Frequently Asked Questions
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR DEALERSHIP?
Check Out Our Frequently Asked Questions Below. You May Also Call An Associate During Our Regular Business Hours.
SERVICE
Best Auto has a full-service team consisting of two service advisors, 5 technicians and a detail specialist located at our Spencer, IA facility. Plus, for the convenience of our customers, we work local dealerships and repair shops to assist with vehicle repairs and diagnostics. We have accounts with several parts stores in the area that give us discounts in which we can pass on to our customers.
Our vehicles that are priced over $5995 come with a One Year or 15,000 mile limited drive train warranty! We also have a Rewards Program that we offer along with our warranty that extends the warranty out for a total of Two years or 24,000 miles! To learn more about our extensive warranty coverage, and our Rewards Program and everything that is included, please check out the warranty and Rewards Program pages on our website. If you feel that your vehicle requires warranty work, please contact one of our service advisors at 712-580-4582 or 712-580-4588. Our team will be more than happy to discuss the issues your vehicle is having in order to evaluate the condition of your vehicle and determine if it is able to be driven to one of our locations or a shop near you, or if it will need to be towed. We do have someone that can pick up your vehicle and get it towed to us. Our service advisors can assist you with getting this set up. Additionally, when it comes to your vehicle’s warranty, it is important to remember to have your oil changed every 3,000 miles or the warranty may potentially be voided.
In most cases, we suggest that customers take their vehicles to any shop of their choice for all work that is not covered by their Best Auto warranty, such as brake, tire, and other wear item repairs. Although there are a few cases in which we will complete non-warranty work in house, our technicians are very busy completing warranty service and preparing vehicles to be sold, so we typically advise that our customers select their own outside repair shop. Or, we will be happy to recommend a reputable one in your area.
Our service facilities are open Monday – Friday from 8am-5pm. We are closed for lunch between 12-1.
If your vehicle happens to break down during non-service hours, try your best to move the vehicle to a safe location and leave the keys either somewhere within or around the vehicle. Then, contact our service department at 712-580-4588 and leave a message detailing the situation. We will respond immediately once we return to the office.
REFERRALS
You will receive a check from us within 7-10 days as long as your account is in good standing. We will apply the referral amount to your account if you are past due.
COLLECTIONS
All of the following are acceptable methods of payment: cash, debit card, credit card, or money order.
Best Auto will set up automatic payments for you at the time of the sale. We can have your payment taken off a debit card, credit card, or we can have it come out of your checking account or savings account with a routing number and a saving and checking account number. You may also call-in payments by calling 712-580-4897 and using your credit or debit card. Payments may also be made by stopping in during normal business hours with cash. We also have a drop box located on the south side of the building that you can drop off a money order. We do ask to not drop off cash in the drop box.
You can contact one of our salesmen at 712-262-4581 and they will gladly assist you with any questions that you may have about your account.
SALES
If you are purchasing the car by yourself, yes you will need to possess a valid driver’s license in order for us to finance you. If you are a co-applicant, a valid ID card is acceptable in most cases, but not all.
We do not run credit during the pre-approval process. We validate income and ask a few questions to determine if you meet our pre-qualified status. We then discuss vehicle and payment options with you.
We specialize in financing customers with less-than-perfect credit or even no credit at all. We consider a few key factors when determining if we can approve you for financing, but your credit score is not one of them.
Yes, you do. You can get full coverage insurance from any insurance carrier of your choice. Best Auto also offers a program that covers the vehicle with a $500 deductible. You still must have liability insurance with an insurance company of your choice however this option does save some of our customers money. The salesmen can go over this option in more detail for you.
Despite being the fastest-growing segment in the auto sales industry, there’s not an official definition for Buy Here/Pay Here in the dictionary. Buy Here/Pay Here (BHPH) financing means that you arrange a loan and make payments on it at the dealership. You purchase the car through what’s referred to as in-house financing versus through a third party, such as a bank. Instead of making monthly payments to a traditional lender, you make weekly or bi-weekly payments at the dealership. You, therefore “buy” the car at the dealership and “pay” on the loan at the dealership.
Depending on the dealerships you visit, very little. The key difference between a traditional dealership and Best Auto lies in the shopping experience. At a traditional dealership, your approval is based solely on credit score and what some computer system based in another state says. At our dealership, the process is much easier. We ask a series of questions, run a credit report, and listen to better understand your credit situation. Then, with your desired monthly payment and down payment information factored in, we will show you vehicles that fit your needs and financial situation.
Our customers are honest, hard-working men and women that may have had some bad luck in the past that effected their credit. It may also be young people just starting out that may not have established any credit. They usually need a car to get to work. Many of them have a credit challenge—which is not surprising since nearly 50 percent of Americans do not qualify for automobile financing at conventional financial institutions. Using our own financing company, we are as accommodating as possible. We want our customers to get back on the road to maximizing their opportunity for advancement.
Over the years of being in business, we have determined that it is easier for our customers to budget when they get paid. They know that they have the money to pay for the vehicle then and that it will get taken care of. At Best Auto, we want you to budget your payments when you get paid. It makes it easier for our customers and for us.
The Down payment shows us that you are serious enough to commit to a loan that you are willing to put your hard-earned money down to finance your vehicle purchase. Having a down payment can also be good for the customer. It reduces the term of the loan and you then pay it off quicker. We also include the tax, title and license in the loan and the down payment pays for this as well. It also lowers the amount of interest paid on the loan.
We do not just sell a person a car, we work with our customers to find the best vehicles for their needs, and the best one for their monthly budget. Selling a car that a customer can’t afford does neither of us any good. We are not just looking for a quick sale; we are looking for a long-term relationship.
Yes, we can still get you approved with prior repossessions.
Start by filling out and submitting our online application. Call or stop in at Best Auto and a sales associate will have you fill out an information sheet. We base our approvals on your time on the job, ties to the area, your ability to pay, and the honesty and accuracy of the information you give us. You will need:
- Valid IA drivers’ license
- Proof of income (check stub less than 30 days old, proof of check from the government, proof of regular payments from elsewhere)
- Five (5) references (with complete contact info)
- Title of a vehicle if one is being traded in.
- Money for your down payment.
We can usually have your loan application approved and you’ll be on the road in your new vehicle in a couple of hours or less.
Yes, liability insurance is required by the state and is the law, however, we offer a program that covers the vehicle and replaces the full coverage and saves some customers money. Please ask a sales associate for all of these details.
As with all vehicle purchases, the customer is responsible for repairs and maintenance after the warranty has expired. All used vehicles will someday need repairs. We try to help our customers whenever we can, to find the most affordable means of repairing their vehicle, so they can get back on the road as soon as possible.
Absolutely! We recommend that every customer have the vehicle they are intending to purchase independently inspected by someone they trust before they buy. We want you to feel comfortable with the condition of the vehicle you are purchasing.
Yes, Best Auto accepts trade-ins.
Yes, we have many households with multiple vehicles. We typically look for 6 months of perfect payment history on the first vehicle before allowing an application for a second vehicle. We do this because we want you to have a successful payment history with us and we want you to be able to afford your next purchase as well. We do not want to set you up for failure.
Yes, we accept most trades. If you own it and have the title, we will usually make you an offer and all of that money goes towards your down payment. If you still have a balance owed, we will look up the value of the vehicle compared to the amount owed to determine if we can make you an offer.