If you're one of the many people who dread applying for a car loan, Star Reviews has some great news. The best auto loans of today are nothing like their counterparts of yesteryear. Forget about dealer games and salesman nightmares. The Car Loan Center was one of the car loan resources we looked into and although we weren’t immediately impressed by their website interface’s graphics, we decided to go out on a limb and investigate it. Here’s what we found.
What's New The Car Loan Center?
- Get your car's trade in value.
- Buy an extended auto warranty.
- The Car Loan Center's calculator-figure out how much payments will be.
Star Reviews' Favorite Car Loan Center Feature:
While many car loan websites will allow you to check your monthly payment estimates and give you information on buying a car, very few of them mention extending your auto warranty. And, if you're buying a used car, that can be a huge deal. Not only does The Car Loan Center have extended auto warranties, but they give you the opportunity to receive a no-obligation quote for one right on their website.
The Car Loan Center Auto Loan Application Process:
Applying for a car loan through The Car Loan Center is supposed to be a simple and straightforward process. Just fill out the one-minute form and you're on your way to getting the keys to your new car – or so they would have you believe. In reality, the moment you provide your personal information to The Car Loan Center, you're hit with spam from other auto-related websites. Not a pretty picture.
To add insult to injury, The Car Loan Center really isn't the one who processes your application at all. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing (it's common in the auto loan industry) the website makes no mention of this fact anywhere and if you want to check it out in the FAQ section, good luck – there isn't one. From what we can tell, you give your info to The Car Loan Center and then they sell it to dealerships in your area who contact you about buying a car. Not what we expected, but it does get you in contact with a dealership who can help you get the loan you need.
Auto Loans Offered by The Car Loan Center:
As we mentioned above, The Car Loan Center doesn't offer car loans – it just connects you to the people who do.
The Car Loan Center Offers:
- Trade-in estimate request form.
- Warranty quote request form.
- Loan referrals.
- Online loan calculator.
The Car Loan Center Customer Support:
Well, we'd be happy to rate The Car Loan Center's customer support if there was any. There isn't. Not even an FAQ. At this point, we kind of throw our hands up in the air and wonder why...
Upside:
Access to extended warranty quotes, access to trade-in estimates, easy-to-navigate website.
Downside:
Not really a lender at all. No customer support.