Sell your wheels on the web

Find potential buyers by advertising online

By Jane Doucet

It’s time to buy a new vehicle, but first you’ve got to get rid of your current car. If you don’t want to park it at the end of your driveway with a For Sale sign stuck in the windshield, why not try selling it on the Internet?

“When you advertise your vehicle online, you reach a much larger audience,” says Alison Hodges, the former automotive marketing manager of Trader Media Corp., which publishes Auto Trader magazine in Ontario. “This expands your market to people looking for a used vehicle on the Internet whether they are in your hometown, across the province or on the other side of the country.”

The larger the market, the more likely your vehicle will be found by a buyer. As a result, you can sell your car more quickly, and you’re more likely to get the asking price.

In addition, buyers of certain types of vehicles may be more inclined to shop online instead of using more traditional methods. “Busy people may prefer to look for their next vehicle using the Internet,” says Hodges.

Where to list your vehicle

To get started, you must research reputable sites that list used cars; these sites can be anywhere from eBay to the online classified ads in your community newspaper. Posting fees vary but are competitive with traditional print ads, so shop around.

“List your car on sites that allow buyers to search by model,” says Barry Shafran, president and CEO of Cars4U Ltd. “Determine what’s on these sites that compares to your vehicle.”

What to include in your ad

Next you’ll need to find out how much to ask for your car. A good resource is the Canadian Red Book, a monthly publication that lists the official values of used cars. Then it’s time to compile your ad.

“Be honest in the description,” says Phil Edmonston, author of Lemon-Aid Used Cars and Minivans 2007 and other best-selling Lemon-Aid vehicle guides. “Include many pictures of your vehicle. Show the buyer you have nothing to hide.”

Unlike print ads, the web can handle several images — of the highest quality, of course — so make sure to post both exterior images, which should be large and close-up, and interior photos, which can demonstrate to potential buyers that a car has been well-cared for. Provide a contact number so the buyer can call you with questions, but for safety reasons, don’t post your address or work phone number.

Other basic details to include in the ad are your vehicle’s year, make, model, mileage, features, options, unique features — such as a custom stereo or wide tires — and asking price.

How to deal with interested customers

To avoid getting spam, Shafran and Hodges both recommend that you don’t use your regular e-mail address; instead, create a free Windows Live Hotmail or Yahoo! account specifically for the ad.

Once you’ve found a serious customer, it’s time to move the negotiations offline. The buyer will want to see and test drive the car and possibly take it to a mechanic for an inspection.

As with any private sale, you don’t know with whom you’re dealing, so be careful. Meet the buyer at an agreed-upon public place rather than at your home or workplace. And when the sale is final, “always get the buyer to pay you in cash or by certified cheque,” says Shafran, “and give him or her a receipt.”