Mechanics Of Selling: How To Sell A Car
Posted by admin at 4 June 2016, at 15 : 18 PM
Now that you have your car in tip top shape, the next step is to sell it. You can of course place a for sale sign on it with the price and your telephone number, and park it in front of your house or beside a busy road. This is sometimes not advantageous as you will get a number of literal “tire kickers”. Despite the telephone number, people may arrive to see it just as you are sitting down to dinner, And of course your car may be subject to vandalism.
Another alternative is advertising it in the newspaper or in a local Penny Saver or Want Ad Advertiser. In Maine we have a very effective advertising source called Uncle Henry’s. and you may have a similar one where you live. The best way to write the ad is to list on a paper all the important selling points. If you will only have a four line ad, you have to go down the list and eliminate the minor selling points. Include your telephone number, but don’t include “Best Offer” as the potential buyer will make an offer if he wants, and it saves two words in the ad for additional selling points. Sunday newspaper classifieds are usually a good draw. A private sale usually brings the highest price. It is also possible to make arrangements with the buyer to pay on an installment plan if you can be sure of their good credit.
I have found from experience that those people who ask for photos are usually just postponing a decision and they are a waste of time. If they are really interested, they will make an appointment to come see it. You can also place a neat ad in local grocery stores with tear off slips at the bottom with your phone number. Make the ad as colorful as possible to attract attention. A computer-generated ad works well. I once sold a house in ten minutes this way because someone saw the ad and told someone about it.
You can also advertise in car magazines, but this is time consuming and costly. This is a good alternative if the car is special, a collectable, or very costly. Car auctions are “iffy” when selling, as people go to them to find a bargain, but they can also result in a quick sale. Some people have been very successful in selling vehicles over eBay, so that might be a consideration. It will cost you to list it and you will pay a percentage if you sell it, but joining eBay is free.
There are also a number of places on the internet to advertise your vehicle such as CamaroCarPlace if you’re selling a Camaro car. Some are free and some charge. But these web sites will give you a good idea of what is selling and the prices they go for. Consult the Kelley’s Blue Book for the value of your car so you can get a good idea of how to price it. A bank loan officer will often give you this information. Do not price it too high as it will sell if the price is right. Make sure the potential buyer has a driver’s license and proof of insurance if they wish to take the car for a test drive.
Gather together in advance the car’s title, any mechanic’s report, the history of the car if you have one, receipts for replacement parts or work done on it, and a bill of sale.