Frequently Asked Questions
Site related questions
Why this site?Is this site a free service?How do I view the main article?Can I download a copy of the main article?Do you offer auto loans through your site?Do you offer insurance through your site?
Membership related questions
Why do I need a membership?How do I become a member?I forgot my password, how do I recover it?I forgot my username, what do I do?How can I change my password, email address, and other membership information?
Be a contributor
How do I become a contributor to this site?
Technical questions
What browser is required to view this site?What resolution should my monitor be set to?I've uploaded an image, how to I reference it?
Classified Ad questions
How do I list my car on your classifieds?Why do my images look skewed after I upload them?What does it cost to list my car on your classifieds?Can I list more than one vehicle at a time?How long does my ad Last?Can I extend my classified ad?What information do I need to list my vehicle?How can I pay for my ad?How can I tell if my ad is being seen?Can I represent multiple sellers?Why can't I upload more images after I have paid for my ad?Why don't my images display in the order I uploaded them?If after a coupon is used my ad is free, why do I need to enter information into the shopping cart?Why do I need a sellers account when I have a membership on the site?If I cancel my ad after it is active (visible), will I get a refund?How do I upload my vehicle images?How does the accept offer work?How does the accept deals work?
Site related questions
Why this site?With all the other sites available on "how to buy a car", why this site is a good question. The answer is simple, even though all the other sites give you information on the various scams, and what to watch out for, this site focuses more on the process of purchasing a car. What to do and how to do it. This site was created because people asked for it.
Is this site a free service?Yes, all articles, forums, and all other information on this site is free to the viewer. To advertise on this site requires a small fee.
How do I view the main article?There are a variety of ways to get to and view the main article on this site. Clicking on the site title, the BMW graphic in the title block, the text "How to buy a car..." will all take you to the listing of chapters for the main article. Additionally, you can click on the BMW graphic or the text within the article categories section on the home page.
Can I download a copy of the main article?No, not at this time. This will be available in the near future.
Do you offer auto loans through your site?No. We are not a lender, we provide information on the process of purchasing a vehicle. There are many lenders available and we suggest you research them to find the most appropriate lender to fill your needs.
Do you offer insurance through your site?No. We are not an insurance agent. Again, there are many insurance companies available to fill your needs. We suggest you do some research before picking an insurance agent.
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Membership related questions
Why do I need a membership?Membership on this site allows you to post messages in the forums, advertise your business or list a vehicle for sale, provides access to the newsletter archives, and a variety of other features not available to non-members. Membership is required if you would like to become a contributor and have your articles published on this site. For more information on becoming a contributor,
see below.
How do I become a member?In the title block for this site, in the upper right corner, click on "Create new account", or simply click
here. Fill in the information requested and then click Create User. Fill in the information to create your profile and then click "Finish". You can now login with your username and password. A confirmation email will be sent with your username and password. Please save this email in case you forget your username or password.
I forgot my password, how do I recover it?Click on "I forgot my password" link in the upper right corner of the site title block. Enter your username and click Submit. Answer the security question and an email with your password will be sent to the email address associated with the username.
I forgot my username, what do I do?Use the contact us form to send an email with the subject "Forgotten username". We will search our database for an email address that matches and respond with the username.
How can I change my password, email address, and other membership information?Login to the site with your username and password, then click "Edit Profile" in the upper right corner of the title block of this site. You will then be able to change your password and/or update any part of your profile.
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Be a contributor
How do I become a contributor to this site?This requires a few simple steps:
Sign up for membership on this site.
Use the contact us form to submit a sample of your writing for review.
Receive notice of acceptance to be a contributor (your username will have been granted access to the admin pages to post articles.
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Technical questions
What browser is required to view this site?
This site was designed and optimized for Internet Explorer 7, although it has also been tested on Mozilla Fire Fox and found fully functional. We have not tested the site for any other browsers. If you are using another browser and run into a problem, please let us know.
What resolution should my monitor be set to?
The best resolution for viewing this site is 1024 by 768 or higher. The site works with lesser resolutions, but there will be some window scrolling required to view the entire site.
I've uploaded an image, how to I reference it?
A successfully uploaded image will give you the path and file name in green just below the upload button. Copy and paste this path as the reference to the image.
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Classified Ad questions
How do I list my car on your classifieds?
