Should you trade your car in or sell it privately? You are very likely to gain a higher profit if you go for a private sale, however, it’s nowhere near as hassle free as trading your car in. That doesn't mean you shouldn't at least try to sell your car privately and if you follow these ten tips, you should be able to get a great price without too much trouble.
Word Of Mouth
You might not consider this as a meaningful way to sell your car but you could be pleasantly surprised by the results. Simply telling your family, friends, and work colleagues that your car is up for sale could provide you with a quick and easy sale. It's a very safe way to do it too as you'll be dealing with people that you know. Be sure to reveal all details and potential issues of the car though, otherwise your friendship might soon turn sour.
Neighbourhood Sale
Drawing up a nice sign using a bit of cardboard and sitting it on the dash will grab the attention of plenty of motorists, depending on how busy your street is. There are normally 'known' locations in each suburb where it is legally acceptable to park your car for the day with a for sale sign on it. Being out on the road means buyers can take a first-hand look at it, which is obviously of great appeal to punters.
Social Media
One of the cheapest/easiest ways to sell your car online is via social media. There's usually a Facebook page that has been set up with 'swap or sell' listings in various areas around the country. You can reach out to a lot of potential buyers using this method, especially considering the millions of people that use such websites on a daily basis. About the only downside is you might have to deal with a lot of would-be buyers that offer you ridiculously low bids from time to time.
Paid Online Classifieds
This is the premium option. If you want to sell your car and get the best price, and reach out to thousands of buyers that are actually looking to buy, going for a paid online service is your best option. Users can browse through the ads or they can hone in on a select type of vehicle, in which your listing will come up. If you want to sell your car quickly, paying for a premium ad which pushes your listing to the top of searches can be a good option.
Free Online Classifieds
There are a few free, dedicated online classifieds websites, such as Gumtree. These work in much the same way as the paid services, however, the packages aren't quite as premium. These sites tend to attract vehicles that are in the cheaper end of the market too, which can result in more users offering you a ridiculously low price. The sites can be just as popular as the paid services, attracting very large audiences as well.
Newspaper Classifieds
Similar to online, only it can be cheaper. Newspapers have a similarly high circulation as online, which means your car could potentially be viewed by thousands of people. You can often pay for your listing to remain in two or three issues as well depending on the publication, further increasing exposure. One of the good things about listing in a paper is the fact the paper might exchange hands numerous times, sitting on a table at a doctor's surgery, for example.
Enthusiast Forum
If your car has even the slightest of followings or some kind of fan club, chances are there is a dedicated website forum for it. Do a search to find out. If there is a forum, sign up and check out what thread topics they have. There will probably be a 'cars for sale' section. The beauty of posting your car in here is the people reading your listing will be genuinely interested in your car. Be warned though, some users might ask some fairly technical questions.
Notice Boards
It's as simple as it sounds. Whether it's the notice board at your work or the notice board at your gym or other leisure activity, posting an A4 sheet onto a notice board can attract plenty of buyers. All you need to do is take a couple of photos and write up a quick, clear description of your car, print it out and post it up. It's a good idea to ask the manager of the property if it is okay for you to pin up the material, just in case there are policies in place. You might be able to post the same ad up in your local corner shop window or at your local pub as well.
Auction
If you want to sell your car fast, getting it auctioned off is a sure fire way to do that. As anybody will tell you who has been to an auction, there is a lot of energy in the air during the event. Buyers get nervous, bids are thrown around from what seems like every direction. It's all very exciting and quite tense. The end result for you is your car is very likely to get at least a few bids, selling right there and then.
eBay
It works in a similar way to real auctions, however, eBay auctions can last up to one week. Buyers place their bid - the price they are actually willing to pay - and each bid is locked in. What tends to happen is most viewers will 'watch' your listing until the last minute. During the last minute, even last seconds, you'll get most of your bids. A good thing about eBay is punters can ask you questions throughout the bidding period. And the questions and answers are displayed at the bottom. This obviously creates a lot interest and some excitement, encouraging more users to get their bid in.