Everything can be bought and sold online these days. So surely cars can be sold too right? There are standard auto listings websites, which used to be magazines and classified sections in newspapers. But there are a new breed of online car buying websites which make sales much easier.
How Do Car Buying Websites Work?
These websites will offer to buy your car online with a free car valuation calculator. This will either give you an automated estimate, or the better companies like Sell The Car (US and UK) will have a think about it and come back to you with a proper quote.
If you accept the offer made from the website, they will pick up your car, truck, bike or other vehicle. Then they pay you by check and that’s it, job done, easy peasy.
Can I trust websites that advertise “sell my car online”
Never trust a website without checking it out. In the UK Trustpilot and Google Maps are good sources for reviews. In the USA the BBB (Better Business Bureau) will be the best option for gauging how reputable a company is. Look for the BBB logo which will link to their reviews and it should show their rating on the website. The same for Trustpilot in the UK.
How much will I get for my car if it is broken?
Sites like Sell The Car USA and their UK partner specialize in buying damaged vehicles. This gives you a higher price because they operate nationwide and have lots of stock, which means they can do repairs easily.
Other sites may specialize in motorbikes or other vehicles. Just type what you want to sell into Google and the best sites will be below the 4 ads at the top. Always get 2 or 3 quotes and that way you can find out the best price.
Obviously if your car has any issues, you will get paid less, so keep an open mind. Generally these websites seem to pay very well, because business is booming. We Buy Any Car also moved from the UK to the USA and it was a leading advertising on TV in the UK.
This is big business. They want lots of cars. They make it very easy. They make private sales seem like a nightmare in comparison.
What about other options like scrap yards, dealerships and classifieds?
These are all still perfectly sound methods to sell a car, but why go through the effort. A dealer will want a car in part exchange. They actually do not want the car and just offer the service as everyone else does, so expect a very low quote.
Selling privately can be great and can get you the best price. But if you live in a remote area, have a rare vehicle, or have a damaged vehicle, expect a tough time and lower price. Using a scrap yard is the last ditch attempt. They will basically just give you money for scrap metal, which is not going to please your bank manager.
