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How To Sell A Car For Cash

Selling A Car To A Dealer – Advantages And Disadvantages

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Volkswagen Polo

There are three simple ways to sell a car: local trader, online, or via a newspaper. Selling to a trader tends to be convenient. So, imagine a scenario. A motorist wants to buy a new car and dispose of his current one. The dealer - using a price guide and experience - therefore defines the old car's trade-in and resale values. The former is the price he offers the motorist and the latter is what he would sell his car for. The advantage for the motorist is that he can dispose of his old vehicle the moment he collects the replacement. This eliminates the expense/hassle of running two cars while the old one is sold through another medium. But there is a disadvantage too. The trade-in price will probably be lower than the motorist would receive on the private market. Note: “probably”. On the other hand, some traders struggle to find good quality second-hand stock so the seller might receive a generous offer. But caution is required. If the trade-in price is too good the dealer might recover his loss by overcharging for the newer vehicle..

Selling A Car Online – Advantages And Disadvantages

Selling a car online is straightforward but requires a little effort. The main advantage is that it enables the motorist to maximise the sale price. How? By emphasising the vehicle's strengths via a properly thought-out advert and several high-quality photographs. These elements can be extensive – particularly compared to traditional mediums such as newspapers. The advert should include the basic facts such as the vehicle's: make, model, engine size, fuel type, transmission (auto/manual), year of registration and mileage. Also, stress the features/benefits that make the vehicle a sensible choice. This could include the: full service history, new MOT, high equipment specification, etc. Pleasingly, the advert will be presented to a national - and perhaps international - audience so a properly presented car should sell within a sensible time frame. There are, however, disadvantages to selling a car online. The owner must be fairly computer literate and ideally have access to a digital camera. Furthermore, he/she has to negotiate with the potential buyer which can be time consuming and challenging.

Selling A Car In Newspaper/Shop – Advantages And Disadvantages

Selling through a newspaper requires a tightly written advert. Why? Because the submission process – that is typically completed online or via the phone – asks the seller to select the physical size of the printed advert, e.g. four by two inches. Space is therefore limited which makes it hard to sing the vehicle's praises. The motorist must also choose whether to include a photograph and these decisions influence the cost. This, of course, can be high if the car is marketed over several weeks. The advantage of this type of advert is that buyers who rely solely on newspapers have less choice than those surf the internet – so the car has less competition. On the downside, fewer people see it although some newspaper adverts are published online too. Finally, advertising a vehicle in a shop window costs virtually nothing - but as its exposure is small it can take a considerable time to sell. So, for most folks trading-in or selling online is the best choice.

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