Want some fatherly advice about buying a car?
Here’s what customer Clint Shoulta suggests:
1. Do your research.
Don’t buy the vehicle on a whim. Look at the sales price, resale value, drivetrain, and know the life expectancy of the motor.
2. Know what you’re buying before you buy it.
Then you’ll know what to expect of the vehicle.
3. Sleep on it once you’ve selected a vehicle.
Take a day to think about it. [Car-Mart encourages customers to use this time to go online and get pre-qualified from the comfort of your home. The process will be easier and faster when you go to Car-Mart to buy your vehicle!]
Sage guidance from dad. And that’s exactly what Clint’s son, Alex, did before he bought his vehicle at America’s Car-Mart of Paducah, Ky.
“My dad coached me. He showed me around the car and what to look for. And he told me not to be late on payments,” says the 21-year-old Alex, who emphasized that making on-time payments will help build his credit. “Credit is really important these days.”
While father and son were shopping at Car-Mart for a vehicle for Alex, a 2013 Yukon Denali caught Clint’s attention. Clint and Alex test drove their vehicles, and sticking to Clint’s counsel, they went home to “sleep on it.”
The next day – back at the dealership – they said ‘yes’ to Car-Mart. Clint co-signed on the car loan with Alex.
“I have five boys, ages 21 to 27, and I’ll try to help them any time I can,” Clint smiles. “Everyone needs help, especially young adults. You need a vehicle to get to work and be successful. I was glad I could help [Alex] with that aspect of his life.”
“I was skeptical of my dad co-signing,” adds Alex. “I didn’t want him to feel like he had a weight bearing down on him, but it worked out really well.”
The Car-Mart experience
Indeed, the entire car-buying process at Car-Mart was pleasant for the first-time Car-Mart customers. First the vehicles caught their eyes; then the test drives sold them on their vehicles; and lastly, the customer service they experienced at Car-Mart impressed them.
The Denali sparked Clint’s interest. “It was in great shape, and it was very well-kept,” says Clint, who traded in his reliable 2007 Chevy Avalanche with 286,000 miles.
A 2015 Nissan Sentra piqued Alex’s curiosity. “It fit perfectly for what I wanted with blue tooth radio and a back-up camera. Plus, it gets good gas mileage,” he smiles. “And it’s the newest and nicest car I’ve ever owned.”
Both Clint and Alex appreciated the friendliness and kindness of the Car-Mart associates who answered their questions and explained everything in detail. “It was a very pleasurable experience. They conducted themselves very professionally,” Clint says. “They never pushed, and they let you decide on your own.”
“And it [the process] went quickly. Sometimes car buying takes a while, and it’s a lot of work. But no problem at Car-Mart,” Alex adds.
They purchased the optional service contract for their vehicles. “This seems useful and helpful especially for someone like me,” says Alex. “There’s no doubt it’s a good deal. It’s worth every dime and gives you a calm reassurance that if something happens, there is help.”
Alex’s car-buying experience at Car-Mart
“For a young person, it’s [buying a vehicle] difficult. What kind of car to buy, how much to put down, how much for car payments,” says Alex, while adding he felt the Car-Mart team really wanted to help get him into a vehicle.
Car-Mart carefully explained the payments and how they work. “Most other dealerships don’t do this. So, it was a lot more reassuring,” he adds. “It’s one of the reasons I was sold on Car-Mart. It made me want to buy a car from them. They showed me they actually cared and told me exactly what I needed to know. And it made me feel like it was okay and that I was being taken care of. That explanation gave me a peace of mind.”
“We love helping our customers get into vehicles, whether it’s their first car or their ninth car. It’s what we do at Car-Mart,” says Nicole Connors, General Manager at Car-Mart of Paducah. “Customers like Alex and Clint are the heart of our Car-Mart family. And we’re thrilled to keep them on the road.”
Yes, to Car-Mart!
Both father and son will return to Car-Mart the next time they need a new vehicle. In fact, Alex has already recommended Car-Mart to his friends saying, “Go to a car place where you can trust someone to get you into a good vehicle. They’ll work with you.”
“Car-Mart gave me a good pair of wheels to get from point a to point b. I have a good vehicle that gets good gas mileage. It’s made my life a whole lot easier. It allows me to go do things I enjoy,” concludes Alex.
A special thanks to Alex and Clint for sharing their Car-Mart story. And great advice from Clint about car-buying!
