Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with used

1G or 3G?

spacefire — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:41:22 -0800

iPhone...first generation used or 3G new, or wait for a while? A friend might sell me an iPhone 1G for $50. Should I buy that or upgrade? I am eligible to renew my AT&T contract. It doesn't give me the iPhone option, so I would have to go to a store, but that is not an issue here. As I understand, the 1G iPhone's data plan is ten dollars cheaper than the 3G data plan. Over a year that would be $120 in savings, plus the phone being $50 cheaper than the cheapest 3G, adds up to $170 savings over a year. I am a bit cash strapped, but is it worth buying an older used phone for saving that much?

Narrowing down a used car search.

MeatyBean — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:08:57 -0800

Looking to narrow my search for a used car down to just a few options. Seeking something around $5k, reliable, low maintenance and compact. I'm looking to buy a used car in the States. I know little about cars and believe my best bet is to narrow in on a select few cars in particular and search for a good deal from there. I'm not sure which I should look at. Here's what I'm looking for:

1. Under $5000 - I can go above that if it's warranted
2. Reliable, low maintenance - I can't afford something high maintenance, I'm looking for a runner, a non-temperamental vehicle
3. Compact, good mileage - I don't need a lot of space or a big vehicle, enough to get me around is fine

I have no preference towards a make or model. Anything else I can think of to look for, original owner, no accidents, would apply to the car for sale and not a make or model concern.

So I have two questions for anyone that can help:

1. Anything else I should be looking for in a vehicle?
2. What are my best options (make, model and year)? It would help to include a link to an article, site with statistics or your background as it applies.

Buying an used car in Ontario

tksh — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:57:23 -0800

What's the process to buying an used car in Ontario? I am about to buy an used car from a private seller and so far, I am just using this page from the Ministry of Transportation as my guide. It's a bit overwhelming though compared to buying brand new from the dealer. For example, which party takes care of the safety standards certificate?

Has anyone bought an used car in Ontario recently and can give an overview?

Auto-broker, good or bad idea?

furtive — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:13:48 -0800

Does buying used through an auto-broker make sense for me? I'm in the market for a used car (1-4 years old, one owner, still under warranty) but I live 90 minutes away from the nearest urban area with a proper used car market. To compound things my truck is on it's last legs and every trip out I expect it to be the last. This makes shopping around for a used car rather difficult.

It dawned on me that there must be a market for auto-brokers, and googling them found me several in the nearest city. Does anyone have experience with these? What should I be aware of? I don't mind paying a few hundred extra for the convenience.

My Kingdom for an I-Phone

goalyeehah — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:30:46 -0800

What are used I-Phones going for? Got mine stolen at a Farmer's Market recently and am looking to purchase a used one stat. Just got a quote for a 16 gig at $350.00. Heard that and decided to put on the brakes and do some research before purchase. It obviously sounded like they can only sell what they have available or at least the guy was making it sound that way.

What should my counter offer for a used car be?

FairlyFarley — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:51:40 -0800

I'm in the middle of negotiating with a dealer for a used car. I need to know what a good counter offer would be and how many offers I should be expected to make. I know I want a used toyota tacoma truck. I found one locally on the internet. I really want to buy it, however I don't want to go into the dealer yet and get milked so I'm communicating with a salesman from the dealer through e-mail.

The truck was listed for $11,700. I sent an e-mail expressing my interest and also my findings that kelly blue book and edmunds list the value of the vehicle at $8,100 and $8,300 respectivly and that "this amout was closer to the amout of the load I've been approved for" without coming out and making an offer.

I have been approved for a loan for up to the whole asking price.

The dealer e-mailed me back saying they "taked with the boss" and will be willing to sell the vehicle for $10,800.

What would be a reasonable counter offer? And how many counter offers should I be expected to go through? Is there some magic percentage that they are allowed to go down? What's the lowest I can offer and still be taken seriously?

I want this truck, but I don't want to feel like I got a bad deal.

Car buying virgin!

KateHasQuestions — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:11:59 -0800

Buying a used car from a dealer - what questions should I ask, what should I ask about, and what deals should I insist on so I don't get cheated? I'm about to buy a car on my own for the first time. Out of all the ones I test drove I loved both the Toyota Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe. I liked them both equally and this isn't a question about which one I should choose, I'm not putting the year/mileage/price on here specifically for that reason. I am going to decide based on which dealership gives me a better deal. My next stop after knowing that I like how these 2 cars drive is to look around at the prices at the nearby dealerships are asking for (online as well as at the dealer) and try to get them to beat the other guy's price. Is that the correct next step?

