Car Articles

Selling your car these days is not only easier, but you have such a wide variety of choice that it can seem bewildering – especially when it comes to online wheeling and dealing. I’d like to tell you a bit more about your options when being a seller, and highlight some of the sites that I’ve had experience with.

No doubt you’ll find them of use too if you want to use the latest tools to move your motor. Advertising online is one of the quickest and easiest ways to sell your car. It’s a very simple way to get in touch with hundreds (if not thousands) of potential buyers and a great way to showcase your motor in the best possible way.

Of course, the way your ad looks, the length of time it is displayed and the number of images you can use all differ. What about your ad though? Well it’s crucial to get the tone right and emphasize why someone should buy the car. I wouldn’t recommend setting it out like you’re talking to a mate (you aren’t, after all), but I’d certainly make sure that you state why it’s a good purchase, how well it has been looked after and how you have used it.

This part of the ad is really about building up a level of trust and being honest – no-one wants to buy a lemon after all. One thing I would recommend avoiding is a long list of acronyms – unless you’re actually selling to a dealership or a specialist then an online ad (where you can frequently use far more words than a standard ad) can really benefit from having the full description such as Power Assisted Steering.

I’ve heard anecdotes of people selling with only the vaguest of information, but this is rare. The more information you provide in an honest fashion the more likely a buyer is to say to themselves “oh yes, this car is me. It’s exactly what I’m looking for”. If something attracted you to the car in the first place, make sure to mention it. It will certainly appeal to someone else. Without further ado, here are some sites you could use to sell your car.

Ebay
For many, this is the obvious choice. Why is that? Well, how about more than 40,000 cars and one of the best-known auction sites on the Internet. That not enough for you? Well, as a seller you have got a very versatile and powerful formatting tool that can set up everything from single ‘Buy It Now’ auctions all the way through to a much more familiar ‘Classified Ad’. The costs vary depending on how you want to sell your vehicle but a classified costs about £12.99. You have one picture for free to upload, with up to twelve slots being available. You should be able to relist your car if it doesn’t sell.

Pros: A very well known site with a wide range of tools for selling.
Cons: If you get ‘burned’ by a buyer, you won’t be able to offer feedback saying so (new Ebay rules).

Auto Trader
Arguably one of the most famous trade papers for selling a vehicle in the whole of the UK, this is really the bible for those who are looking to buy or sell. The online version is no different really, with access to more than 370,000 motors listed. Sellers get a great deal of advice for free, and there’s the option of paying £2.95 for a proper Glass’s Guide Evaluation (this will allow you to set your car at the correct asking price). The average fee will be around the £18 mark. All ads can be added to or edited once placed.
Pros: Nine images can be used, a huge amount of buyers.
Cons: A lot of competition on the site itself.

Fish 4 Cars
Part of the ‘Fish 4’ brand, this is one of the of the off-shoot sites and provides a range of sales tools. Most of the ads on there are for trade, but private sellers are certainly welcome. It costs just under a tenner for two weeks visibility – this can be stretched up to two months if you think your car isn’t going to shift. There’s more than 110,000 vehicles on there at the moment, giving the sellers a wide choice.
Pros: A huge amount of coverage including 500 local press titles.
Cons: Your ad might be lost in amongst the ‘trade’ offers etc.

Each of the three above offer something slightly different to the seller – though my personal pick would be Auto Trader. The reputation of the service should please most – as will the customer service. You might find you get a better price on one of the others though. If you have any experience as a seller, make sure to give some feedback.

There is an increasing trend for people selling their car on eBay motors, rather than going the traditional route of putting an ad in Auto Trader. Unlike an Auto Trader advert you have much more control over how your advert is displayed on eBay as as been able to display detailed information about your vehicle.

To achieve the best price when selling your car on eBay here’s some profitable tips:

Pictures - lots of ‘em!: Buyers like to see plenty of pictures so they can get an idea of what your car is like. Before you start taking pictures make sure you give the car a good clean, inside and out, so it is looking it’s best. Then take around 20 exterior and interior shots. Cars always look best in the sunshine so look out for the good weather and seize the snapping opportunity! Once you have your pictures choose the best 10-12 and use them in your auction.

Protect your Data: To avoid car cloning, blank your number plate out on the images you display on the auction. Most image manipulation software will have a blur or pixelate feature which is useful for this purpose.

Be honest: There is no gain to be made from describing your car as something it is not. If the auction winner comes to collect the vehicle and discovers they have been mislead, they will simply walk away. If you car has known problems, detail them in the description. A lot of buyers on eBay are in the motor trade and take any problems into account when biding - it won’t make them lose interest.

Low bid price attracts interest: eBay is such a busy site these days that you can take the risk of starting bidding at 1p safe in the knowledge that your car will usually achieve its market price. Sure, for piece of mind you can set a reserve, but a 1p no reserve auction always attracts more interest from bidders.

Answer questions: Once the auction is live you’ll start getting questions from existing and potential bidders. Be sure to answer these questions promptly or bidders interest might switch to another vehicle.

Prepare your documentation: Any service history is a bonus but the most important document to have is the V5 logbook. Without this, you cannot sell your vehicle legally and no purchase will pay for a vehicle that does not have a logbook.

Guest Post from The Van Man who is an expert on Van Hire