For many people, buying a car is a stressful business.

Will you find a vehicle you like and that suits your needs? Is it a good deal? Will it last once you drive it off the lot?

Alleviating those fears starts with knowing 鈥� and trusting 鈥� the sales professionals you鈥檙e working with, says general manager David King, recognized for knowledge and expertise gained through his years in the industry.

Here is the essential information David says vehicle shoppers need to know:

Tip 1: Build a relationship, don鈥檛 just buy a car. 鈥淔inding the right car begins with building a relationship, hopefully with someone you鈥檒l be working with for years to come,鈥� David says. 鈥淥nce you find that person you can trust, they can usually find what you鈥檙e looking for. If it鈥檚 not immediately available, they can keep an eye out and call you as soon as it comes in 鈥� the most sought-after vehicles go quickly, often before they鈥檙e even listed online.鈥�

Tip 2: Be open to ideas. For vehicle shoppers, working with a business that strictly deals with pre-owned vehicles means they aren鈥檛 tied to one brand. 鈥淲e can actually do the needs analysis and buyers can compare all the similar models at the same time,鈥� David says, noting that Galaxy sales staff have access to all the Island inventory, not only that on their local lot.

Tip 3: Trade in to trade up. Will you be trading in your existing vehicle? Make sure your car is tidy inside and out and be prepared to share its maintenance history. It鈥檚 also a good idea to have a general idea about your trade-in鈥檚 value beforehand 鈥� is a good resource, David says. Better yet, trading in also saves taxes, as the value of the trade-in is deducted from the price of the new purchase.

Tip 4: Find a full-service dealership. A with trained technicians builds on that relationship founded through the sales process. At Galaxy, it also allows for a full 155-point safety inspection for all its pre-owned cars. Often, third-party inspections only provide visual safety inspections that can miss potential problems, David notes.

Tip 5: Know your history. Look for a comprehensive CarProof Vehicle History Report that reveals a vehicle鈥檚 accident history throughout Canada and the U.S. In reviewing a vehicle鈥檚 history, many dealers look only to ICBC reports, David explains. 鈥淗owever, the risk of only pulling an ICBC search and not a complete CarProof Report is you鈥檙e restricted to claims involving ICBC. If the vehicle was hit by someone with insurance from another province, an ICBC search may not reveal that information but a CarProof report will. That peace of mind is invaluable,鈥� he says.

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With four locations on Vancouver Island, from Greater Victoria to the Comox Valley, find more than 700 pre-owned vehicles to choose from, most within their first five model years.