The impact of the tropical storm Irene hasn’t yet diminished completely, with many people still trying to repair the damages it has caused. But there may be another collateral damage of the storm, which can even affect people who escaped Irene’s wrath.
The storm’s passing didn’t just damage streets, homes and stores, but cars and trucks as well. And there’s a very good chance that these vehicles are not heading to the junkyard, but will be repaired and sold across the US with a discount.
The problem is that some dealers may hide the true origin of the car they are trying to sell to the unsuspecting buyer. And this is not a conspiracy theory or a mere hypothesis: this practice occurred after the –much more devastating- hurricane Katrina in 2005.
A low-priced car with low mileage may tempt buyers, but it should also raise a red flag. According to TrueCar’s Jesse Torpak, flood-damaged cars can be worth as much as 40-70% less than before -while the dealer may choose to offer a smaller, yet still tempting, discount without revealing the car’s true history.
While flood damage doesn’t necessarily mean that a vehicle is a total loss, and if repaired appropriately, may even be a good value-for-money, this is not always the case.
What’s more, dealers may even get away with it. Consumer Reports recommends calling their state’s vehicle department to check if salvaged cars must be identified by the seller. And common sense dictates that any bargain, especially when it comes to spending a large sum of money, should be double-checked and treated with extra caution.
Story source: NY Times