Login to the site and establish a seller account. To do this click on the Classified Ads menu option then click on seller account information. If you don't have a seller account, fill in the information and click insert. If you have a seller account and need to make changes, click on the 
icon, then make your changes and click update to save the changes.
To start a new classified ad, click on the 
icon, then fill in the requested information.
Why do my images look skewed after I upload them?
The most likely cause for this is the uploaded images do not follow the 4:3 aspect ratio. A good example of a 4:3 aspect ratio is an image that is 800 by 600 pixels in size. That is 800 pixels across by 600 pixels high. This is what the classified image viewer requires, so if your image doesn't follow this aspect ratio, it will get skewed a bit.
What does it cost to list my car on your classifieds?
The cost will vary depending on the number and size of the images you upload for your classified ad listing. The base cost of the ad is $2.95 to which $0.01 is added for each 5Kb in image size uploaded. Most ads will cost less than $10.
Can I list more than one vehicle at a time?
Yes. Each seller account can list an unlimited number of vehicles for sale using our classified ads.
How long does my ad Last?
Each classified ad will run for 60 days unless removed prior to expiring.
Can I extend my classified ad?
Yes. An ad can be extended for 30 days for a cost of $2.95. The ad must be extended prior to expiring. To extend an ad, login to the site and go to your seller account. Click on the 
icon to view your current ads. Click on the 
icon to extend your ad by 30 days.
What information do I need to list my vehicle?
You will need to know the make, model, year, mileage, price (what you are asking), and the VIN number as a minimum. If you want a better response, fill in as much information as you can specifically listing optional equipment. Describe your vehicle in easy to understand terms and be descriptive. The more information you include, the better your response will be.
Additionally, you will want to have some pictures (in digital format) to upload. Pictures make the difference between and ad that gets view vs. an ad that does not. You can upload anywhere from one to twenty pictures for your ad.
How can I pay for my ad?
We currently only accept PayPal through our Tracy & Price account. We will ad other payment options in the future.
How can I tell if my ad is being seen?
From the seller account information page, click on the icon to view the current ads for the seller. On this page on the right hand side there is a "Views" followed by a number. This number is the number of times this ad has been viewed (shown) on the site.
Can I represent multiple sellers?
Yes. A single membership on this site can have an unlimited number of seller accounts associated with it, and each seller account can have an unlimited number of listings.
Why can't I upload more images after I have paid for my ad?
Once an ad is saved, the image upload function is locked due to the cost of the ad being determined from the number and size of the images uploaded. If you delete an image, you will be able to upload a replacement image.
Why don't my images display in the order I uploaded them?
Images in the classified ad image viewer are displayed in alphbetical order on the name of the image file. If you need your images in a given order, name them accordingly.
If after a coupon is used my ad is free, why do I need to enter information into the shopping cart?
Your ad is not complete and cannot be approved until after you submit your order. This provides the necessary accounting and tracking to ensure your ad doesn't get lost in the system.
Why do I need a sellers account when I have a membership on the site?
A member can represent multiple sellers and a seller could be a dealership. The sellers account provides tracking for ads placed by the seller.
If I cancel my ad after it is active (visible), will I get a refund?
No. Once an ad is approved and made visible (which generally occurs within 24 hours of submitting your order), there cannot be a refund.
How do I upload my vehicle images?
There is an image upload page after entering all the text for your ad. On this page you can browse you local drive for images and then click upload to upload them to our server. As you upload your images, the viewer panel will show you how your images will display when the classified ad is shown. Be sure to name your images so they display in the order you want them to display. Also, be sure to upload all your images before saving your ad as you will not be able to add additional images later.
How does the accept offer work?
When you check the box to accept offers and enter a lowest offer amount, the site will allow users to make an offer to you via email as long as their offer is greater than or equal to the lowest offer amount. If their offer is lower than this amount, they will be given the opportunity to enter a higher offer.
How does the accept deals work?
When you check the box to accept deals and enter a lowest offer amount, you are indicating that you want the site to negotiate a deal for you, and that you indicate your acceptance of (and the requirement to honor) the first deal you receive. The site will always attempt to get the highest possible price (up to the asking price) and will never accept a deal for less than your lowest offer amount. Checking this option on your classified ad tells the site to ignore offers and negotiate deals instead. Users are allowed four chances to negotiate their best deal, and after each chance they will be given the option to accept the sites counter offer. The mathematics behind the negotiation are quite complex and are designed to mimic a car salesman. You can edit your ad and turn this feature on or off as your ad is running.
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