Want to Sell a Car? Learn How to Sell It Online to Make the Process Easier

I had a car for quite a few years that I no longer needed. It was considered a classic, but rather than deal with the hassle that comes with trying to sell the car to someone locally, I decided to post it on a collector's website to see if anyone would be interested. I found a buyer and went through the steps listed below to make sure that the sale went as smoothly as it possibly could.

I Had the Car Inspected

Before selling the car, I had a thorough inspection done on it. I wanted to be sure that I fully disclosed if there were any issues found with the car and that I could prove the condition it was in when I sent it to the person who was buying it. I made sure that the inspection was done in a well-rated mechanic to ensure that the buyer knew the inspection could be trusted. The buyer I found lived a few states away and neither of us could meet to exchange the car, so I decided to send it to them. I sent him a copy of the inspection report so that they could feel rest assured that the car was in good condition.

I Had the Car Appraised

Before the car was sold, I had it appraised so that I could know the true value of the car. I wanted to be sure that the buyer was not getting too good of a deal for the car and that I knew how much to insure it for before it was transported. I also needed to know how much it was worth so that I could find a transportation company with enough coverage to pay for any damage that may be done during shipping.

I Took Pictures of the Car

Before I shipped the car, I took the time to take numerous pictures of it. I took pictures of the exterior and interior of the car, as well as the inside of the trunk and under the hood. I wanted to be sure that I could prove that the car was in good condition before it was shipped so that if anything went wrong during the shipping process I could prove that the shipping company caused the damage.

I Hired a Professional Transportation Company

In order to have the car transported from my state to the buyer’s state, I had to hire a professional transportation company. I search for a company that specialized in car hauling, and who had plenty of insurance to cover any damage that may have been done to the car during the shipping process. I also made sure that I got a written statement that indicated any issues the technician who picked up the car saw before the car was hauled away so that I could ensure that everything was annotated properly.

I Had an Attorney Create a Sale Contract

I needed to be sure that I was not wasting money by sending the car to the buyer only to have him back out of the deal at the last minute. I had to hire an attorney to write a sale contract for us that stated I would cover the cost of transportation to get the car to his house, but if he did not like the car he would have to pay for the return shipping of the car. It also stated that all of the money for the car would be kept in an escrow account so that he could be sure the money was safe until he had the car in front of him and decided to buy it.

The Buyer Transferred Funds into an Escrow Account

Before the car was even loaded onto the truck bed to be hauled away, the buyer transferred money into an escrow account so that I could not receive the money until he received the car and was satisfied with what he received. An escrow account ensures that neither of us got taken advantage of during the transaction.

I Transferred Everything Online

Once the buyer decided that he did want to buy the car, we were able to transfer the title online. He was able to register the vehicle right away and order tags for it over the computer. Once I say that he had registered the car, I was able to cancel the insurance that I had on the car and get the money out of the escrow account.

Selling a car online takes a lot of effort and planning. I learned that it is best to make sure to only deal with people who are truly interested in the car. There were many people who claimed to be interested but simply could not come up with the funds to buy the car or ended up flaking on the agreement after I had put in a lot of effort.

It took time, but once I found the right buyer it was nice to know that someone who really appreciated the car would own it. It will be well taken care of and someone else would be able to get as much joy out of it as I did for years to come.