8 Great Tips to Sell Your Car Yourself
1. Get organized. Clean your car, get all your personal stuff out of it, and make it shine as much as possible. Organize all your service records in chronological order. If you have any spare parts or accessories for your car, put them in the vehicle. Have your car ready to go so that when you show it you can sell right it away, then the buyer can drive it home and you never have to deal with it again.
2. Craigslist is the best way to sell your car. Almost everyone who is looking to buy a used car visits "craigslist.org," and it doesn't cost anything to list your car. If you decide to list your car, put up a detailed description and include as many pictures as you can. Here is an important tip: You can save yourself time and improve your credibility if you accurately describe and provide pictures of any flaws that your car has. Doing this makes you stand out from everyone else who call their car "perfect." You can always try AutoTrader if craigslist doesn't work.
3. On craigslist, your listing moves to the top every time it is updated. If you change your craigslist ad as frequently as every day or even every hour, you will move to the top. This way you get the most out of your ad.
4. In our experience, the first inquiry (phone call or email) you get will usually be the best. Whether you listed your car on craigslist, a similar site, or even in a newspaper classified, treat your first caller like royalty. Much of the time, the first person to contact you will be the person who buys your car. Don't feel obligated to discount your car, or at least not very much, to the firs person who contacts you. Since they are the first one, they are usually quite motivated to buy a car.
5. Safety should always be your first concern. Never put your address in your listing. All this does is advertise your location to a person wanting to steal a car. Instead of listing your personal number, use your work phone. Meet buyers in a public place such as a shopping mall parking lot. It is easy to find, and there are lots of people and security.
6. It is important that we also talk about test-driving. Do not go with a potential buyer to test-drive your car if you do not feel comfortable. If you don't go along, ask them if you could hold the keys to their car. You should tell the buyer to take a hike if you get a bad vibe from them at any point in the process. You should never take any kind of risk.
7. Don't accept cashier's checks or bank drafts. Unless you're inside a bank talking to a bank employee, don't ever accept a cashier's check or bank draft as payment. These instruments are extremely easy to counterfeit, so you should only take them from people you know and trust. Insist on cash. If your buyer has to give you a bank draft, meet them at their bank so you can verify it.
8. Lastly, you need to wrap up the loose ends. Take off your license plates before the buyer drives away. You can prove that you sold your car by having the buyer sign a bill of sale. It is very important to ask for ID. If they give you any problems with this, do not sell your car to them.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
About the Author
Author Jason Lancaster, an auto business veteran, developed AccurateAutoAdvice.com. You'll find accurate advice on how to sell a car and selling my own car tips.
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by: JasonLancaster
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