Why Selling Your Car Yourself Is a Hassle
There comes a time when you may want to sell your car. Perhaps you have an extra car that your spouse no longer uses, or maybe you want to use the sale money to buy a different car. In that case, you may be thinking about selling that car yourself, sparing the costs of hiring an agent.
The problem is that if you are not careful, selling the car yourself may bring you more losses than earnings. Here are a few reasons why selling the car yourself may be more of a hassle than a benefit.
1. You May Not Have the Time
Selling your car yourself can be quite a hassle because it takes a lot of time from your hand. You need to prepare your car, set up your car records, create the car presentation, meet the buyers, and so on. If you also have a job, this may be rather difficult. Depending on the availability of the buyer, you may need to take time off from work or sacrifice your own free time. No matter how you look at it, this is a hassle.
2. You May Not Be Able to Sell It Fast
Another concern is that you might not be able to sell the car in a short time. Indeed, there are websites where you can list your car, but you cannot be guaranteed to find a buyer anytime soon. Sometimes, your car may end up being listed for weeks, or even months, before it gets bought. This is because you only have access to a limited pool of people that are interested in buying your car.
3. You May Not Get the Most Money
When you sell your car, you need to have very strong negotiation skills. Indeed, when you sell the car yourself, you no longer have to pay the agent’s commission. Still, if your negotiation skills are poor, you might not be able to get the best price. Moreover, you may not know the exact value of your car – not without an estimate. By using an agent, the hassle is taken off your hands.
4. You May Not Know What Needs to Be Improved
Your car feels like your baby. As far as you are concerned, everything looks perfect. That car stereo you’ve been using for the last 10 years is something you are very proud of. However, for the buyer, that might not bring much value and may cause them to lower the offer. By using a dealership instead, you will be informed of what needs to be replaced so that the car gets sold at a better price.
5. Writing an Ad for It Can Be a Hassle
Selling your car yourself can also be a hassle when you have no idea how to write its ad. This part of selling the car is essential because the ad is the first thing the potential customer sees. Finding the right words can lead to frustration if no buyers are drawn by your description of the car.
6. You Need to Be Extra Careful of Scammers
The world is full of scammers, even if you are the one doing the sale. During the sale, you need to vet the buyer, make sure they are legit, and ensure they are not using a bad check, fake cash, or a fake agency. Going through an agent can take this worry away, as it spares you the hassle of vetting the buyer yourself.
The Bottom Line
Selling the car yourself can often be more trouble than it’s worth. This is why you may want to use a third party like SoldAuto.com to help you. By skipping the dealers, you can sell your car faster and for a better price.
