Selling your car online has become so effortless that we can hardly remember the arduous task of compiling, submitting and paying for limited classified car listings. Remember that 15-word limit, beyond which you were paying 50 cents per word per week, to list your car in print publications? Neither do we!
Selling your used vehicle via the internet is the quickest way to reach the widest audience of potential buyers, and hopefully get multiple offers for your vehicle. However, it is not without its pitfalls and challenges. We take you through a few tips which you, as the seller, can apply, to avoid any regrets or funny business when selling your car online.
#1 Take your time when responding to potential buyers & offers.
Receiving enquiries and offers from potential buyers through online Profile Inboxes and Messaging Platforms buys you some time to contemplate – and validate – any proposals from interested parties. The instant pressure of a phone call out of the blue and an on-the-spot offer may cause some to buckle and accept far less than they would like for their used vehicle. Selling your car online gives you a moment to breathe, think long and hard about the proposal on the table, and come back with a solid response.
#2 Do background checks on potential buyers when selling your car online
The relative anonymity (and subsequent danger) behind many online marketplaces is probably the main reason auto classified ads still exist. From pyramid schemes to the latest Samsung Galaxy phones, we’ve all heard horror scam stories. Heck, some of you reading this article may even have fallen victim to a deal that seemed too good to be true. When it comes to verifying a potential buyer, Google is your best friend!
- Do your research on the name, firstly to verify that the person has an online profile and is who they claim to be.
- Secondly, add keywords such as ‘scam’, ‘fraud’ and ‘crime’ to your search, just to eliminate any doubt about an individual to whom you are potentially selling your car online.
- Another good tip, particularly if you are selling through Facebook Marketplace, is to check for any mutual friends and ensure that the profile wasn’t set up in the last few weeks or months (a telltale sign of a scammer).
#3 Get your paperwork and outstanding fines in order
At what stage have you asked yourself, “what documents do I need to sell my car?”, made the checklist and got all your paperwork in order to facilitate a quick and easy change of ownership? The onus falls squarely on the seller for this tip. Of course, this extends to finding out if there are any outstanding traffic fines owed. These will need to be paid off before you can hand over the keys to a new owner.
#4 To sell privately or through an online platform – that is the question
Although not the life and death decision that Shakespeare famously pondered, opting to go solo in selling your car online, or enlisting the help of a reputable online platform both have their pros and cons.
The reason why we favour the latter as a more preferential route to selling is not just the screening process that reputable platforms subject their buyers to, but also the greater likelihood of serious offers being placed by potential buyers who have a solid estimation of your vehicle’s current worth.
To bypass the scammers and the ‘PTWs’ (professional time-wasters), we recommend selling your car online using a trusted online marketplace for the quickest and safest experience.