Also,
- How much should I be willing to pay compared to the Kelly Blue Book values? $2000 less? $3000 less than kbb?
- Aside from buying from the dealer with the best price, what statements should I be saying in order to get them to lower the price? Stuff like "some of the buttons in the car are peeling and there's a scratch, I don't feel like it's in good enough condition to justify this price" or do I pretend I am not interested and walk away to get them to lower the price? All my friends are telling me to "play the game" and I've just never done anything like this, so any tips are appreciated!
- Is it worth having a male friend come along just so the salesman doesn't think he can take advantage of me as a girl? I feel like even going to get my car fixed I get different responses whether I'm alone or with a male friend.
- If I finance the car, does the dealer really get a bonus from the bank? If yes, how do I get them to reduce the price of the car for that amount?
- Do I need to know which bank I would use to finance it? What's a good interest rate now, in NYC/NJ?
- If I officially live in NY and I'm buying the car in NJ, anyone know which sales tax I pay? If I have to pay the NY one is it worth asking if the dealer would take the difference off the price of the car?

As you can see, I am clueless as this is my first experience, and out of the dealers I did talk to today, most of them were exactly the way I expected them to be - they seemed sleazy, like they were ready to take advantage of me and not listen to me and just talk over me. So any tips of how to talk to them and exactly what to say and do to get them to lower the price would be appreciated.

I wanna make you mine

Jon_Evil — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:52:51 -0800

I have a hand-me-down iphone, which I'm using (for now) mostly as a music player. However, because I'm not the original user, I can't alter the music library, and I'm getting real tired of my mom's Dan Fogelberg and Gordon Lightfoot albums. How do I make the phone and my itunes realize that I am its owner?

Out of state used car headache

zvs — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:44:26 -0800

I'm looking into buying a used car, and found a pretty good looking one from a colleague in New Jersey. I live in Brooklyn. How the heck does this work? Parking and title questions follow... I've never bought a car before, so it's all new to me. If I buy this car, the original owner has to take the plates off -- then I guess I'll need a NY in-state temporary plate to get it to my house.

Problem 1: Do I just leave it in NJ until I manage to get NY plates? Do I have to get title to get a transfer plate, or does that include title? The website is less than clear.

Problem 2: Where the heck do I keep it? Will I get ticketed if it's on the street? Will I get ticketed for moving an unplated car during street cleaning?

Problem 3: Where do I pay sales tax?

Anybody done this before?

I can has buy used phone?

ShadePlant — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:27:26 -0800

Where can one get a used/cheap cell phone? I am a social worker in Minneapolis/St. Paul and clients are inquiring about getting cell phones. Many cannot afford traditional new contract = cheap phone plans. (My clients generally also have non-existent or bad credit and are leery of contracts because of not being documented or getting burned before.) Will carriers connect used phones purchased, say, online or at sketchy cell phone stores on the corner? Or are pay-as-you go phones a better option?

New England Car Needed

billtron — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:07:51 -0800

I'm moving to the Upper Valley of New Hampshire in a month and need to buy a car for the first time. Help me choose the right one. We've narrowed it down basically to two general options: something resembling a 2 year old Subaru Outback and something resembling a new Prius. Our choice will depend on the availability of options, incentives at the time of purchase, and the necessity of getting an all-wheel drive vehicle for the harsh winters versus the fuel efficiency of getting a hybrid for our monthly trips to NYC. What, o great metahivemind, do you suggest we do?

Should I buy this guitar?

Precision — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:25:41 -0800

Should I buy this used Taylor acoustic guitar? Guitar guru mefites, help me out! In my local craigslist today I found a 2002 Taylor 414-CE for $800. (It's acoustic electric). I already went to go check it out. The man hasn't played it in three years, literally, and the strings are at least as old, so the tone was rather dull. Also, it was very dusty.

However, it was in amazing condition otherwise. No scratches or blemishes that I noticed whatsoever. It comes with the hard shell case. With a fresh set of strings and a little cleaning, it'd be good as anything. The 414 is typically new for $1600-$1900, from what I understand, so this seems like a rather great deal. I'm 18, and this seems like an acoustic that would carry me for a looong time, if not forever.

Is this as good a deal as I'm thinking, or do they depreciate more than I realize? Would you buy it for $800? Any advice/thoughts appreciated.

what monitor should I get instead of the 23" cinema display?

krautland — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:59:12 -0800

what monitor should I get instead of the 23" cinema display? I've been spending a few weeks now on ebay hunting for a used 23" apple cinema display and I'm frustrated. the display, which I use at work and am extremely happy with, goes for anything from €450 to up to €800, which is totally ridiculous, and the new version apple now sells doesn't seem to work with my two year-old mac book pro.*

thus I'm looking around for other monitors in a similar size range and priced around €400 plus/minus a bit. new or used, which monitor would you recommend and why? please note that I'm in germany and cannot purchase models sold exclusively in the US.

