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| Tips for Sellers |
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| Marketing your car. |
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| As with marketing anything, exposure is what is needed. |
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- After you haved cleaned and fixed up your vehicle
making it look its best, you want maximum exposure all at once to result in a quick smooth sale.
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- Get your vehicle out there!
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- Online, in newspapers, signs in your car,
parked with exposure when not in use. Bulletin boards at work or stores. Word of mouth and more.
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| We think the most important piece of advice for a
seller is: |
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| Do not overprice your vehicle.
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| Setting a realistic price is the key to a quick smooth sale.
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| Many times we have seen cars being sold for less than what
a seller could have sold it for because the seller started too high. Many potential buyers
would not even look at the car. Potential buyers, who did look at the car, did not want to
insult the seller with a lower offer or thought the seller would not come down that much, so
they didn't even make an offer. Then the seller waits and wastes time, possibly costing money,
keeping insurance on the vehicle, paying interest or not making interest on the money.
Then the seller gets frustrated. Many different scenarios take place with sellers who
start too high. They turn down offers that later they will be wishing they took. They lower
the price but still not low enough. They try a different newspaper or change the spot where
they park it for sale. Many of these sellers do get a fair price for their car in the end,
but they got more aggravation and probably more costs along the way. Then there are the
sellers who ended up selling for less than what they could have gotten because they started
with too high a price, got frustrated, came down in price, then took an offer for less than an
offer they had previously turned down. Check the market for the type of vehicle you are
selling. Compare mileage, options, and condition and set your price accordingly. On-line
price guides are also available. We think ending your price with 995 is what dealers do.
Private sellers probably shouldn't.
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| Maintenance Records. |
- Gather all maintenance records
to prove how it has been maintained. If you have proof of maintenance, that is worth
something. Your car may not sell for a higher price, but may sell much faster and easier.
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| Tires. |
- If your tires are bad and you are still driving your car, please replace them for safety sake.
- If your tires are just near the end of their life, we think new tires are not a good idea. It could make a buyer suspicious when they shouldn't be or a buyer may want to choose his or her own new tires.
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| Cleaning and waxing. |
- A clean and waxed car in and out is going to be much more appealing than a dirty car. It may be worth paying to have a professional recondition the car inside and out. A professional can take out minor scratches on the body and stains on the carpets and seats. The car will look and smell its best.
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| Showing the vehicle. |
- If you are worried at all about people coming to your home, meet them somewhere else.
There are many meeting spots, malls, commuter lots etc.
- Potential buyers are making a big decision. They are asking themselves if they can
trust you. Do not be pushy at all. If you have a car that you have priced right, and
you are honest about anything that may be wrong with it, the car will sell.
- Potential buyers may want to test drive the vehicle. If so, be careful. Do they have
a license? Should I go with them? Are they really a buyer or do they just want
to drive this type of car? These are questions you have to ask yourself.
If they are serious buyers, the test drive should be after they have thoroughly checked
out the car. If you know the car drives fine, you should first talk to potential buyers
about any thoughts they have about problems with the car or the price. Then you can
decide whether to let them test drive it. If the car has a problem that only can be
checked out on a test drive then a test drive is probably necessary.
- Some buyers will want to take the car to their auto technician. This should be
the final step. The price should already have been negotiated and maybe even a deposit
accepted contingent upon a passing inspection by the technician. If problems are
discovered then it's back to negotiations.
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| Payment for the vehicle. |
- Cash or Bank Check only!! Do not
let a buyer take possession of a vehicle, title, or keys until all funds have cleared
the bank. Be 100% sure the check has cleared the bank.
- Do not sell a car to a person under 18 years of age. Check your states DMV for rules on vehicle transfers.
Rules vary from state to state.
- Some states do not require a
bill of sale. We think a bill of sale is necessary in all cases. It details the agreement.
Bills of sale are available at office supply stores.
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| Repairs to make before selling. |
- If your car needs some repairs to make
it safe or inspectable, more than a small repair or two, then it might just be better if
you traded it in. A dealer can get the repair done cheaper or may be just wholesaling the
car to another dealer who can do it cheaper. Let's say you need a brake job. If you get
an estimate for $200, and that's what it actually cost you to get the job done. If you were
trading it in you would probably not get any more from a dealer than if you didn't do the
job. If you were selling the car yourself, you would probably have a bit of a hard time
selling it needing a brake job or the potential buyer would want to take off $500 for
the brake job if it was not done. So small repairs will return most or all of the money
spent on them if you are selling the car yourself.
- Also, the vehicle and what's wrong and who is going to buy the vehicle make the repair
or not choice something to think about.
Some people do not care whether the A/C works or does not work. If the passenger power window does not work, that may not matter to many people, who may buy this vehicle. If the radio or CD doesn't work, the next owner may want to buy his or her own nice stereo. If there is a minor dent in the front, the next owner may just cover it with a bra.
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| Finally. |
- If you have set your price
correctly and have responded honestly to calls or inquiries about your car then you will
probably sell your vehicle to the first or second person who looks at it - a win win
situation.
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