Deciding Where to Sell Your Car

Whilst the two major options to sell your car are through a dealer or by private sale, there has never been as much choice in places to sell your vehicle as there is now. Although trading your car in or selling through a dealer may be the easiest option, you will usually get the best price for your car if you sell it privately. However, you should take into account that selling privately comes with its own drawbacks - you'll have to pay for advertising, deal with enquiries, meet buyers for inspections and test-drives and you'll probably have to put up with a fair number of timewasters.

The list below details some of the most popular ways in which you can sell your car, along with their pros and cons.

Trade In

This is the quickest and most convenient way to sell your car. If a dealer is keen to sell you another car they may offer a good price for your old one, although in general, you'll tend to get less than if you were to sell it privately.

At a Dealer

Second hand car dealers are always looking for decent stock, so if you've got a car they might be interested in selling, they may make you an offer. Although you won't get as much for it as if you sold it privately, it should be a relatively quick, hassle-free sale.

Classified Ads

You can sell you car privately through classified ads, whether this is through your local or regional newspaper, a motoring magazine or a dedicated classifieds magazine. Bear in mind that the higher the car's value, the further people will travel to see it; only advertise in a national newspaper if you're selling an unusual or valuable car.

Online Classified Ads

Placing an advert online can be relatively cheap, and can allow your car to be seen by millions of potential buyers. It can cost as little as £6 to place an ad; some sites will run your ad for a specified number of week, whilst others will allow the ad to remain live until the car is sold.

At Auction

Auctions can be an interesting way to sell your car, giving you access to hundreds of potential buyers. The whole process is quick and simple, with no room for timewasters. However, you'll usually have to pay a fee to enter your car into the sale (about £20), and you'll also have to pay commission on the final hammer price (approximately 10% of the selling price, plus VAT). You can find out more about selling your car at auction on InterAuctions .

At Online Auction

You could also sell your car via an online auction site ; this option is becoming increasingly popular as you can set a reserve as well as an end date and decide on the terms and conditions. Not only that, but the fees are typically very low and gives you access to a huge number of potential buyers. However, you must make sure that you are realistic with your pricing and you set a reserve, otherwise you could lose out. You should also bear in mind that there are an awful lot of timewasters out there, so you'll need to be prepared for a...

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