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Sell a Car on Craigslist
10 Tips for Selling a Car on Craigslist
It’s always interesting to hear experiences from others when selling their car on craigslist. So I have gone around the Internet to gather the best info for how to sell a car on craigslist.
1) Have your title and other paperwork on hand
Nearly everyone looking to buy a car on craigslist will ask to see the title and registration before purchasing the car. You will also need to check what else is required by your state when selling a car.
2) What is the value of the car?
Some of the best resources available to find the value of you car are KellyBlueBook.com and Edmunds.com. The nice part about Kelly is that they give you a fair and excellent price for the car. So be mindful that if you car has several dents, the price should fall under the NOT so excellent condition.
3) Remove personal items, clean the car, and take some photos
Take photos of the car on a nice day. Take interior and exterior shots, and take more than 2! Remember, pictures are going to be the first thing potential buyers will look at. Make the car look great! But don’t mislead the buyers either. Take some time to clean the car as well. Take a vacuum and some Windex, and the car will look great.
4) Selling price
Remember that nearly every buyer is going to try and knock you down in price. In that case, make sure you mark up the car from what you plan to sell it at in order to give you some wiggle room. It’s common to mark the car up at least 15%.
5) Post the ad early Saturday, or late Friday night.
Based on market research, most people do their actual shopping Friday night, or early Saturday morning. Realistically, you are meant to post new craigslist ads every three days.
6) Ad Content
In your ad, it’s a good idea to include the Make, Model, Year and a full history of maintenance, accidents, etc. It’s up to you if you would like people to reach you by phone or email. For selling cars on craigslist I recommend adding your phone number since it can help speed up the process, and many people would rather call than send an email.
7) Test Drives
Many potential buyers will want to take the car on a test drive. Make sure they have a valid drivers license and you are comfortable letting them get into the car. And after each test drive be prepared to sell the car and cancel any other appointments.
8 ) Filling out the Paperwork
Once you have received the payment you will need to sign over the title, fill out any necessary state paperwork, and the bill of sale. It’s a good idea to make a copy for yourself before giving the originals to the buyer. Also make sure to fill out the Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification online so that you will not be liable for any future issues with the car.
9) Contact your car insurance agency
You will need to cancel your current policy on the sold car with your insurance agency. Depending on your agency, you should be prorated for the remainder of the month’s fees.
10) Get to the bank!
Put your money in the bank! Or go Vegas! And be happy you were able to sell a car on craigslist!
Craigslist Buyer Guide
When dealing with someone trying to make a sell on craigslist always beware of those persons that want to rush you into a purchase. Always use a formal straight forward business tone when communicating with sellers on Craigslist. This will help ensure the communications remain professional and straightforward. It also sends a positive message to the person allowing them to perceive and know your purpose when shopping for a good used car. Good deals do exist and can be found by browsing craigslist online directories.
However you’ll want to use some personal intuition and judgment for that matter when purchasing used merchandise from anyone. Likening one thing to another, and assuming you have found a potential good used car deal from someone advertising on craigslist, always ask yourself what’s my thoughts or hunch about this used car. Are the communication response’s professional and formal and by email. Always be cautious about giving out your phone number or actual physical address. Never purchase a used item while in a hurry and try not to make a decision when feeling emotional about a purchase.
Always ask about a used or pre owned cars history. Recent service or maintenance receipts, the last time the oil was changed, actual vehicle odometer readings. Ensure the lights and electrical systems are functioning properly. Ask the owner what you should know upfront about the vehicle of concern, transmission issues, knocking, ticking, original or replacement motor specs. To ensure your own personal safety make it a point to never meet anyone at any location alone. Watch out for fancy word usage when reading ads these are generally meant to distract or mislead your reasoning.
Pre-owned sounds more appealing and is a sales pitch phrase as opposed to used and many used car lots use the term pre-owned as opposed to USED to help hype the sales pitch. When purchasing from a private individual or owner they should always be more than willing to bring the vehicle some where you feel safe about looking the vehicle over, never meet a stranger alone on their own terms. Meeting arrangements should be on your terms since you are the potential buyer unless of course they are an actual used car lot dealership.
If the person selling the vehicle appears short or unconcerned about your vehicle needs and questions than they are probably looking for a quick sale and a hand out in a misleading way. Maintain your ability in making snap judgments always look at a person’s eyes when asking questions that demand truthful responses. If it feels wrong there is probably a reason for that impression. Applying your own ability to make a good sound judgment should get you through the process. Additionally, it is always good if you personally know someone that has a mechanical eye or can offer sound advice before purchasing a pre-owned or used car.