Making the most of selling online.
As much as we would like to hold onto every car we've ever bought and store them in a garage somewhere for posterity, the fact of the matter is that a time comes where you need to sell your car. Whether it's time for an upgrade or the car no longer fits your needs, we all have to sell a car at one stage or another.
While the process can be daunting, it needn't be too troublesome if you follow our tips below. Included are some links to some of the questions you may have along the way.
Here are our Top Tips for selling your car online:
Prepare your car
First impressions count, so make sure that your car is in the best condition possible. It's worth it to go through the vehicle and check for small issues that can be rectified without costing too much. This will help you get your asking price and gives the potential buyer less to negotiate on. Check that all the lights work, usually a malfunctioning light is due to a blown lightbulb. These are cheap and easy enough to replace.
Give the car a good clean, inside and out. It's worth taking your car for a professional valet, but an hour or two and a little elbow grease will also do the trick. Don't ignore the engine bay, boot and if you can get the chassis pressure washed, even better.
Paperwork
Go dig through your documents and find the paperwork for the car. This will be the registration document as well as the last roadworthy certificate, if possible. While it is not essential to have a valid roadworthy certificate, your last roadworthy certificate will help put a buyer's mind at ease. The new owner will need the registration document in order to place the vehicle in their name – selling a vehicle without papers is more hassle than it's worth and will drastically affect your asking price/the vehicle's value.
Keep in mind that if you are still paying your car off, you will need to notify the buyer of this and you are required to settle your account before the paperwork can be released. This will take a few days once the account has been settled.
Price it right
Navigate to the AutoTrader, Value My Car tab on the site and enter in a couple of easy details, and within 2 clicks you’re done, our unique tech matches your car against live market data, providing unprecedented accuracy.
Take good quality photos.
A picture paints a thousand words, and good quality photographs will help your car stand out from the rest. Giving the buyer a good indication of the condition of the vehicle will make them more inclined to buy from you, rather than a dealer or someone else. You don't need to have the world's best camera to do it either, you just need the right approach. To make this easier, we've compiled a short video to walk you through the steps: How to photograph your car
Know what you are selling
Make sure that you know the details of the car you are selling. That means making sure that you have the correct year model, engine type, gearbox type and that you know what accessories were optional extras when your car was bought new. Adding this to the description of your car in the advert will also give the buyer a better idea of what he is looking at. If the car was fitted with an optional sunroof, for instance, it's good to mention that in the information you have on hand and that you supply for the advert. The same goes for alloy wheels, audio upgrades, navigation and other creature comforts and specialities.
Instant Offer
AutoTrader now makes it easier than ever to sell your car, with the introduction of our new Instant Offer service. After following this simple 3-step process, you will get a market-driven valuation for your car within minutes, and a solid cash offering within hours – safely, conveniently, and with total peace of mind.
If you choose to sell your car privately, do keep the following in mind:
Meeting the buyer
This is the part that is often the most hazardous and the moment when a scam artist will make his move. It's always advisable to meet in a busy, public area (ideally with security, cameras or otherwise, present) and to take someone along with you. Do not hand over any paperwork and if possible, drive with the potential buyer on the test drive. Until it is paid for in full, it is still your car and you may dictate the route that they drive and the manner in which they do so – let them know if they are driving in an unsafe manner.
Guard yourself against potential loss by keeping in mind what could possibly go awry.
Processing payment
The golden rule is: don't release keys or papers until the money has cleared. Any genuine buyer will be prepared to wait a reasonable amount of time for the money to clear in your account. Keeping the buyer informed of the progress is also a good way to do things, especially if you are having to settle a finance deal with the bank.
It's not advisable to accept cheques, even bank-guaranteed ones, and an EFT is an accepted way of doing things. Physical cash also poses a few problems as the banks may require additional paperwork for a large deposit.
Check our guidelines here: Payment methods
Draft a receipt
Once the deal is concluded, you will need to provide some sort of receipt. This proves to the traffic department that the vehicle has been legally bought and all is above board. This needn't be anything too dramatic but should include a clear description of the vehicle, including registration number, license number, VIN number, colour, year, make and model. The condition of the car and any accessories sold with the car should be noted as well.
Include both the buyer and the seller's full names and ID numbers as well as a date and place of the transaction. Both parties should sign this receipt and a copy of the document is ideal so that both parties can keep a copy.
Hand over the keys
With the bank settled (if applicable), the paperwork signed and the vehicle once again cleaned and prepared, you can meet with the buyer to hand over the keys. Once again, it's important to remain vigilant and take the necessary safety precautions, meeting the buyer in a public area and concluding the deal.
