You choose a vehicle and the dealer submits your information to a network of third-party lenders when you buy and finance a car at a traditional auto dealership. If you’re authorized for a vehicle loan, you’ll have to pay the lender on a monthly basis.

In a few ways, buy-here, pay-here dealers flip the car-buying process. These dealerships sell and finance used automobiles right off their lots, and they may promote “we finance” or “no credit, no problem” on their signs.

If you want to buy a used automobile from a buy-here, pay-here shop, you may be required to provide evidence of income and residency, but your credit will likely not be checked. You’ll almost certainly need a down payment as well.

Once the dealership has determined your loan amount, it will show you cars in that price range from which to pick. Your car payments will then be sent straight to the dealership.

Is buy-here, pay-here financing a good idea?

Buy-here, pay-here loans are advertised as a simple method for those with negative credit to get finance, but they come with a slew of costly and annoying downsides.

Buy-here, pay-here financing can be expensive

When it comes to the interest you’d pay on a loan, buy-here, pay-here dealerships may not be lenient. According to a 2018 NIADA research, the average interest rate on this sort of loan is over 20%, which is significantly higher than the interest rate offered by most banks and credit unions on vehicle loans.

According to a survey from the National Credit Union Administration, the average interest rate on a four-year, used-car loan from a bank was 5.32 percent in the third quarter of 2020, and 3.24 percent from a credit union.

Other fees may be charged by buy-here, pay-here vendors. These hefty prices might put you in a financial bind: According to a 2019 survey by the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association and the National Alliance of Buy Here, Pay Here Dealers, more than one-third of borrowers failed on buy-here, pay-here loans in 2019.

You can wind up paying a lot more for your automobile than it’s worth because of the hefty interest and fees. The loan amount is usually limited by the vehicle’s value with traditional lenders. Buy-here, pay-here shops, on the other hand, may not establish such boundaries, which means you might end up borrowing — and paying — more than the automobile is worth. As soon as you drive off the lot, you might be in default on your loan.

A buy-here, pay-here lender may install a tracking device

Dealers want to know that if you default on your payments, they may quickly repossess the vehicle. Approximately 45 percent of buy-here, pay-here dealerships install gadgets that monitor the vehicle or prevent it from starting, assisting the dealer in recovering the vehicle if you fail on the loan. Giving up a little bit of your privacy could be a no-go for you.

The payment schedule for buy-here, pay-here loans might be inconvenient

You may be required to pay the dealer weekly or bimonthly, which is cumbersome when compared to a monthly payment plan. Because the payment is made directly to the dealer rather than a bank, your payment alternatives (pay by phone, check, etc.) may be limited compared to a standard auto loan.

Is it true that buy-here, pay-here financing affects your credit?

Making on-time, complete payments might help you enhance your credit and look less risky to potential lenders. However, certain buy-here, pay-here lenders may fail to record your payment history to the major credit agencies. Even if you make your payments on time, you may not be able to reap the benefits of credit growth