By Rachel Pleasanth
11 March 2004

(U-WIRE) TAMPA, Fla. - Steve Pescatore, former car salesman, now managing partner in a Florida auto consulting firm, told car drivers and buyers at the University of South Florida that car salespeople are not to blame for trying to make a sale. “You don’t get mad at a fox for eating chickens,”said Pescatore.

Pescatore admitted that college students are often swept away by the beauty of a new car or truck. The power of the consumer, he said, is in choosing to resist such frivolous add-ons as the power ashtray.

BEST CAR BUYING ADVICE FROM PESCATORE:

1. NEVER LEASE A CAR.
   “You’re not buying a car,”he said. “You’re buying a payment.”
2. BUY A USED CAR WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
   Look carefully at the whole car- not just the mileage. Sometimes, low mileage cars that are not driven regularly develop problems and are often less reliable than a car that has 100,000 or more miles.
3. ALWAYS FINANCE THROUGH A CREDIT UNION.
   Credit unions work for their customers, always looking out for their best interest, he said. Even if a deal has already been made, a credit union can often refinance a car loan, achieving a lower interest rate for the customer.

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