How to Get Car Appraisals Online

Car appraisals are an important step for owners who want to sell their cars or determine what the cost will be to insure them. For the most accurate appraisals you will want to speak to an experienced appraiser. An appraiser should be easy enough to find in most cities, but if you can't seem to locate one nearby then you can always get appraisals online.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Car

1. Provide as much detail about your car as is required by any online appraisal website you use. You'll need to know the make, model and year of your car for every appraisal, but other factors like transmission and even the color can also prove vital. Keep all that information handy as you go through the appraisal process.

2. Be ready to provide contact information. For some online appraisals it is required that you provide your address and telephone number so that an appraiser can contact you directly with your appraisal. You may also be required to use a credit card to pay for the appraisal, so have that handy as well.

3. Choose an online appraiser who specializes in the type of cars you need appraised. For classic cars, for example, it's good to choose an online appraiser with experience handling the type of car you own.

4. Visit the US Auto Appraisers website (see Resources below). You will find a wealth of links to various appraisers around the country, some of which offer online appraisals for users.

5. Take advantage of the National Automobile Dealer's Association website (see Resources below). This is another terrific resource for people who need to have their cars appraised.

Tips & Warnings

• Feel free to contact an appraiser online and have them come to your location to get a first-hand appraisal. These appraisals are far more accurate, although they can cost considerably more than an online appraisal.
• Be aware that some of the online appraisals you can get will be more akin to educated guesses as opposed to thorough evaluations. Through a series of simple inputs you can get a very general idea as to the value of your car, but without physically examining scratches, damage or upgrades this estimate may be off by a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars.

Resources

• Links to appraisers from US Auto Appraisers
• Appraisals and car resources from NADA.com