LEAH MISHKIN, Correspondent, NJ Spotlight News
There’s a buyer-beware warning for those in the market to buy a new or used car. With thousands of vehicles destroyed in the floodwaters of Tropical Storm Ida, owners are now heading to dealerships in search of replacements. That’s putting pressure on an already distressed industry because of supply chain problems caused by the pandemic, including a microchip shortage. Inventory is at record lows.
Consumers should watch out for storm-damaged vehicles that have been cleaned up and are being resold to unsuspecting buyers.
Eric Gensinger, the owner of Mike’s Auto Sales in Garfield, warns of people trying to sell cars that were damaged by flooding. “They come in with the cars fully detailed and tell us how they just had it detailed. We’re not stupid. We know they didn’t have insurance, they got flooded, and they’re trying to sell it to us.”
