Selling a car today is possibly easier than it has ever been before. There are many choices for used car classifieds, where I can list my car online or in print for a certain fee. There is also eBay Cars, where a listing is free, but there is a commission on each successful sale – in addition to Paypal fees. But what if I want to sell my car for free, without having to spend money on advertising fees and sale commissions? Here are the options I have if I want to sell my car for free.
1. Sell my car privately
It is possible to sell a car privately without any upfront costs. Though getting a used car professionally inspected, detailed, and cleaned can raise its value significantly. It’s not uncommon to invest a few hundred dollars and raise the value by a few thousand. But if I can’t afford to make that investment, I can still sell my car privately. Listing it in free classifieds like Gumtree and parking it somewhere public with a “for sale” sign is one way to do this. Thought it may take longer to sell my car this way, because I will have to set aside time to meet with each potential buyer. I would also be competing with many other people who may have nicer cars for sale. When it comes to private car sales, newer cars with few kilometers and few mechanical problems sell much faster. Individual buyers are a lot less likely to buy a used car with known problems or too many kilometers.
2. Trade in my car at a dealership
Another option I have if I want to sell my car for free is trading it in with a dealership. This is a convenient option if I plan on buying a new car from this dealership anyway. I can also trade in a car with mechanical problems or a lot of kilometers, which might be hard to sell to a private buyer. Trading in a car is hassle-free comparing to selling it privately, though I may not get as much money for it. Car dealerships are likely to valuate my old car lower that the market value. This is because they have overhead costs, and they want to make a profit when they re-sell the used car.
3. Sell my car for free online
The third option to sell my car for free is one that has become very popular recently. Selling a car to an online wholesale buyer is much faster and more convenient than selling it privately. This is especially true if I cannot afford to put hundreds of dollars into repairs, to make my car appealing to the private market. I don’t have to spend weeks on writing and maintaining ads, answering questions from with picky buyers, or dealing with strangers wanting to test-drive my car. Selling to a wholesale company online is also a good option if I just want to sell my car without buying a new one right away. It also pays more than trading my car in at a dealership – on average, $1,000-$2,000 more.
Want to sell your car for free? Learn more about selling your car online, or click here to find out how much you car is worth.
