Please give my readers a history of Econo Auto Sales. How long has your car dealership been in business?

I have been in the car business for 30+ years now. I started out buying and selling cars from private sellers and the auction. I turned that into Econo Auto Sales about 20 years ago.

Does your dealership primarily sell domestic or foreign used cars. Or would you say it’s a mix of both?

We sell a mix of both. Mostly domestic because they are much cheaper to fix mechanically.

If a person has bad credit how do you suggest they improve there credit? What advice would you want to give that person?

The best way to improve credit would be to monitor your credit score like a hawk. Check it every 3 months to make sure there isn’t anything on there that shouldn’t be.

Pay your bills on time. Set up auto pay if you can. This is the easiest thing you can do.

Negotiate with companies you owe money to. You can settle for much less than the balance if you have a positive attitude.

Pay off debt as fast as possible. Make that a priority.

If a person has just declared bankruptcy and they want to buy a vehicle, what do you suggest they do?

The bankruptcy has to be discharged before you’re able to secure financing. We work with people who have gone through bankruptcy but it is impossible to do so until it is closed.

Should a consumer run their own credit report before they purchase a used car?

Take advantage of the free credit reports from all three major credit agencies. It’s a good idea to see what’s going on yourself before hand.

If your divorced and as a result of that divorce have bad credit, what tips would you offer the consumer on how to obtain a loan?

A divorce can be a very stressful time. I spoke with a lawyer about divorce and they said that people do funny things during that time because their emotional control is overloaded with all sorts of crazy things. Sometimes it’s best to take care of that first.

If you can’t and absolutely need a car make sure you don’t stretch yourself too thin. This can add more stress to an already stressful situation.

What questions should the consumer ask the BHPH dealer when they walk into the car dealership?

Ask as many questions as you can about how everything works. Ask them about the interest rates, ask them about how long the loan is, how much you’ll be paying monthly, how your down payment effects your monthly payments, if the car has been mechanically checked and taken care of.

Also, it never hurts to ask for money off. Ask about promotions or referral programs. We have a referral program that fills peoples gas tanks up and also gives out $250 cash.

What are some common buy here pay here misconceptions the public should be aware of?

Here’s an article I wrote on bhph myths and misconceptions and another on how bhph works

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This is our twenty-first interview in our “1000 Interview Challenge” If your interested in an interview, please contact me.

This interview was conducted by Shane McC. Shane currently is attending RISD studying computer programming. He enjoys traveling and plays hockey. He played for the Boston Junior Bruins of the EJHL during the 01-02 season. You can follow him on Google+