Stores team up for used car sales

Buying used can save you thousa ndsofdol lars over buying new.

That’s why I’ve long said buying a two or three-yearold used car and holding it for a minimum of three to four years — the longer, the better —is a smart money move. Now, Wal-Mart wants to

help take some of the hazard out of buying a used car.

Last year, Wal-Mart announced it was teaming up with online car-seller CarSaver for a pilot program at 14 Wal-Mart Supercenters in Houston, Dallas, Phoenix and Oklahoma City.

The “CarSaver at Wal-Mart” program offered used cars at fixed prices with no games and no gimmicks. It was such a success that it’s now being expanded to 250 Wal-Mart stores across the country.

Rather than competing with local dealerships, WalMart and CarSaver are working with them, so you take delivery of your vehicle at a dealer’s used car lot.

But CarSaver offers something most dealers don’t: A comprehensive unlimited mileage lifetime warranty.

The only disclaimer here is that you must perform all schedule maintenance on the vehicle in a timely manner and document it. If you fail to do that, you void the warranty.

What Wal-Mart and CarSaver are doing is just the latest in a string of business models that have tried to shake up a tradition-bound industry. For example, Carmax was

one of the first to come out with a “the price is the price” promise so that you wouldn’t have to deal with any games or gimmicks when you set foot in their dealership. They also offer a five-day right of return on all car purchases. In more recent years, services like Carvana have stretched that to seven days.

Having a return period allows you to get the car inspected by a mechanic. Clark Howard helps you save more, spend less, and avoid ripoffs. Visit ClarkHoward.com for more info, or get his bestselling

books signed with free shipping at GetClarkSmart.com.

Clark Howard Save more, spend less and avoid rip-offs