*make my day and correct me, I beg you.

Of course I just paid it off

girlmightlive — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:24:20 -0800

I need a cheap, used car (~$6000) that can handle the hundreds of miles I drive every week for work. I was driving a used 2001 Kia Rio that I just paid off (of course) and that broke down a couple of weeks ago. My regular mechanic thinks I need a new engine which would cost about $2500. I bought the car for $5000, and it has about 120,000+ miles on it. I've already put so much money into maintaining this car that I think I should just buy a used one that's more reliable. But I'm concerned because I drive so much.

Not only do I have to commute about 30 miles each way to work 4 days a week, but I also drive a lot after I get there, so driving 500 miles/week isn't a rare occurrence. Moving closer to work isn't an option.

I'm looking at Toyotas, Volvos, Hondas, etc. If any of you drive a cheap, used, reliable car a lot, I'd love to hear recommendations and your experiences. (I'll be stopping at the library soon to pick up a copy of Consumer Reports).

Used Pizza Oven?

furiousxgeorge — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:40:39 -0800

How much would you expect to pay for a used restaurant quality pizza oven? Where would you look for such a thing?

Used car safety information?

jeffmac — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:15:07 -0800

I didn't find this thread helpful. Does anyone have new information related to obtaining car safety information for older cars? I am considering purchasing a 1989 Subaru Loyale, a car I owned prior to having children and loved. I currently drive a newer 1998 Honda Civic, but I really miss my old Loyale. I don't want to move back in time if it will jeopardize the safety of my children.

Selling a dead battery car: Dealership or Craigslist?

carpyful — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:23:17 -0800

Car with a dead battery (sorta). I want to sell it immediately. Will I be better off selling it to a used car dealer or on Craigslist? If the former, can anyone recommend a dealer in Seattle? So when I first moved to Seattle, I bought a used car ('95 Mitsubishi Mirage) for $1300. I just needed a jalopy to get me from point A to point B -- or so I thought. It turns out, I don't really need a car at all. So the car has just been sitting around, with me driving it around every couple of days to make sure the battery doesn't die.

As it happens, I kept procrastinating moving the car around and now the battery is dead. Even though I got it jumped (and had the battery checked by AAA), I don't drive the car nearly enough to hold the charge and it's just a hassle now.

Really, all I want now is to sell the car quickly and without hassle... but I don't want to get completely fleeced.

Will I be better off selling it to a dealer or putting it on Craigslist as a car with a dead battery? It seems like both options are equal, hassle-wise. Which do you think will get me more money? If the former, can you recommend a place in Seattle that buys used cars? .. and assuming the car is in slightly below average condition, what's a reasonable price to ask for / expect?

Help me just get this over with, please.

how much for this tank?

tylerfulltilt — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:21:52 -0800

How much should I charge for a 57 year old 1,000 gallon propane tank in perfect working condition, but poor cosmetic condition? At the full tilt household we just switched over to natural gas. So we now have a 57 year 1,000 gallon propane tank sitting in our backyard that we'd like to unload.

It's in excellent working condition, all seals, gauges, and regulators work great. The tank has been re-certified in the last ten years, and our propane provider filled it up with 200 gallons about three months ago so it's obviously in good shape.

I've looked around and seen that a brand new 1,000 gallon tank sells for about $1000-1300, so I figure that $550 is a fair price.

Am I wrong? How much is this thing worth?

Where to sell used books, CDs, DVDs, and gaming stuff in Chicagoland?

korpios — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:59:49 -0800

What are the best places in the Chicago area to sell used books, CDs, DVDs, and tabletop gaming materials? My wife and I are moving into a new place in a month; since we're largely a digital-only household these days (Kindle, MacBook, iPhone), I'd like to take this opportunity to clean out the physical media that keeps following us around. We have a bunch of DVDs and CDs, as well as quite a few boxes of books (largely non-fiction and older tabletop gaming stuff, e.g., AD&D 2nd Ed.); I refuse to drag it all to yet another apartment.

I'd ideally like to be able to visit as few places as possible to offload the majority of what I have; I'm willing to drive (both within Chicago and the suburbs), but I don't want to end up having to visit 15 different places. I also don't want to list items individually on Craigslist since what I can expect to be paid per-item isn't worth the hassle of making many individual sales; by the same token, I really don't want to bother with eBay. My primary goal is getting rid of the stuff — not making the most amount of money possible. (Anything I don't end up selling will be given away and/or tossed.)

