# Selling My Car - Advice?



## eulogy (Oct 29, 2011)

I'm looking to get rid of my car, and honestly I was looking to get rid of it sometime in the winter of this year. But I didn't get many bites for it. I decided to stop trying to sell, wait for the summer to fix up some of little issues it has (being Alberta and not having a garage to do work made it difficult to do).

Right now the car isn't currently insured, it just sits in my parking space. I don't use it. And it's got to the point where I have to do something with it because if I let it sit any longer it'll just stop working. Even though the summer came, I didn't do any of the necessary fixes. But I've just got fed up and need to get rid of it, even if I'm not exactly satisfied with the price.

I've never sold a car before, so I'm not really sure the process that I need to do. I put the car up on Kijiji, I downloaded some forms off the internet for selling it, but beyond that I'm not sure what other things are available to me (aside from listing it on more sites/services). I'm not good with the negotiating process.

I'm essentially looking for a little help or advice from those that have sold their cars before.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

Instead of selling to complete strangers,try your network(friends/realities/school/work/neighbors sect)put the word out(saves you time,money and energy that these services take)and a lot if tire kickers likely looking to low ball you.
Research your car and the real sale value(with safety-get it safetied)so you have a relative idea and than hopefully someone is intrested-i wouldn't attached a price to it though,discuss it in the conversations of the interested parties and see what they are offering(ideally you will find 2 or 3 people perhaps if you are lucky)that is how I would proceed for starters-therr is usually someone lurking that is looking for a used car,if you look hard enough.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

We sold one last year on Kijiji and was a very easy process ,there was a package we had to get to fill out the papers .Sounds like you car needs some work so I would not sell to friends or family or that may come back to bite you if the repairs are expensive .


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

We sold ours a few months ago. 

We listed it on kijiji and auto trader. Put a sign in the window of the car. If you are just trying to get rid of it because it needs work, then don't sell it to any one you like to keep a good relationship with.

Find out what similar cars of make, year, model condition are asking. Figure out how much is fair for yours and add a bit for negotiation.

When selling , make sure you write 'AS IS' on the bill of sale, and get a photocopy of registration with the signatures and the 'as is' 

I would also use an email you don't normally use.

We sold our vehicle for under market value to compensate for repairs that we knew of, and I just wanted get it off our driveway before we went on holidays. The car was in good shape, and the guy got a good deal. On the day he was coming with the cheque on the agreed price, he asked if we would go lower than agreed. I told him to stop wasting my time and that if he didn't want the deal he could leave. If he came back, I would increase the price. He bought it , 'as is' and then tried to ask if he could call us. We said no. A few days later he started texting saying the dealer was saying it was the timing belt, which was bs as the belt was under 10k. We ignored him. Our phone plan expired so we switched number for work reasons. Then 2 months later, the ugh showed up on our doorstep demanding to be let in. My spouse told him to go away it was as is. He blocked our driveway for over an hour with my spouse and young child at home. 
We had to call the police and he left before they arrived. We filed a statement and they told him to leave us alone

Point is to make sure the person knows it is as is, write it down everything and try not give your phone number


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Just remember that the car is depreciating while sitting at your place. So you might have to discount a little more to prevent it from sitting for another year. People shopping on Kijiji are looking for a deal. Otherwise they would buy from a dealer. Just make sure the buyer knows that they are getting a deal when compared to a dealer price but that is why As Is is one the bill of sale.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

Make sure the car is very clean. Spend an entire afternoon cleaning and detailing it, if necessary. You'll have the upper hand over 90% of other sellers. Potential buyers will be much less prone to walking away from a spotless car, even if it has other issues.

I've had no experience with Kijiji, but I've had good luck with Craigslist. Local newspapers also seem to work okay.

I'm not sure how the selling process works in other province, but it's pretty simple in BC. Get some transfer papers from your local insurance place. Fill out the papers with the buyer, accept payment, give them the keys, then just go to the insurance place with the buyer and complete transfer.

If they want to to test drive the uninsured car you can get a temporary operation permit. One of you will have to pay for this, or you can split the cost.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

Get it insured for six months. Cancel the policy when you sell it. You should always keep fire and theft on it even if you are not driving it. And do the usual like make sure that it is clean, inside and out. Change the oil if it is dirty.

If you sell it, do not accept anything except cash or a bank draft. Forget the personal cheque...no matter how 'honest' the buyer seems. 

If someone says they will buy it, get a deposit from them, $100. or so as a sign of good faith. A non refundable deposit.


