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Joel Chandra@joel_chandra
Oct 31, 2005 11:30 PM, 3996 Views
(Updated Oct 31, 2005)
SeLL yOuR cAr...

There are some decisions you will have to make before you decide to sell your car. Before you sell your car, one of the main things you need to understand is your market. Knowing what kind of person would be interested in your car will make it a lot easier to know where to place your advertisements. After you’ve done your research on the price of your car, you will determine an asking price and write an attention-getting advertisement. You will need to prepare for the sale by washing and detailing your car. It is also important to understand how to negotiate to get the best price. I would share my experience of the car-selling process to help ensure that you and the buyer have a positive experience.


Market


The first step in selling your car is to know your market. In other words, is your car a popular model that buyers will be interested in? Will you have to drop your price to sell your car because it is not in high demand? Knowing the market - the potential buyers - will help you answer these questions.


The more you know about the kinds of people interested in your type of vehicle, the better able you’ll be to reach that audience. Knowing as much as possible about your car and the prospective buyers can save you time and money. It will help you get the best price whether you are selling your car yourself or trading it in at a dealership. Be careful not to underestimate the car’s value.


Finally, use the Internet and local classified ads to find out how many similar cars are on the market. When comparing your car to similar cars listed for sale, you will want to take into account factors including the car’s age, condition and mileage(Odometer Reading). Remember that cars with less mileage on odometer will sell for higher prices.


Pricing Your Car


The most important thing you must remember before you decide to sell your car is that you generally can get a lot more money by selling the car yourself than by trading the car in at the dealership. If you do decide you want to trade in your car at a dealership, beware of two things: a very high trade-in value and a very low one.


According to one of the finest car trade website, a dealership offers you a high trade-in value for your vehicle; it will most likely use the price against the purchase of your new car. The dealer will cover the loss on the used car by making you pay a higher price for the new car. Thus, you won’t be saving any money. If the dealer offers you too little for your trade-in, it may suggest that you’re getting a low price for the new car. Remember that you can negotiate a fair trade-in price at a dealership, but know that you will probably get a higher price selling the car on your own.


The best way to price your car is to know what other sellers are asking by looking at online ads as well as print ads. You can also find the suggested retail value for your car.


Finally, be sure to leave a little room in your asking price. In other words, ask for slightly more money than you are actually willing to accept. For example, if you want to get 1, 15, 000 for your car, you can list the car at 1, 30, 000. Then, if you have to go lower in price, it won’t be a big loss.


Looking Good


The most important thing when a buyer comes to look at your car is that the car makes a good first impression. There are some things you can do to make sure you and your car make a good impression on a potential buyer.


•   Wash and wax the car. You can use Formula1 Car Polish which will cost you not more than 150Rs and would take about 2-3 hours of your time but this will greatly increase the value of your car.


•   Don’t forget to clean off the wheel covers and wash the tires. Also Buy a Tire polish for your car which is worth it. Believe me; it makes a hell lotta difference when your tires look black and shiny.


•   Have a true picture of your vehicle’s condition by having it inspected or getting a mechanic’s opinion.


•   Have any maintenance records or mechanic’s reports ready to show buyers.


•   Consider making low-cost repairs on things like dents, dings and scrapes, as well as small mechanical problems, rather than selling the car’as is.’


•   Take all your personal items out of the car. If a buyer wants to go on a test drive, you don’t want the car cluttered with stuff.


•   Clean the windows and all mirrored surfaces and preferably use paper to clean the wet glass because it leaves a polished effect on the glass.


You should expect potential buyers to investigate the car fully. If your car is in the best possible condition, you will have a better chance of enticing potential buyers.


Getting the Word Out


Some people sell cars by word or mouth, but you may not find too many buyers within your circle of friends and family. That is why you have to advertise. There are a variety of places where you can advertise your car. Remember that some ads, such as those in the newspaper, cost money, while others may be free.


Here are some markets for advertising your car:


•   Online classifieds such as adpost.com, indiaclassifieds, webindia123 and many more where you can reach a geographically large area of buyers. Just type free classifieds India on google and you would find tons of them.


•   Local newspaper classified ads


•   Local weekly papers and free newspapers, often found at supermarkets


•   Bulletin boards at supermarkets, libraries and college campuses


•   A’For Sale’ sign in the car’s window with your contact information wherever it is parked


It will probably benefit you to advertise in more than one place. Remember that once you place your ads, people will begin calling to inquire about the car. Do your best to answer any incoming calls.


Deciding where you want to advertise is one piece of the puzzle. The other piece, of course, is what to say about your car. To attract buyers to your advertisement, you will need to include your car’s characteristics. These include the car’s make, model, year, color and special features. You can check out other ads to use as a model for your own.


There is more to a winning ad than car specifications. Your ad should emphasize the most important selling points of the car. For instance, if the car has low odometer reading, say so! Use the selling points that first attracted you to buy the car. Is the car very reliable? Does it use fuel efficiently? These benefits should be emphasized in your ad, but only if they are truthful. Avoid exaggeration.


Finish up your ad by listing an asking price.(Some sellers choose not to list a price. This will result in a lot of phone calls from people asking for this information, who may not be looking to pay what you want for the car. It may just be easier to list the price in the ad.) Include your contact information and wait for the calls to come rolling in.


Selling a car should be a good experience for both buyer and seller. In the ideal situation, everyone gets what they want: The buyer gets a new car, and the seller gets an acceptable amount of money. Making sure you know your market, get the word out with a good advertisement, negotiate for your best price, finalize the sale and know what you can do if things don’t go well should make selling your car a positive and uncomplicated experience.


Hope this helps those who are looking out for a change(New Car) by selling their “until now priced possession”


jOe

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