So, Chicago submodule of UsedStuffFilter ... suggestions? (The closest AskMeFi post I've found was this one for used CDs.)

How to get rid of a once nice car, now sitting by the woods.

bobbyno — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:42:36 -0800

What should I do to get a car that's been sitting for 2 years out of my life, without feeling like I've wasted it? I have a 1993 Volvo. A couple of years ago I left it at my in-laws house because I did not need it in the city. I sort of let it go to seed. I know--lame. It's been sitting outside for a couple of years.

I now want to get rid of it, but I don't want to just give it away. It doesn't run, but it was at one time a real nice car. Do you think anyone like a Volvo body shop will want it for parts? Whatever happens to it, it's going to have to be towed away by someone. It could, in theory, be tuned up to running condition.

Should I:
a) Donate it and just write it off.
b) Call one of those "We pay cash for junk cars!" places. Does anyone have experience there?
c) List it on Craigslist and show it, which will take a little time and effort but possibly yield some cash?

Thank you for your help. This is my first question here. I am not trying to sell this car here! I just need a little guidance.

Forced into the car market: Lease or Buy?

lonemantis — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:00:56 -0800

We just lost our car in a garage fire, should we now lease or buy? We live in a condo, and a bunch of us homeowners lost our cars (and other belongings) in a garage fire. My wife and I want to know the hive-mind's opinion on whether we should lease or buy now that we're forced into the market for a new car. Some information: we're "tree-huggers" so we appreciate good gas mileage (and we're enamored with the upcoming 3rd gen Honda Insight). But we also drive the cars a ton, we drive everywhere. We live in Indianapolis, but our parents and families are on the east coast, so we drive to NYC and the D.C. area multiple times a year; not to mention the Chicago area, too. So that would also be a consideration whether we lease or buy... Thanks for anyone's opinion.

How much for a used Nikon D100 & assorted gear?

Jennifer S. — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:41:33 -0800

Photographers: what's a fair price for the following Nikon setup, bought used? I'm interested in buying a friend's old camera and gear. What's a fair price for the following used equipment? Ballpark range perfectly acceptable.

* Nikon D100 body, slightly prone to the shutter sticking, otherwise OK, bought new in 2001
* battery and charger
* Nikkor 24-85 mm AF-S
* SanDisk 1GB Compact Flash Memory Card

Whither Pacifica?

Mr. Anthropomorphism — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 18:16:48 -0800

Does anyone have anything to say about the Chrysler Pacifica? It seems to be a really good fit for our growing family's needs, but searching online for reviews has turned up polarized opinions. It seems they either last forever or fall apart as you drive off the lot.

We're looking at 2006 AWD Touring models with low miles.

I am aware there was a recall on some during this model year, and also see a lot of complaints about ABS sensors breaking.

What have been the experiences of the hivemind?

How to test A/C in cold weather.

unreasonable — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 06:04:07 -0800

Buying a used car in the winter, how can i test to see if the A/C works? I want to be sure the A/C works on a used car before I buy it, but it is only 15 outside right now. What can i do?

Please help find a gently-used, luxury-ish sedan.

fieldtrip — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:27:20 -0800

Please help find a gently-used, luxury-ish sedan. My girlfriend’s stepmother is in the market for a new used car. I have been recruited to help but I am kind of at a loss. The cars that she says that she likes are the Chrysler 300, Cadillacs, and Lexus. She wants to buy a 2007 or 2008 with warranty and not many more than 19,000 miles. Her budget is roughly $20,000. What she wants is a four door sedan with ideally leather seats, heated seats, wood trim, and built in navigation (this last one is very optional). In the research that I’ve done there seems to be a lot of Chrysler 300s in this range. There are a few Cadillac CTS and no Lexus (Lexi?). She currently drives a VW bug but says that she is now at that age, early sixties, where she wants something more comfortable and maybe a little fancier. I’m wondering what other cars that you know of that fit these criteria that she isn’t thinking of. All of the Acuras and Infinities also seem to cost too much but there must be other luxury-ish 4 door sedans that we aren’t thinking of. She lives and wants to buy in the Albuquerque area if that makes a difference. One of the problems for me to wrap my brain around is for someone to want to go from a car the size of a bug to a behemoth Cadillac. Are there some nice cars (leather, wood trim, etc) that are in between these two sizes that also fit in this price range? I think most of the European cars are out just because of cost of upkeep (unless you can make a great argument otherwise). What are we missing? Your personal anecdotes are extremely welcome.