# How to sell a used car in Toronto?



## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

It's been a while since I've sold a used car. Is AutoTrader still the best method? What about Kijiji or Ebay? Any advice?


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## lb71 (Apr 3, 2009)

Craigslist is full of used car ads. It won't cost you a dime to post. 

Make sure you check out the MTO site and get the Used Vehicle Information Package.
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/used.shtml


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## canabiz (Apr 4, 2009)

Besides the sites that are listed, I also recommend RedFlagDeals' Buy-Sell-Trade Forum. There is a fairly big contingent of Toronto posters on that site

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=44

This link has some good tips and tidbits to make your transaction a smooth one (under Trading Guidance)

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/announcement.php?f=44&a=13


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## Bullseye (Apr 5, 2009)

Craigslist/Kijiji are fine, but will likely be slower than trader.ca. Depends on your timeframe.

I'd probably post the Geo on the free sites, and the van in the RV autotrader.


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## Kinny (Apr 3, 2009)

I have successfully sold two vehicles via craigslist/kijiji in the GTA area, without much hassle (and within 1-2months). There are many other free sites for posting your vehicle up for sale, however IMO I've found Craigslist/Kijiji to be the best.

Rules I use when I post vehicles up for sale.

List condition
List Price (OBO)
List Features that differentiate your vehicle from others. It can be things like, exceptionally taken care of, or certified or new paint, etc.
Always upload pictures (I usually put up 4 different, clean pics) ... when I say clean I mean remove all junk in the vehicle, and wash/polish the car so it looks fabulous (remember first impression counts, especially when you're showing your vehicle to a potential buyer).
Be honest and try to make reasonable arrangements.

Oh, both vehicles I sold were definitely not in hot demand. A '91 Jeep and an '08 RUV.....hmm, now coming to think about it...maybe people snatch them so quickly because my asking price was low. lol.

Hope this helps =)


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Thanks a lot for the info - it came quite handy.

More questions:

1) If someone wants to take a vehicle for inspection do you have to go with them? I'm not sure how possible that will be. What if their mechanic is far away?

2) How do you deal with deposits ie someone makes a verbal offer and wants to put a deposit down but can't close the deal for a few days. Do you refuse the deposit? Take the deposit and hope the deal goes through or just explain that you will sell to someone else and refund the deposit if someone comes along with the $$?


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## Kinny (Apr 3, 2009)

Four Pillars said:


> Thanks a lot for the info - it came quite handy.
> 
> More questions:
> 
> ...


1) I went with them. I sold one of my vehicle "as-is" before...uncertified. If they want to do it, let them do it and I would go with them. This stuff is factor into my selling price already. lol.

2) Whenever I make big sales, if I trust the person, he/she has shown persistence and great communication/effort, it's fine I don't need a deposit. However in other times, I use the deposit to sorta secure the transaction. Make sure you let them know that you are giving them X days to confirm the deal otherwise you will sell it to others who are interested.

Hope this helps.


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Thanks Kinny - I think your deposit strategy makes sense. A well definined time frame for completing the purchases is key.


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## ThickenMyWallet (May 20, 2009)

I agree with Kinny. I had someone sign an acknowledgement that they were buying the car "as is, where is" condition and adjusted the price accordingly.

It is slightly off topic but if you take your car into the dealer for certification, its almost like handing them a blank cheque. My friend took his car in for certification and all of a sudden, he had to pay for this and that before they would certify his car (I think they nitpicked about a light bulb not being 100%). At least if the purchaser takes the car in, the dealer/mechanic knows they may have a long-term customer if they treat them right.


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## mfd (Apr 3, 2009)

I hear insurance companies are motivated buyers of vehicles that have been abandoned in vacant lots and set ablaze.


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## Fiona12 (Sep 17, 2011)

Hi there, i have same problem, me and my husband are trying to sell our car, we tried everything including trader, craigs and kijiji with no luck so far. Our problem is that we don't like stranger calling and coming in our house, anyway mu hubby called a private wholesaler today http://sellmycar.ca and we are waiting if they give an reasonable offer to us. I am crossing my finger , i will let you know how it goes...


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## Fiona12 (Sep 17, 2011)

Sold...I'm so happy I got rid of it, I didn't get full retail for it but hey... my car wasn't that good, thanks for your help, this forum is great.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

1. Leave it out on the street with the keys "accidentally" left in it.
2. Wait for it to disappear.
3. File an insurance claim.


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

Guru..don't forget to file off the serial number 
seriously tho...
we found a busy street where we could park the car without it being towed & we put a big sign in it "For Sale" etc, and had many people call.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

The best way to get noticed is to throw up an Ad on Kijiji with a link to a YouTube video. In the YouTube video, do a walk around of the car and start the engine.

And the only way to sell a car, IMO, is "As-Is".

