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Each year in California, hundreds of thousands of people choose to list their own car. While this can prove to be a good way to sell their vehicles, many people underestimate the real amount of time and effort involved in selling a used car as a private party.
Not only can preparing a car for sale take a tremendous amount of time, it also frequently involves costly last-minute repairs and even assuming physical risk, especially with crimes like Craigslist robberies on the rise across the nation.
This leads some people to give up on selling their own used cars or to not try in the first place. In many cases, these car sellers ultimately turn to dealerships, trading in their used vehicles for lot credit. This option, while able to save time and direct costs, is often the worst overall option. For example, on any car that has a potential private-party value of less than $5,000, a dealer trade in will typically net the seller close to $0. This is because the dealer will not only usually offer far less than the true value of the car, but they will also pay in lot credit, forcing the seller to use the value of the sale to buy products with hugely inflated prices.
While some people have the mechanical skills, patience, salesmanship, risk tolerance and cash reserves for repairs that are required to profitably sell their own vehicles, the truth is that most people who attempt to sell their own cars don't. But there is a simpler solution to selling your car, one that can net you about as much as selling to a private party, without any of the risks, hassles and costs of doing it yourself on the open market.
SellMax Cash For Cars is a service that buys used cars for a fair price throughout the Encinitas area. All you must do is call our office at (760) 512-1242, and one of our helpful, friendly agents will give you an instant quote. All you need to do is answer a few simple questions in order to sell your car for cash.
Once you have a quote, you are free to accept or decline it, with no obligation on your part whatsoever. If you accept, we'll send our junk car buyers out to your home, office, or wherever the car is located. If the information provided over the phone checks out, the buyer would hand you cash for your car. It's that easy!
When you contact our company, you can expect the entire process to take less than a half hour of your time. It’s quick. And all our agents are certified. They've been carefully vetted and given background checks, so you won't have to worry about the problems that come with dealing with the general public.
SellMax will give you an offer on your vehicle, no matter the condition. Even if your car is old, high-mileage or doesn't currently run or drive, SellMax will have an offer for you. This means that in the case of much older or disabled vehicles, you won't need to pay a tow truck or take nothing to have someone take it off your hands. When you sell your car to our company, we always provide a free towing service as we specialize in junk car removal.
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Sean Pour has spent nearly 20 years in the cash for junk cars business. As co-founder, he’s built pricing algorithms and helped thousands of people sell junk cars in Encinitas.
I'm Sean Pour, co-founder of SellMax. Based on our recent data in Encinitas, CA as of October, offers are trending down. We are seeing softer bids from dismantlers and wholesale values are applying pressure, which is pulling payouts below last month. That is the backdrop sellers are walking into, and it is influencing both offer strength and how quickly deals get done.
Even with that, the most common cars we buy here are Honda Civic and Jeep Wrangler. Typical offers average about $677 across the city. Compact cars usually land between $447 and $574, while trucks and SUVs often fall between $800 and $1,966. The process is quick. Median pickup time is 2 hours 5 minutes, and 92 percent of vehicles are picked up within 24 hours. Our response is rapid.
Seller motivations this month are clear. Collision or body damage drives 47 percent of sales, and engine problems represent 40 percent. Failed inspection makes up 10 percent, transmission failure 2 percent, and missing catalytic converter 1 percent. You can count on us to keep an eye on changing prices.
Vehicle | ZIP CODE | OFFER DATE | OFFER PRICE |
---|---|---|---|
1962 Volvo P 1800 | 92023 | 10-01-2025 | $375 |
1992 Buick Century | 92024 | 09-29-2025 | $512 |
2022 Volkswagen ID.4 | 92024 | 09-28-2025 | $878 |
1952 Bmw 501 | 92024 | 09-28-2025 | $616 |
2012 Mini Cooper Countryman | 92023 | 09-28-2025 | $352 |
2012 Dodge Ram | 92023 | 09-27-2025 | $903 |
1962 Ferrari 156 | 92023 | 09-27-2025 | $725 |
2024 Kia Seltos | 92023 | 09-23-2025 | $955 |
1960 Bmw 501 | 92023 | 09-21-2025 | $483 |
2005 Mercury Monterey | 92024 | 09-20-2025 | $308 |
2012 Nissan NV | 92024 | 09-20-2025 | $577 |
2012 Toyota Matrix | 92024 | 09-19-2025 | $586 |
1972 Triumph Spitfire | 92023 | 09-18-2025 | $888 |
1996 Pontiac Trans Sport | 92023 | 09-18-2025 | $577 |
1999 Dodge Durango | 92024 | 09-18-2025 | $723 |