Read all your contracts. Auto refinance contracts can have hidden fees. While many of these fees are warranted, be aware of what they are. If you are not sure of what is in your contract you can be cheated. If you do not recognise a fee in your contract, ask what it is. This way anything unnecessary is removed.

In the UK, the APR (Annualised Percentage Rate) need only be offered to two thirds of a lender's customers, to be legal. The other third they can offer what they like to. That could be you. The APR is a guide. It doesn't reflect the rate _you_ will get.

Another way to winnow out the best lender is to contact them via email, and see what they send you back. Call them on the 'phone as well. This, coupled with your impression of their web site, will give a good clue as to whether they're a 'sound', active company, or moribund i.e. on the way out of business. ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR GUT FEELING. The mind has doubts, the heart has desires, but the guts don't lie!

Other lenders web sites that talk about auto refinance are faceless, anonymous. You have no idea who you're dealing with. They could be working out of a penthouse suite in Canary Wharf, or a teenager's back bedroom. If you call your lender about your auto refinance, make sure you get the full name of the person with whom you speak.

BE WARY OF DEBT CONSOLIDATION LOANS. Sometimes the interest rate can be higher than the rate you currently have. If the loan's APR is higher than your credit cards, you'll lose money!

You are transferring your debt from one place to another _and_ opening another line of credit, while freeing up your credit cards. Then you spend on your cards again. 

You'll end up paying up to 22% on your consolidation loan, have more credit card debt, _and_  have a negative entry on your credit report, for taking out the loan. 

Even worse, if you use a debt consolidation company as your intermediary, that will show up too.

The inference is, you're a bad creditor, and you can't manage your money, so lenders either won't touch you, or they'll charge you the max. To complete the picture, debt consolidation companies may muck up your repayments, and thus harm your credit even further.

Auto refinance lenders aren't charities. They're in business to make a fat profit, and only the simple-minded socialist would begrudge them.

So they add in fees and penalties and charges, either upfront, or into the interest rate. They get lots of queries from people who haven't got the 'scratch' to repay auto refinance, so you can forgive them if they're a bit brusque; they've heard it all before.

Your auto refinance request will be judged according to a formula, and any soft talk you get is merely them being eager and/or polite. If you can tick all the right boxes truthfully, you get a better deal; if not, a worse one. They're gambling on your ability to pay back your debt, and your interest rate reflects the 'odds' of repayment.

This being a business deal, they'll try and get as much out of you as possible, but with the internet you can compare deals, and haggle a bit.

As the competition in this field is quite tough, every lender wants to create a niche of its own. Here the creative edge comes into play, for you have to stand out from the crowd.

Taking this into consideration some lenders supply sweet deals to people with good credit.

Consider why you are getting into this. You may be looking to get a bigger loan, or a smaller one, a bigger car or a smaller one. Examine what you want, then examine what you truly need. Then buy that. It'll be cheaper. Getting a fat loan for a flash car is a waste, unless you're in sales, and need to look smart.

Credit unions can help you establish a credit rating.  Plonk down as much as you can in cash, then the rest on the loan. Pay off some of your debts and work on cleaning up your credit rating before applying for auto refinance.