What Do I Need To Know To Get Decent Money For My Car

By Roger Walker


If you've got an old car that is barely running, or not running at all, you have probably been spending a lot of time, and money, at the mechanic's. The wisest idea may be to cut your losses and get rid of it. A junker will not interest a dealer as a trade in, but you can still get something out of it. I got money for my car recently by taking the advice of more experienced sellers.

Never lie about the condition of your vehicle to a potential buyer. There are things called Lemon Laws in every state. Lemon Laws are on the books to protect buyers from sellers who claim the vehicle they are selling is in better condition than it is. If a vehicle has a safety defect, and you don't make the buyer aware of it, you can be held liable for fines, penalties and court costs if the buyer decides to sue. You want to be completely truthful when you are selling to stay out of trouble.

Before you advertise your junk auto for sale, you have to find out what it's worth. You can go online and put in the information about your vehicle to get comparable sales in your area. You can also go to one of the reputable automobile valuation books where you can get accurate values for free. You can also use these books to get the cost of any repair parts you know the vehicle needs and subtract that number from the sale price.

Beware of scammers. Once you know the true value of the auto you're selling, you're less likely to fall for a scam, but that doesn't mean you won't be contacted by bogus individuals. There are some signs that a buyer isn't for real.

Someone may contact you wanting to buy your vehicle without even looking at it if you will take a personal check. Accepting personal checks, for any reason, should be avoided. If the person writes a bad check and takes the car, you'll be left with nothing.

Someone might tell you he really loves your vehicle, and wants to buy, but is doesn't have quite enough cash to pay in full. If he tries to talk you into letting him make installment payments, turn him down. Scammers will make the initial payment and disappear. Potential buyers often ask to test drive the vehicle. If you are comfortable, you can let them do it, it after you've made a copy of a driver's license.

The best way to sell a junker is as is. That means you don't guarantee or warranty anything when it comes to the vehicle or its condition. It doesn't mean that you can lie about the condition of the car though.

It's a good idea to ask for a little more than you expect to get when you do this, because buyers like to negotiate. You also want to put everything into a simple contract agreement signed by you and the buyer and outlining the as is condition of the vehicle you are selling.




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