The speed, convenience, and guaranteed cash can far outweigh the time spent, and money lost trying to sell your car the conventional way. There are many reasons why you should consider selling your vehicle online, and we’ve outlined some of these below.
1. Selling Online Is a Super Easy Process
Arguably the most attractive feature of selling your car online is how easy it is. For starters, there is a range of car-selling websites to choose from. Take your pick from online car retailers, free listing sites, auction sites, and cash-for-cars buyers, all of which make the process of selling your car online easy.
Some buyers will pick up your vehicle and pay you cash within 24 hours. Even completely broken-down scrap vehicles are usually worth a few hundred dollars, so it’s worth selling them.
2. You Might Get a Better Price
Another reason to sell your car online is the potential of extra cash in your pocket. If you’re not in a rush to sell, you can advertise on marketplace platforms where you can set your own price and negotiate with private buyers.
Alternatively, you could list your car on online auction sites where people can bid for your vehicle, helping you get the best price possible.
These can be great alternatives to selling privately to a dealer or second-hand car buyer, where you effectively have to take the price you’re offered if you want to sell. With the recent pandemic and cost-of-living increases across the board, the potential for extra cash could make a huge difference in your life.
3. There Are No Hidden Fees
Continuing in the same vein, there aren’t usually any fees for selling online. The main exception to this would be if you sell through a dedicated auto sales website which charges a commission or listing fees, but you don’t have to use platforms like this.
This can save you a significant amount of money, especially if you’re selling a higher-end vehicle. In the past, these were often sold on consignment through a registered car dealer. The fees and commissions can total thousands of dollars if you decide to go down this route.
4. You Can Control Who Buys Your Car
If you just have an old junker that you want to get rid of, this probably won’t apply to you. However, many people love their old vehicles, and the chances are that your car has some fond memories attached to it.
When you sell online, you will have a high level of control over the person who buys your car. You can pass it on to someone who you know will love and take care of it, even if you get a slightly lower price.
5. Less Interaction With People
In light of the recent pandemic, a huge percentage of people are uncomfortable with day-to-day physical interactions and are more conscious of social distancing.
The beauty of selling online is that you won’t have to worry about things like putting an ad in a newspaper or trying to negotiate with a car dealer in person. The entire selling process can be completed from the comfort of your computer or smartphone, which makes it super attractive for many people.
You will likely have to meet someone in person when you do sell your vehicle, but you can control the time and place where this happens.
6. More People Are Shopping Online
Another huge benefit of selling your car online is that internet searches have increased significantly over the last few years, giving you access to a much wider audience. If you want to advertise to people in your local area, then a simple listing on one of the many online marketplaces can help you reach thousands of people.
When compared to advertising in the newspaper or with a physical sign, it’s clear how online selling can give you better reach to more people—and in most cases, help you make a quick sale.
7. Instant Cash
One of the best things about online cash-for-cars buyers is that they make the selling process super straightforward. You can sell cars and other vehicles by simply filling in an online questionnaire and most buyers will give you an instant cash offer.
If you have a newer or more valuable vehicle, you may have to speak with a purchasing agent on the phone, but they will do everything necessary to make the process easy for you. Once you accept your purchase offer, the cash-for-cars company will arrange towing or some other method of pickup and hand over your cash!
8. Selling Online Is Secure
If you sell cars online through a dedicated website, you will benefit from more security than if you sold in person. For starters, you can usually message people through the platform’s messaging system, which means that you don’t need to give out as many personal details.
Similarly, most online selling platforms have safeguards to protect you from scammers. This can include some sort of insurance or guarantee, a buyer rating system, or a verification system requiring buyers to prove their identity.
9. There Are More Payment Options Online
Many online platforms selling used cars also act as payment intermediaries where required. A number of payment options are usually available, which can make it easier to get paid. This also reduces the inconvenience of having to make a bank transfer at the point of sale or deal with large amounts of cash.
What’s more, some online platforms enable buyers to connect with financing companies, making it super easy for them to get a loan to purchase your vehicle. This opens up a much larger potential buyer pool, which boosts your chances of getting the price you want.
10. Online Ads Are Credible
One of the best things about online ads is that they can appear more credible than a poster or handwritten sign in the back window of your car. By adding photos and a decent amount of information, you should be able to attract more potential buyers.
Let’s compare, for example, a simple newspaper ad to an online ad. The former is usually quite short, and adding pictures is quite expensive—if it’s possible at all. On the other hand, you can add multiple high-quality photos and as much information as you want to an online ad.
Conclusion
Over the past few years, more and more people have been selling used cars online, and it’s easy to see why. There are many online options such as listing and marketplace sites, online auction sites, and online car retailers. The process is straightforward and opens up a much larger buyer pool helping you get a better price for your vehicle. Online cash-for-cars buyers are also a great option, and they will usually give you an instant buying offer and quick money.
Regardless of the avenue you go down, selling online has great potential, and it should help you get a decent price for your vehicle.
