European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 25, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 b the stars and stripes wednesday March 25,1992car sales car from Page 1 not apply to cars cafes officials said. Customers should choose the car and options they want and not let the Salesman do it for them. Libraries and bookstores have literature that compare cars by Price reliability performance resale value Gas mileage and other factors. Done to take advertisements literally ads Seldom include All the costs such As options transportation and dealer preparation. Getting excited Over an and can Lead to an impulse buy that May be  Check emotions at the door it is vital to approach the Purchase from As practical a standpoint As possible. The Type of car sought should depend on what is affordable and what its primary use will be. It May seem obvious but Many buyers will seemingly forget for example that a family has different transportation needs than a single person. Serious buyers should consult their financial institution to determine How much Money they can borrow what Down payment they will be expected to make now much interest must be paid and How arge the monthly payment will be according to Ross. Remember the military a car program is not the Only answer even for an american car. People returning to the states can order a car directly from a stateside dealer or broker and perhaps beat the Exchange service prices experts in the states said. An Adamd advantage is that if there is a problem at the time of delivery the dealer must take responsibility and cannot put the blame on Quot the office in  those who want a car delivered to Europe also can buy direct from a stateside company and if they Are willing to negotiate often save a few Hundred dollars Ross and others said. Transportation to the port at Bremerhaven Germany will Cost about the same As a car purchased through Exchange service programs sometimes less. The disadvantage is that the Exchange service will not be a party to warranty disputes that May arise after delivery cafes officials said. Research the Market know what shot and what a not. In the states the recession has created a buyers Market. Car makers clearly Are hurting Exchange service dealers also report being hit by declining sales. But they do not face the Competition of the states nor do they have the High overhead and advertising costs associated with stateside dealers. They do however say that they incur costs related to doing business overseas that stateside dealers do not face. Further the prices Are fixed so customers do not have an Opportunity to negotiate with a hungry dealer. Nevertheless if a customer knows what the dealer a in the military Scase a contractor a pays for a car and its different options that customer is protected from Price gouging. Customers should keep in mind that the Exchange services contractors is allowed a maximum markup of 7 percent and some models have margins significantly less than that. It reaches the european port car sales officials  buy nothing written nothing gained that is the primary Rule throughout the negotiation order and acceptance process. Everything the Salesman promises must be in writing or it May not be honoured by the car sales companies cafes officials said. Use the salesperson As a guide through the Maze but remember that the Salesman a obligation is not to the customer but to the company that pays him. Everything agreed upon in the sales office is subject to change of the Headquarters office. In fact officials with the new car program said that mistakes Are made on one half of All orders taken by salesmen. Read the Purchase order front and Back. Insist that All Blanks Are filled if with nothing More than a Diagonal line. Do not allow options to be referred to As Quot included under a package code Ross said. Have the Salesman itemize what he says will be on the car and How much each item costs. Pay particular attention to the Fine print usually found on the Back of the order form which addresses the customers right to cancellation and full refund. Pay Only the minimum Deposit in the Case of cafes that a $300. Most salesmen will push for Complete payment As soon As financing is approved. However it is not Wise to pay More than the minimum Deposit until the car can be viewed. The car will not be ordered unless financing is approved but customers using commercial transportation do not have to pay in full until seeing the car cafes officials said. Paying in Advance May eventually Lead the customer into accepting a less than perfect car when delivery is made and May mean paying for months on a car that has not  and delivery when buying from the Exchange services a customer May have the option of military or commercial transportation to Europe. Military transportation is free. Commercial transportation costs from $900 to $1,500. However when using military transportation the car is accepted for the customer by a military representative at the stateside port. The car then belongs to the buyer who has yet to see it. If the car is equipped As ordered the customer cannot Back out of the Deal when on the other hand if commercial transportation is used the Cost will be added to the Price of the car but acceptance will not occur until the customer picks the car up at the port. If the car does not meet the terms of the order the customer can decline acceptance and receive a full refund. Often customers who have paid in full or invested several thousand dollars in a car have a difficult time refusing delivery of the vehicle regardless of defects. Holding onto the bulk of the financing until the car arrives Means less is at risk if a problem occurs. Also a customer who wants a car delivered to his local dealer to avoid the trip to Bremerhaven must waive the right to reject the vehicle car sales officials said. The transport company accepts the vehicle on his behalf. This is done with a seemingly innocuous form that some people have said they done to recall  be sceptical do not take a Salesman sword that the car has arrived. Once told the car can be picked up Contact the company Headquarters not the Salesman and ask that the pickup Date be put in writing. No matter what dates have been Given be Muf. A Effly worm Lviv i a Tow Ford from Hou monday a How Tow cafes system a the Man who conf Rote the met try worldwide  a cafes Lent Tho Only gems in Europe. A Tho Quot Lemon Tawiah that Don t apply. A Tho mystery of the missing  the do s and Don to of buying a car in Europe. Fore ask for a written Promise that the car is ready car sales officials said. Many customers arrive at the port to find their cars Are not ready. Some have to stay overnight or return Home and continue to wait. If a customer has written proof that the company promised to have the car ready on a particular Day and it is not ready the company will pay for an overnight hotel stay or the return trip officials for the companies said. Do not go to the port to pick up a car on any Day other than that which the company promised the car would be ready. In doing so a customer May forfeit the right to reimbursement for hotel or travel expenses if the car is not  firm do not accept a car that does no to match the order perfectly unless you consider the differences inconsequential. Inspect every Inch of the car and document every defect. Operate every system in the car such As Interior lights radios cigarette lighters seat belts and any Power parts like windows or locks. If possible insist that defects be repaired before accepting the vehicle even if it Means an overnight stay or a later return trip Ross said. The dealer a or contractor a will be More inclined to make the repairs promptly if the customer holds the balance of the Money and still has the option to refuse the  and refunds if an order is cancelled for any reason during the first seven Days the customer is entitled to a full refund. The sales Headquarters generally posts an a order acceptance letter the same Day a customer places an order. The order becomes a binding contract Only after the seven Day period ends and the acceptance letter is posted. This letter should include confirmation of everything agreed upon in the Purchase order. Often there Are changes that May or May not be highlighted. Read this acceptance form thoroughly cafes officials said. If any item does not conform to the original order Call the company immediately and follow with a letter. Any grievance a customer has with an order must be sent to the company in writing to protect the right to a full refund car sales officials said. If at any time before the car is accepted the company cannot meet the terms agreed to in writing the customer has a right to cancel the order and receive a full refund according to new car sales contracts. Companies have been known to try to exact a penalty for cancelling an order but this is not permitted if the company is at fault in a contract violation. Cancellation penalties the customer has to pay a penalty if cancellation occurs More than seven Days after the order was placed and the reason is not due to the contractors failure to Honor the Deal or a military situation that prohibits acceptance of the car such As a change in pcs orders according to the contract. However the maximum penalty cannot exceed 1 percent of the Purchase Price of the car. If the total Price of a Carsee car on Page 15