Eventually, it may come time to sell your vehicle. Rather than resorting to old-school classified ads in the newspaper or working with your local franchise dealership, you can choose the more convenient option of selling online.
But how do you sell your car online as simply and effectively as possible?
Consider Your Options
There’s more than one way to sell a car these days.
Accordingly, you’ll need to consider your options.
- A traditional, franchise dealership. One possibility is to sell your car directly to a dealership, or trade it in for another vehicle. Today, many dealerships have prominent online platforms, where you can research vehicles, interact with salespeople directly, and begin conversations. Selling to a dealership directly does have some advantages, especially if you’re planning on buying a new vehicle to replace your used vehicle. However, if you’re not planning on trading in, or if you’re just looking for the simplest experience possible, dealerships aren’t always the best option, as they don’t make deals as straightforwardly as certain online sellers and marketplaces.
- Online platform. You can also sell your car online, using an online platform like Edmunds. These platforms are designed to be as quick, painless, and straightforward as possible, making them the best option for millions of car sellers. All you’ll need to do is plug in some basic information about your vehicle, and you’ll generate an offer that you can choose to accept or reject. If you accept the offer, someone will pick up the vehicle, or you can drop it off at a specified location. You’ll typically receive payment quickly once your car passes a basic inspection. The only downside here is that your offer might be slightly lower than what you could fetch on the open market.
- Private listing. Another option is to list the car for sale privately, on your own. The idea here is to create a classified listing, then use marketing and advertising to promote that listing and sell to a private buyer. With this strategy, you might be able to get a higher sale price, but it does demand much more time and effort on your part. Additionally, selling to another private party can be both risky and complicated; you’ll need to handle things like money transfer, title transfer, and dispute resolution entirely on your own if you go this route.
Because there are many traditional dealerships, platforms, and private listing platforms to consider, always consider the following:
- Process. If you choose to sell your vehicle in this particular channel, what is the process like? What steps will you need to follow? How long will it take to close the sale? How convenient is it to finish the process? How soon will you get your money?
- Fees. Are there any fees associated with this platform or process? How much will you need to spend on marketing and advertising? Are there fees associated with services like picking up your vehicle for you?
- Reviews and ratings. Are there reviews and ratings for this company? Do people seem satisfied when they’ve used this channel in the past? If there are any horror stories associated with this brand, it won’t take much research to reveal them.
Evaluate (and Fix) Your Vehicle
Your vehicle doesn’t have to be in pristine condition, but you may increase your likelihood of passing inspection or even generate a higher offer price if you take the time to fix little things that are wrong with your vehicle. Minor points of cosmetic damage are not worth fussing over, generally, but if your vehicle is missing a wheel, you should probably take care of that before you try to sell it.
If you have access to your vehicle identification number (VIN), you can look up a great deal of information on your vehicle, including an estimate of your vehicle’s value on the market. It’s good to gather as much information as possible on your vehicle so you can respond appropriately to the offers you receive, price your vehicle strategically, and ultimately make a better decision for how you sell it.
Take Excellent Photos
If you’re listing the car for sale online, you should know that your photos can make or break your listing. It’s important to show off all the great aspects of your vehicle and demonstrate its appearance from multiple angles. It’s important to be open and transparent about any flaws or points of damage on your vehicle, but you should still attempt to show your vehicle in a flattering light overall.
Remove Any Personal Possessions
When you’re ready to move forward, remove any and all personal possessions from your vehicle. Be sure to remove your license plates and check various pockets and compartments for anything you might have missed. Once you finalize the sale, there will be little to no recourse for getting your personal possessions back.
Follow the Instructions Carefully
Finally, follow instructions carefully. If you’ve received a direct offer, the offering party will likely give you a set of detailed steps to follow for accepting the offer. This should be a quick and simple process, but it’s still important that you follow it precisely.
Selling a car online is easier than ever, and there are more options available to car owners than ever before. Still, it’s going to take some effort and thoughtful strategizing if you want to keep things simple and maximize your sale price.