Get the Most for Your 'Old' Car
Spreading the Word
Now that your car is ready for sale, it’s time to get the word out! First thing you’ll want to do is take pictures of it, all cleaned and fixed up. You don’t need to be a professional photographer, just go out in the morning or the evening so there isn’t too much glare and the colors don’t come out faded, and take a lot of pictures from a lot of different angles. The bigger selection you have to choose from, the better chance you’ll have some really great ones in there. Resist the temptation to touch them up in Photoshop. Like with everything in the sale process, honesty is the best policy.
You don’t need to spend a ton of money on advertising your car; it should be one of the cheapest parts of the whole process. Start with the cheap and easy:
Make a Craigslist ad and post it to your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts.
Post some good ol’ paper ads on bulletin boards at your local coffee shops and garages.
You could post an ad in newspaper classifieds, but it’s probably best to save your money. The newspaper is a dying breed, and if you are going to spend money on advertising, you’re better off posting on listing sites specific to used vehicles, like AutoTrader.com or eBay Motors. They open you up to a significantly larger base of buyers, but they can promote a buyer’s market. That said, if your Craigslist ad isn’t getting enough of a response for you, it might be worth it.
Here are a few pointers to write a car ad that sells:
Mention the key specs. Year, make, model, mileage, average miles per gallon, and color are all standards and are expected in an ad. If there is anything that makes this particular vehicle unique, or any key modifications you’ve made to it since buying, mention those too. Use your judgement as to what you think should be put into the ad, and remember that too much information is always better than too little.
Explain what you’ve enjoyed about the car, and why you’re selling. Chances are, what drew you to the vehicle in the first place is what is going to draw others to it too. If you like it because it’s a sweet and sexy ride, say that; if you like it because it’s reliable and good on gas, say that. Likewise, explaining why you’re selling your car can reassure a potential buyer that you're not just dumping your problem on them.
Be explicit about its obvious downfalls. If there are things that could turn a buyer off during a test drive or upon a safety inspection, be explicit about them in your ad. It saves the buyer from wasting their time checking out a vehicle they won’t be interested in, and saves you from having to show the car to uninterested buyers. Plus, it shows buyers that you will deal with them honestly.
Think about what people will search for. Particularly if you’re posting an ad on Craigslist, think about what words people will enter to search for a car like yours, and make sure they appear in your ad. For example, say you’re selling a BMW 335xi. You’ll want the words 335, 335i, 335xi, 3-series and 3 series in there. That way whatever words people use to search, they’ll find your ad. Include common misspellings too. ie: If you’re selling an Infiniti, you’ll want to add '(aka Infinity)'.
Use the title! Many people browsing ads on Craigslist and other sites will just skim over the ad titles. Which do you think they would be more likely to click on?
Ford Mustang
2005 Ford Mustang GT - loaded, leather, premium pkg - one owner, low miles, immaculate!
Obviously you want all that info in the body of the ad too, but detailed titles grab attention and set your car ad apart.
Selling Your Car on eBay
eBay can be an especially good option for somewhat rare or unique vehicles and is worth considering for any car - particularly if you live in a smaller city or town, where the local market isn't as large.
Here are some of the pros:
Relatively cheap way to sell. eBay takes $60 from a sale under $2000, $125 from a sale over $2000.
If your car doesn’t sell, you don’t have to pay.
Selling a vehicle on eBay is becoming more and more common and, if the effort is put in, can be a great way to get good value for your vehicle. As with the other methods of selling that we’ve covered so far, it’s key to give a detailed and honest report of your vehicle through a great looking listing. Since there’s less of a chance of the bidder coming to see the car personally, it’s important that you give them as much information as possible.
Tips for Writing Your eBay Car Listing:
Run through eBay’s “Sell your Vehicle Checklist”.
Use the subtitle wisely. eBay automatically creates your listing title out of your vehicle’s make, model, and year. The subtitle is customizable and is weighted heavily in eBay’s search, so this is a great place to put keywords, like the alternate spellings mentioned on above. Keywords related to any unique or desirable features are also good to use. Try to use up the full amount of characters they allow.
Take a lot more pictures. Since it’s less likely that a bidder will come check out the car in person, getting as many quality photos as possible is necessary. You can put up to 24 photos on your eBay listing and you should try to put at least 12 up there. Make sure to have photos of all four sides of the vehicle, photos of the interior, a photo of the engine, a close up of the odometer, and photos of any dings, scratches, and significant damage.
Get a little more detailed. On top of the general specs mentioned above, give the car’s history (history reports from InstaVIN or AutoCheck are great for this), mention any maintenance records you may have and any recent service done to the vehicle, and the details of any transferable warranty.
Give a “virtual test drive.” Since they won’t be able to come test drive the car themselves, try to describe the feel of the vehicle to the bidder. Go over what you like about the ride of the car, but be honest about the overall feel.
Let the bidder know they can come check out the vehicle first hand. If a bidder lives near to you, there’s a chance they’ll take you up on it, but even if they don’t it looks good that you’re willing to do showings of the car.
Set the conditions of your sale. Be explicit about not handing over the keys until you’ve received the whole payment, how the vehicle will be delivered (drive away or shipping), how the vehicle will be inspected, and what payment methods you’ll accept. A lot of this is handled when you create the eBay listing, but it’s worth making note of again. If you will be assisting with shipping the car, make sure to relieve yourself of liability by stating that any damage incurred during shipping is not your responsibility and should be taken up with the shipper. Check out our article on shipping for more info.
- Check out the eBay Motors guide on selling your vehicle for even more ideas.
You can also check out our full list of car buying guides and tools.