How to Place an Ad to Sell a Car Online

The Internet has changed the way we do many things, particularly buying and selling used items. These days, selling a car doesn’t necessarily mean putting an advertisement in the local paper and hoping that you’ll be able to sell within a few weeks, or taking it to a used car dealer and getting paid a fraction of what it’s worth. Selling your car online means your car advertisement is seen by a huge number of people—you’ve got the opportunity to sell much more quickly at a price that’s more favorable to you. Placing an ad is very easy, and some sites even allow you to place basic ads for free.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet access
• Digital camera or scanner if you want to include photos of your car

1. Evaluate your car and comparable cars to determine your asking price.
2. Take photos of your car using a digital camera. Alternatively, use a regular camera and use a scanner to put the images on your computer.
3. Write down all the information you’ll need to put in advertisements. This will include your contact details, asking price and any features of the car you want to accentuate.
4. Choose a site (or sites) to list your car on, and follow the instructions to place your advertisement (see the Resources section of this article for Web site suggestions). Most sites will have a selling link on the home page.
5. Take care of your car—before people come to see it, wash (and maybe wax) the exterior, sweep out the interior and clean the upholstery.

Tips & Warnings

• Sites such as CarsDirect and AutoWorld have guides you can use to help you decide on a selling price. Check several different sites, then take an average of the values they report to arrive at a selling price.
• Your price should take into account mileage, the vehicle’s condition, any major mechanical or cosmetic problems it may have, and additions you’ve made that add to its value.
• Include in your advertisement any important features of the car, such as mileage, the condition of the vehicle, body style, transmission and engine type, trim and any additions or features that add to the value of the car. Remember that you have a word limit, so try to keep it as short as possible.
• Some sites will count your characters and words as you type them in. If they don’t, you can write your ad in Microsoft Word or another word processing program to check the word count, and then paste it into the ad form on the site.
• If you’ve had your car serviced regularly and have the documentation to prove it, include this in your description—a well-maintained car is more attractive to potential buyers.
• Most sites take no responsibility for disputes between sellers and buyers and do not help mediate such disputes.
• Sites dedicated to vehicle trading usually charge a fee to sellers who list their cars (and you may need to pay extra to add photos to your advertisement). Sites such as eBay and Craigslist are free—however they’re not car-oriented and you may sell your car faster by using a dedicated site.