Kelly Blue Book .Com: Car Pricing Goes Online, Confusion Follows
With KBB.com, Kelley Blue Book, also known as Kelly Blue Book, has taken its industry-leading position for used car pricing online. It's also brought its potentially confusing system of vehicle valuations to the Internet, leaving millions of home users in the dark when it comes to pricing their cars.
Though the Kelly Blue Book is widely known as the authority in its field, a typical home user doesn't realize that KBB.com's values are merely the starting point for determining a car's worth. Instead, the user jumps on whichever number will get them the most money.
Car buyers also use KBB.com too, but they approach it from a different angle. While the seller is looking for the top price, the buyer--including car dealers and sales staff--is seeking the lowest Kelly Blue Book value. It's understandable that each person would search for a price advantage, but troubles arise when the seller and buyer can't agree on a final number.
There's More than One Side to the Kelly Blue Book
You're entitled to debate your car's value, but a resourceful buyer will throw Kelly Blue Book requirements right back in your face. KBB.com makes it clear that a car qualifies for the top price bracket only when it:
There's more where that came from. Under the hood, the engine compartment must be clean, with no leaks, and there must be no visible defects or signs of wear. Finally--and this is the part that even the most conscientious car owner dreads--the auto must have complete and verifiable service records. Fewer than 5% of all used vehicles fit these criteria, and unless your car is one of the perfect few, no informed buyer will agree to pay the top price for it.
What Happens When a Dealer Gets Involved
Car dealers use KBB.com too, and they definitely know what the numbers mean. Of all the people who could buy your vehicle, they're the least likely to offer you top dollar. In fact, take another look at the Kelly Blue Book, and you'll see that your auto's lowest listed price is the Trade-In Value, which is what you'll get from the dealer.
Why is there such a disparity between these figures? Car dealers have to contend with overhead, payroll, and other maintenance costs, and they can't cover such expenses unless they make a nice profit off your car. Granted, they offer you the convenience of an instant sale, but in exchange, you're looking at a loss of hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Break the Dealer's Hold on the Blue Book
There's another class of auto professionals who know their way around the Kelly Blue Book and KBB.com but who aren't out to steal your car out from under you. Instead, they'll offer you more for your car than any dealer will, and they'll get the cash to you on the same day. These experts are known as auto buying specialists, and they make it easy on you.
We at Cash4UsedCars.net are the largest and most respected auto buying service in Southern California, and we have over 25 years of experience working with Kelley Blue Book and other valuation tools. We've bought and sold over 50,000 used cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs, and we can buy yours too. We often have a standing offer for it before we even pick it up!
Give us a call or fill out our contact request form. We'll immediately set up an appointment to view your car at your convenience, and we'll present you with a purchase offer within a half-hour of the appraisal. Most importantly, we'll take the car off your hands with zero hassle and at no cost to you--no paperwork, no title or smog checks, no costly inspections. We'll even handle transportation of the vehicle.
Click here now, and a trusted valuation expert will be in touch shortly.