I don't deal with people and their mechanics. If you want it, buy it. I don't have time to dick around. People will take it to the mechanics, waste your time and gas, and then say they don't want it anymore or tell you the mechanic says it is garbage and worth $2000 less. Forget it.


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## whitecar (Oct 11, 2011)

*confused on buying 'as is'*

if selling as is, how does the buyer take the car away? once it is sold, the seller would remove the license plates. the buyer has to bring it to get safety tested and emissions tested in order to register it at the ministry. 

i'm currently looking at buying a used car and trying to figure this part out. 

i've purchased a used car once before, but it had all the paperwork done and the seller met me at the ministry office where we completed everything and i could just drive it away with new plates.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Whitecar,

When I bought my truck, I purchased it from some guy in Toronto. I had him drive the truck to Mississauga to my mechanics shop, where he took the plates off. I then drove him back to Toronto using my other car. He gave me the keys and I gave him the cash.

Done deal.

See if the seller will drive it to the shop and then drive the seller back to his house/wherever. Its the easiest way.

You need a second car, though, obviously. So if you don't have one, see if one of your friends will allow you to borrow theirs.


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## Bullseye (Apr 5, 2009)

You take your signed-over ownership to the Ministry (in Ontario), and they give you a 10 day temp permit. You stick in on dash and you're good to drive the vehicle. You'll need to get insurance sorted out first.

I always get the insurance, but in past, I've often skipped the permit and just stuck my plates on the new car and drove it to mechanic. It's not the proper way, but the car is owned by me, and insured, and odds of being caught are very slim.


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## whitecar (Oct 11, 2011)

*thanks*

thanks for the info.

i think i'm one of those lazy types, and will stick with looking for used cars that are etested and safety certified, where the seller will get the UVIP and meet me at a MTO office. i don't mind paying a bit more for less hassle.


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## lb71 (Apr 3, 2009)

Having sold a car back in the fall, here's what I found from my experience.

In Ontario, in order to transfer ownership to a non-relative, you need the UVIP, Safety Certificate, and Emissions test. As a seller, you don't need any of these, but from a buyer's perspective, you need them to take ownership. So having these done before sale made the vehicle more attractive to buyers.

I posted on Kijiji, Craigslist, Autotrader abd Wheels. I got traffic from the first three. Autotrader or Wheels limited the number of words (pretty sure it was Wheels.) Autotrader required me to call in to verify my posting, but it was a way for them to try and upsell me to a paid service, which I declined.

I was honest with everyone who came. There were defects (leaking oil, etc), but I was upfront about them all. They all test drove it.

I never had a request for me to bring the car to a mechanic, but several people wanted to return with their mechanic. (I sold it before they could return.)

I had a good relationship with my mechanic and he helped me price it. I also researched the above sites to make sure it was priced competitively. I new if I held out I could get what I wanted, but I was willing to go a few hundred less to sell quickly.

I had 1996 Civic, about 240k. I was the sole owner and had most of the service records going back to the purchase receipt. These are generally good sellers, so the brand helped, and the car was well maintained. I posted on a Wednesday. I had a dozen or so emails in a few days and it sold on the weekend.


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## mayonnaise (Mar 28, 2012)

Fiona12 said:


> Sold...I'm so happy I got rid of it, I didn't get full retail for it but hey... my car wasn't that good, thanks for your help, this forum is great.


I stumbled upon this forum thread a few days ago, looking for similar info. No-one responded to Fiona's suggestion to use sellmycar.ca, so I thought I'd register to let others know they are legit, and offer good service. 

I was in a hurry to sell, so I asked them for a quote. They got back to me the next day, and some 3-4 hours after I accepted their offer, they picked up my car and handed me a certified cheque. Couldn't have been easier. No UVIP, ... required, immediate as-is sale.

They are wholesalers, of course, so the money will be less than from a private sale, but you know that going in.

(And to be clear: I have no affiliation with this company. I'm just a customer).


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## 44545 (Feb 14, 2012)

When selling my last two cars, I found buyers via Kijiji but listed in Auto-Trader as well.

AVOID AUTOTRADER LIKE THE PLAGUE. Here's why:


When my Trader ad was due for renewal, I indicated I had no responses and that I would not be renewing. 
A day later, I received voicemail from several people indicating interest in my car and that they saw the AutoTrader ad. 
I called back, received no answers and left messages.
Being the suspicious type, I did some online sleuthing and determined the numbers were owned by AutoTrader.
Conclusion: AutoTrader was making shill calls to convince me the ad had generated interest.

Kijiji, on the other hand, netted me a bunch of interested buyers, eventually selling to one of them, quite painlessly.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

I have bought cars through Auto Trader but it is full of dealers and curbsiders so it takes some due diligence to find bona fide individual car sellers. I bought my last car through an ad in the local free newspaper, but it was funny dealing with all the scammers on eBay.


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