What You Need to Know Before Selling Your Truck, Car, or SUV in Auto Trader
Auto Trader has been a top resource for anyone buying or selling used trucks, SUVs, and any other vehicle, and it has nearly perfected its mission. Simply put, it hooks up buyers and sellers. Both the Auto Trader magazine and website provide a platform, but it's up to the seller to choose the words, the photos, and the price for the vehicle.
When it comes to selling your car, Auto Trader leaves the newspapers in the dust. For starters, the magazine's ads and pictures look better than the generic lines crammed into a tiny newspaper listing, but its biggest advantage over a newspaper is its audience. These readers aren't casually flipping over from the Sports section. Instead, they know what they want, and they want the range of choices available in Auto Trader.
At this point, what more could you want? Aren't you ready to sign up? Isn't your truck begging to hit the pages of Auto Trader? Can't you feel that extra cash lining your pockets? Well, hold on there, partner.
What You Need to Sell Your Car in Auto Trader
Whether you go with the website or the magazine, be prepared. Before you put up your ad, you'll need to gather your car's vital information, including the VIN, the mileage, and the make and model. Don't forget your credit card number either—Auto Trader isn't free.
You and your truck have been through a lot. You've driven over dirt roads. You've climbed mountains. You've probably helped about a thousand friends move. Still, they haven't prepared you for this moment. You now have to determine a fair value for it, and it's not as easy as it sounds.
In fact, setting a price that satisfies the seller yet reels in potential buyers may be the biggest mistake most people make. Auto Trader links to NADA Guides and Edmunds.com for these figures, but as with all private party car sales, you have to decipher the numbers yourself. Is your vehicle in fair condition? Do you have its full service records? Has it been in an accident? These factors and more affect the car's asking price.
The bottom line: even with all the best advice in the world, the final price is your call. Some people think this is freedom; others consider it a hassle. If you're in the second group, you're not alone.
The good part is that you'll get more money selling your car yourself. In exchange, however, you have to deal with strangers who want to see and test-drive your vehicle. You'll haggle over the price. Finally, when you think the deed is done, you have to take care of the DMV paperwork and the title transfer, among other details.
Auto Trader can do a lot for you, but it can't close the deal. As great a resource as this magazine may seem, many individual sellers find the process tedious, expensive, and exhausting. But don't give up just yet!
Trade Up from Auto Trader
We have an alternative that requires only 30 minutes of your time and guarantees you a better price than you'd get from a dealer. Best of all, it's free. Sound too good to be true? It's not—it's called an auto buying service.
Give us a call, and we'll set up an appointment at your convenience to view and price your car. Then we'll make an offer on the spot, getting cash into your hand the same day. We handle all details, so you won't have to worry about the smog check, paperwork, or handling dozens of visitors.
But don't take our word for it. Find out how. We look forward to hearing from you.
