle that fits you best.

For more information on the Daniell Motors family, and to find your own vehicle, visit DaniellMotors.com.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? We'd love to hear them. Tell us what's on your mind in the comments!

DM Honored by ASC Warranty as Quality Dealer for 2013

Daniell Motors was named one of ASC Warranty, Inc.'s Quality Dealers of the Year for 2013! "This top honor is given to those dealers that do an outstanding job of providing high-quality and mechanically sound vehicles to their customers. For over 26 years, ASC Warranty has provided select dealers and their customers across the nation with the best warranty and service agreement administration." In the picture: Steve Daniell, ASC's Jerry Powers, and Breck Daniell. We are honored to hold this recognition and will strive to keep the same standard of excellence in the future!

For more information on the Daniell Motors family, and to find your own vehicle, visit DaniellMotors.com.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? We'd love to hear them. Tell us what's on your mind in the comments!