We are living in a very advanced time. Buying a car is not a one day ordeal anymore. People used to go to the most reputable dealership and trust what the sales person said on the other side of the table. Now that we have the internet, information has become available to us that we never had. Now, when we make a car purchase, we research the car, dealership, and even sales person. Same applies to actually selling your car.
Selling your car is harder than buying one, if you let it. We all have emotional ties to our cars and we have every right to be. These pieces of metal have been there through good times and bad but we live in an era where market value is king, and sentiment value is not. It seems like everyone has market value prices. So here is what to do, before you try to sell your car to a Buying Center rather than selling your car privately (I will come to that in another post).
1. Be Realistic
I remember I wanted to sell my Geo Storm for $2000. The car barely made it to the corner but, boy, did I love it. I had absolutely zero hits. There was no way I was going to sell it. I had it sitting for 2 months with that price before I started being realistic and getting out of la-la land. Which conveniently sets me up for the next point...
2. Research the Value
Contrary to popular belief, KBB.com isn't the only source out there. What people tend to forget is that KBB gives people a non-guaranteed price. I input the miles, a VERY GENERIC condition of the car, and I get back a number that I can only dream of. After KBB I dug around other similar cars selling in the area. Once I researched all these values, I gave myself a realistic value, putting emotions to the side. Having this as back up was absolutely great.
3. Don't be Shy, Shop Around
I listed this car in AutoTrader Market Place, Appraised it in other dealerships, and eventually chose the best deal. Be upfront with whoever you are selling your car to. They may even give you such a great price that you may not want to shop around.
These are 3 things to remember when you are going to sell your car to a dealer or buying center. Say your goodbyes to your car early and let it begin new memories with their new owners. Until next time!
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Sources:
DyerCarBuyingCenter.com
KBB.com
AutoTrader.com
Cars.com