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Sell My Used Car

07.24.2009 · Posted in Vehicles Articles

In my town there were more used car dealerships than any other business category. Today there seem to be a thing of the past. When I open a paper I hardly even see many cars listed in the classifieds. So what did I do when I wanted to sell my used car? A friend told me how to sell my car fast on Craigslist and I am amazed how my eyes were opened about this service. Craigslist has become THE place for classifieds in the world, with a presence in 9 countries and 450 cities they will be the only place for most buyers and sellers soon. You either become a victim of change or embrace change. I suggest you embrace it, especially if you want to sell your car. Beware though, scammers and crooks will always be there.nnIf you really want to be effective on Craigslist you must tell the Truth! Look we all hate to be lied to and it is hard to trust anyone it seems. There is no argument that the car business is full of rip off artists and scams. Craigslist is no different. nnLook I sold my dad’s Miata because I said he was going blind can’t hear and keeps hitting the curbs, i.e. the lower body damage. When you submit pictures show the good with the bad and price it accordingly. If you are trying to convince me to spend thousands of dollars of my hard earned cash on your toy you better stand out and tell me what I am going to inherit. I will find out you tried to cover up the spoiled baby formula that spilled under the driver’s seat and could stalk you later for selling me it.nnA picture is worth a thousand words especially if you want to move your 1985 VW Jetta on Craigslist. Put up a photo and give a little taste of what the car looks like. There’s nothing I enjoy more than driving 40 miles to see the “immaculate” car with cigarette burns all over the interior. Be upfront. In fact, that’s a good one too. And please get the best quality photos you can. Again the photos are massively important; it shows you are doing your best to be honest about the condition etc. Did I mention honesty?nnThe sole purpose of used car classifieds is to sell what buyers are looking for, not for wasting time driving around town dealing with pushy salespeople. You also must do the proper research to move your car quickly. There are several free online valuation services that will give you the current market value. KBB.com is my favorite lately because it has proven to me at least to be more accurate, this can change anytime though. I will be blunt; you are not likely to get more than Private Party Good Value for your car unless it is in high demand. Buyers are online looking at values within seconds of looking at your car.nnI’m always honest and I add little touches like, “rough on freeways but dreamy off road!” “Hey its a Jeep not a Bentley”. One must’nt be afraid to be slightly humorous or used-car-sales-man-esque. After all, the objective is to make money and get your car in front of thousands of eyeballs.nnIf you want more than Private Party Good value for you car, than this format is not going to be right for you most likely. This Suggested Retail Value assumes that the vehicle has been fully reconditioned and has a clean title history. This value also takes into account the dealers’ profit, costs for advertising, sales commissions and other costs of doing business. The final sale price will likely be less depending on the vehicle’s actual condition, popularity, type of warranty offered and local market conditions.nnIt is a recession that might last for years; you might be stunned what people might only pay for your car regardless of what KKB or your best friend might say. The market will dictate the price not our egos or need for money. 4 weeks or offers or lack thereof will tell you something.nnKeywords are often overlooked in your ad. I’ve searched for a Mercedes 560 SEL and got a Mercury Sable back in the search. That guy obviously doesn’t know how to use keywords properly. Do you think if I am looking for a MB I want a Mercury? Also please, if you are willing to negotiate price the use of OBO is appropriate, otherwise you really shouldn’t put “Or Best Offer” in the ad. This is so common, it would be more appropriate to say Firm in the ad. Good luck selling.

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