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## eulogy (Oct 29, 2011)

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I would have commented earlier, but was occupied with work and a rather robust 4 hour exam I just happened to do today.

Selling to my friends/family/contacts

This is something I'd like to avoid. The car is actually in good shape. There are only a few little issues that aren't really big deals. A few years ago a driver clipped the driver side mirror off my car. I bought a new one and put it on. Though lately I noticed that it was a little loose, so I went to tighten the bolt... and dropped the bolt in the car door. Also passenger side rear door doesn't open. I think it was recalled for repair, but the previous owner never actually did it.

But with that said, I don't think there is much gain (though would probably be easier to sell). It's one of those things. The car runs fine, no issues... but that doesn't mean it could breakdown a month after I sell it to a friend and they could hold it against me.

Plugging Along:

Good advice. I know the "AS IS" was a big thing when I tried to sell it before. I'm not offering any sort of warranty or guarantee lol. Good call on not using your regular email address. If only I could do the same with my phone number. Not that I want to disappear after I sell it, but I don't need the drama from a buyer like that.

"Just remember that the car is depreciating while sitting at your place."

This is what's getting me motived to get this done. A few thousand dollars in my pocket is better than it depreciating. I just get annoyed with the low balling because it is a good car and IF I was in a position where I needed to regular drive I'd like to have it... but alas that situation hasn't come up and it's just depreciating.

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So based on the advice, I think this will be my plan of attack.

I'll sign up for car insurance for six months for the process of selling (test driving) and if I need to take it somewhere for repairs. But I'm going to get the car issues fixed. I'm hoping I can get that back door fixed. I'll give it a good clean, make it spotless, and do the little interior things so it feels "new". But the goal is to sell, even if I have to grind my teeth at giving out such a deal lol.

Thanks everyone.


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## hystat (Jun 18, 2010)

A dead battery will freeze so you may need a new one if a buyer wants to hear it run. These ethanol gas mixes are not great for sitting around for a year. I would get a jerry can or two full of fresh premium in the tank before anyone tries to start it. Dump some stabil in with the new gas. That will keep it fresh for the 6 months you plan to have it around for.
If you start it up with year old gas you could pollute the injection system.


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## eulogy (Oct 29, 2011)

I'm trying to think of how long it has been since I last started. I was pretty good with it for a while knowing that it was sitting. I would start it up, let it run for about 20 minutes... but sometime in April I believe, I went on vacation for a week and the car didn't start after that (battery dead). So I think the gas has been sitting in its 7th month now. Probably safer to get the gas out of it. Not sure how one does that.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

Definitely make sure before you advertise to sell it, you get it so it's running and can be test driving. If not, the most you will be able to get is a little more than scrap, and then your client base is very small to mechanics that are are fixing and reselling and everyone will low ball you.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

Don't sell it to a relative, a friend, or anyone that you work with. Sell it to a complete stranger. 

Otherwise, you will hear about it for years every time the air in one of the tires is low.


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## eulogy (Oct 29, 2011)

The plan is to have it running and the problems fixed before I advertise because I know I'll get nothing. Doesn't matter if the car is in good shape, if it doesn't start it's just another unworking car.

And no friends, family or coworkers... I was thinking about Plugging Along's problem. I actually have a phone number with my cable bundle (cheaper internet and cable, with phone bundled in, even though I haven't used it). I'm planning to dump the phone for a different kind of bundle, so I could technically use that phone number and when I'm sold I can dump it. Don't need some psycho stranger calling me months in the future complaining.


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

I've sold a lot of cars. Best policy is to make sure it is clean inside and out, and price it on the low side. If it needs minor repairs, and you can do them with little or no expense go ahead. But don't put more into it than you can get out. It is usually better to just discount the price. For example you mention the back door does not work and the mirror is broken. If it would cost $200 to get them fixed you would do better to cut the price by $200 and get rid of it.

If your time is worth nothing and you have to squeeze every dime that is one thing but for most of us it is better to just get rid of an old car without wasting a lot of time and money on it. Give the next owner a good deal and go do something more interesting.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Rusty you would be amazed how incapable some buyers are. Just pumping up the tires seems to be beyond them!


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## eulogy (Oct 29, 2011)

I agree with you Rusty. That's the plan this time at least. The mirror isn't a big deal. I've replaced it, I just happened to drop the bolt in the door when I was trying to tighten it. The backdoor I'm not confident I'll be able to fix that, so I'll probably let it go. At this point I just want to get rid of it. 

I even set a goal. Before the end of the year. If that means setting a lower price, it'll just need to go.


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