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How do I sell my car to a dealer?

Are you looking to sell your car to a dealer? There are a few ways that you can go about it. Let's have a look.

Buying a Car

Are you looking to move your older vehicle on and think selling it to a dealership is best? Here are the three easiest ways to sell your car to a dealer.

AutoTrader Instant Offer

The AutoTrader Instant Offer programme is our new vehicle buying programme that effortlessly puts sellers in touch with high-quality, trusted dealers who offer top prices for quality stock. To get an Instant Offer the seller must fill in the details of their vehicle to a valuation based on live market data. Once you know what your car is worth, AutoTrader will present you with the very best cash offer in under 60 minutes! If you are concerned about travelling anywhere, don't worry as our buying partners will come to you, any time, any place. Once you have agreed upon the deal, your car will be gone in a matter of hours, not days. We have ensured that the paperwork is kept to a minimum and that you'll get paid instantly.

Related: Is it free to sell on AutoTrader?

Trade-in

Another way of selling your vehicle to a dealership is by trading it in for a new vehicle. This method can yield a good deal for you as a seller as the dealer will attempt to make the trade and subsequent purchase transactions as appealing as they can to you. The downside is that you may be limited in the vehicle options available to you at that particular dealer, while the trade-in amount offered to you is entirely up to the dealer in question, and might not be optimal.

Request an evaluation

Many dealers will evaluate your vehicle and provide you with either an offer or will steer you in the right direction of a dealership that would be willing to make you an offer. There are some issues with this process including the fact that you will only get an offer from one dealer, meaning you lose the bargaining power associated with having multiple dealers bidding on your car or the benefit of negotiating your vehicle's value based on the new vehicle you are purchasing from said dealership.  This is the least effective and lucrative way of selling your car to a dealership.
Author - Sean Nurse

Written by Sean Nurse

With a lifelong passion for cars, bikes, and motorsport, Sean knew that attaining a degree in journalism would allow him to pursue his passion, which was to be a motoring journalist. After graduating in 2012, Sean was awarded a bursary from the SAGMJ which allowed him to work for a variety of motoring publications. This was a dream come true for Sean, and after a year of gaining vital industry experience, he was hired as a motoring journalist at a local newspaper and worked his way up to editor. In 2020, Sean joined the AutoTrader team and counts himself lucky to wake up and genuinely love what he does for a living.Read more

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