Selling your car privately can seem like an attractive alternative to using an approved used car dealer. However, there are a number of hidden costs of selling a car privately that you may not have previously considered. Read on to learn more, plus, to get a better understanding of the private selling process and the other two best alternatives to consider, take a look at the video below.
The costs of selling a car privately
Necessary repairs
Selling your car privately requires a roadworthy certificate (RWC) in most instances. This may mean you need to undertake costly repairs to ensure your car passes an inspection and receives a RWC. Selling with AutoFlip means you’re selling to one of our licensed dealers who don’t require a RWC. Meaning a potentially big money saving for you, not to mention the time saved not having to arrange repairs.
Inconvenience and time
Time is of the essence when selling your car. If the market is strong for your type of vehicle, you’ll want to capitalise on it and receive good money for your car. However, listing your car privately means dealing with several time-consuming tasks. Answering queries, dealing with tyre-kickers, scheduling appointments, having strangers to your home and dealing with no-shows are all part of selling your car privately.
Safety risks
Selling your car privately involves meeting strangers to complete the deal. While most buyers are trustworthy, there are still people out there who are not genuine buyers and will take advantage of your time, or even attempt to steal your personal information, put you at risk or attempt to steal the vehicle.
Risk of scams
The potential for scams is heightened when selling your car privately. With reduced legal protection when compared to using a dealer, private sellers can become the victim of scammers who submit fake documents, use an alias, attempt to steal your personal information or even refuse to pay either some or all of the money.
Advertising costs
While there are generic sites that allow you to list for free, most specialised car listing sites require payment of a fee in order to list and advertise your car for sale. Promoting your car online also attracts additional costs. At AutoFlip, our policy is ‘no deal, no fee’, meaning that you won’t pay any money if your car does not sell with us.
Full responsibility for documentation
One of the hidden costs in selling a car privately comes with the vehicle’s supporting paperwork. AutoFlip assists with the facilitation of any necessary paperwork.
AutoFlip is the hassle-free alternative
Selling your car with AutoFlip removes the hassle. Our simple online process is quick and easy. And our network of dealers who competitively bid to buy your car means you get a great trade-in price - without the haggling or exposing yourself to the risks of dealing with strangers!
Our process starts with your vehicle’s information, including photos if you have them available. One of our friendly team members will then be in contact with you to discuss the content of your listing. Our network of over 1000 dealers then bid to buy your car, and we negotiate a best price offer. Upon acceptance of the offer and payment of the success fee, we arrange free collection of your vehicle and transfer your funds quickly. And best of all, if there’s no deal, there’s no fee!
AutoFlip’s streamlined process removes the possibility of incurring hidden costs of selling a car privately. It eliminates the need to get a RWC potentially saving you a lot of money and time. Selling your vehicle through AutoFlip’s trusting buying network also means you won’t be caught by any traditional car sales scams.
For a safe, fast and easy sale that avoids hidden costs in selling a car, choose the vehicle sales specialists at AutoFlip.
