So many ways to sell my car... Why SellMax?

SELL YOUR CAR ON E-BAY

Yes, they will charge you about $125 to list your car, but if you're getting people from all over the globe to come look. Millions of people take part in their online auction daily, so there's bound to be a buyer out there somewhere. Once again, you can set the price you want (“buy it now”) or put a bottom price you'll except, leave it for auction and take your chances. If a number of people really like what you have, you could sell it for far more than you'd expected.

Of course, as with Craigslist, you'll want to have many good photos of your car, outside and in, to let people far away get an idea of why they should want it. While it's fantastic to have people around the globe having a chance to see and ultimately, buy your car, there are practical problems with that. Someone in Toronto might treasure your Tercel, or a London lad might love your Lincoln... but not the cost to ship it there or the paperwork to bring it into the country. Realistically, unless your vehicle is a rare collector's one, it's highly doubtful it would be practical to sell it outside of the country. That doesn't negate the usefulness of e-bay but does limit its scope just a little.

If you do succeed on e-bay, it will take a little while to get your money. On that website, bids on cars are non-binding, so even after the item “sells”, it can take awhile to be sure the purchaser wants to go through with it and then for the website to get the funds to you.

SELL YOUR CAR TO A DEALERSHIP

There's bound to be a car lot near you which will take your old car as a trade-in on a new ride. They can usually get you on your way in a new set of wheels within hours. It's quick and simple. No fuss, no muss.

This could be ideal if you are looking to simply replace the one car with another, and if your car is in great shape to look at and to drive. Some dealers will still take your car even if it is dinged up or has some mechanical issues, but they're sure to take that into account when figuring out how much to offer. As they'll likely have to fix these things before they can in turn re-sell it, even small problems can mean a big reduction.

As well, while a number of dealerships will buy your car even if you decide not to buy your next one from them - ie. a straight sale rather than a trade-in - they're bound to offer you less. So the amount you recieve, while fast, may be low in your estimation.

Which brings us to...

SO WHERE SHOULD I SELL MY CAR?

Here at SellMax, we buy cars so of course we'd love to make you happy by having you sell to us and being able to bring you a big bundle of cash, quick and easy. But as we see, there are many ways to sell your vehicle and each has their own advantages.

If you aren't in any special hurry to sell your car, going the sell privately route may work just fine for you. You can, after all, set your own price, haggle if necessary and if you like socializing, it certainly offers that possiblity as you talk cars to potential new owners. It costs you nothing too. However, it can be slow though, and sometimes you may spend a lot of your free time showing the car before someone makes an offer. So if you want to move your vehicle speedily, this isn't a great choice.

Online selling offers no guarantees of selling, but does offer you a wide potential customer base, and in the case of e-bay, the chance at least of selling for more than you expected to if several people love your car and begin bidding on it. But with it, patience is a virtue. Even if you do sell it may takes week to get it all completed and have your cash.

As well, if your car is not in tip-top shape, you might consider if you like working on cars. Minor problems can make major dings in the payout to you. So if you are handy with auto repairs, you may want to take care of them yourself before selling, especially if you're trading in or selling to a professional car buyer like SellMax. For instance, if your brakes aren't that good, the parts for front brakes on a typical car can be bought for less than $100... but to get the work done in a professional shop can easily run over $500 when you factor in their labor charges and applicable taxes. If you have the know-how and time to fix your car up before selling, it will pay dividends for you. However, it could also take a lot of your spare time up. So consider how much you need to fix on your car, and if the time involved seems like a worthwhile tradeoff before selling.

In general, if you are in a hurry to move along and get your big bundle of cash and have a specific new car to replace the old one with, trading in might be a great way to go. If you want your cash fast, and value your time and ease, we hope you will give us a call at SellMax. We make it easy on you and get you money- which you can use for anything you like - quickly. We even pay cash for junk cars, so if your car isn't in the best of condition we can have that junk car removed.

WHAT PAPERWORK DO I NEED TO SELL MY CAR

Whether you sell to your neighbor, and out-of-state stranger or SellMax, there will be some routine paperwork needed to transfer the legal ownership. It should be noted every state has its own requirements, so be sure to check your own state DMV to get the details that apply to you.

No matter where you are, you're going to need to have the title (ownership paper) and be able to sign it over. If you are selling it privately, many states might require an actual bill of sale, something SellMax can take care of for you if you choose to sell to us. A number of states will need you to have a lien release, usually provided by the company which sold it to you, or the bank which financed it. In some states, a verification of the odometer reading may be needed, and in California, depending on model year, you might need a certificate showing it passed a smog test. So we repeat, it's important to check with your state's website and make sure you have just what you need so there won't be any snags when you find your buyer.