Use Your Brain

When posting something on Craig’s List, you have to be smart. Sure, there are a lot of good transactions that take place (people buying other people’s stuff) but you also can easily expose too much information about yourself if you’re not thinking about it.

The golden rule I use for anything online – be it Facebook, Twitter, a website or whatever is that whatever you put online essentially stays online. You can never be sure where your information goes. There could be someone sniffing traffic (yes, that’s an actual name for a hacker method) or people trying to stalk you or whatever. Just be very careful about what you put on any website. That’s the first rule, Craig’s List aside.

For example, when posting a phone number, I never use my own number. I go over to Google Voice and get a free phone number there. You can have it forward to your phone or to voice mail or text. Once you’re done with your sale, you can throw that number away or use it later on.

Even when you meet someone to test drive the car, you might want to meet at a store parking lot or something so that people don’t see where you live – although your address might be on the car’s title… at least there’s no option for them to step inside your house to use your bathroom or sign something, etc.

There are stories about people being robbed when trying to sell something on Craig’s List – do be one of those stories and use your brain.

At some shopping malls and store parking lots, there are surveillance cameras. They can be your friend in this instance and catch a picture or whomever comes to meet you. Just make sure you give the store some business while you use their private property in case you do end up needing their help.

Watch for Bogus Offers

Used Car Selling Scams / Buyer Scams

It might be exciting to start getting offers on your car but if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. For example, you might hear someone asking if the car is still for sale – that’s usually what they ask first. Then they offer you a price without coming by to look at it. They usually give you some sort of story how they were in the Armed Services or are not in town and they want you to ship the car or something. They might even offer you more than what you’re asking for, too.

Say no to these offers!

Don’t fall for them. It’ll get into this whole big thing where they wire you money and then it’s too much and you have to send some back or whatever and then you find out it’s fake or bogus. Save yourself the trouble and only sell your vehicle to someone who comes by to test drive it and check it out.

Only Accept Cash

I keep it simple and only accept cash. I did take a bank check on a car last year but that made me nervous. You are best off just accepting cold, hard cash. You can’t really go wrong there.

I also take a copy of their driver’s license and I have a Bill of Sale document that I have them sign (and have a copy for them, too).

The Used Car Dealer on Craig’s List Scam

This one is more for people buying cars but I thought I’d mention it.

Some people are reporting how used car dealers will try to sell cars as private citizens on Craig’s List. You’ll find a car and everything will look like it’s a private citizen but it’ll actually be a dealer. The problem here is that they bypass the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and state laws regarding how dealers can’t sell “lemons” and have to get the car up to certain standards, etc.

Conclusion

Scams on Craig’s List work both ways – for people buying and selling. Remember this as you sell your car there. You want to watch for scammers and yet make buyers feel comfortable that you are for real, too. If something doesn’t seem right, then trust your gut and back out… another buyer will be by shortly, just wait. It’s better to wait for the right buyer than take a chance and have it not swing in your favor. The thief buyer will probably also move on to try the next person, so it’s better you both just part ways.

Thanks for reading. Please leave comments if you have them and be sure to pass on/share this article with your friends!

Below are helpful tips on how to sell your car yourself for the most cash.

Selling Your Vehicle

You shouldn’t make your car look like something you’ve gotten tired of, something you are just too eager to let go. Even if that is the case, the impression you should give when selling your car is that of someone who is so much attached to it, and who values it very much. This kind of attitude will make potential buyers think that you’ve always taken great care of your car, even if it has suffered some few accidents, poor maintenance and numerous dents.

1. Make Your Car Look Great

Think about your car like a bride being led away to her bridal home. She must be well coiffed, embroidered with pearls, and made to reveal the best of her beauty. You should not bring your car to the market in bad shape, looking dirty and with noticeable scratches and dents. This should not surprise you; people will want to buy clean and attractive cars. You’ll not get much for your car if it looks like something picked from the junkyard.

Always remember how you felt the very moment you made up your mind to buy the car you are about to sell and work hard to create that feeling in your prospective buyers by cleaning your car, replacing old parts, and improving the paint. In short, make it shiny.

2. Think like a Car Dealer: Detail and Service Your Car

Car dealers can make the most of old cars that look useless and completely worn out. The secret to their success is common knowledge today: they have cars detailed. Spending $100 bucks to service your car will bring great rewards when you finally sell it.

Car detailers improve the paint, remove scratches, shampoo carpets, remove grease from the engine and replace floor mats. With the proper detailing, you can make your car look brand new and attractive.

Some repairs you’ll need to do to improve the overall rating of your car will include changing tires, fixing the locks that do not work well and fixing dents.

3. Prepare the Necessary Paperwork for Your Car

This may not seem very necessary, but it can be one of the major elements to think about when selling a car. By presenting maintenance papers, you’ll put the buyer’s mind at ease.

After polishing up your car, and getting it ready for the market, you should, like a valiant soldier showing off his brass buttons on an army uniform, prepare to present good papers.

Buyers will also trust you more when they see your CARFAX Vehicle History Report and service records.

4. Be Smart About the Entire Transaction

Where you sell your car can determine how much you get for it. Before deciding where to sell the car, it is important to work out its real value.

You may have done a lot of research on car sales and have greatly improved the condition of your car, but buyers will have done their research,too. Buyers have an idea of the market price of cars like yours. By being realistic, you’ll come off more convincing, whether you’re selling to a dealer or to an individual. Make sure you give a reasonable price for your car.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of selling your car in a dealer trade-in and decide accordingly; the price will certainly be lower than what you can get if you sell the car to an individual.

5. Advertise Your Car

After improving the condition and general appearance of your car, you should get the best advertising for it. The Internet offers free avenues for advertising and you can reach out to a good number of interested buyers. Get the best photos of your car and create free ads on sites like Craig’s List. Post photos on your Facebook profile and announce on social media platforms that you’re selling your car. This way, you’ll reach out to many potential buyers.

If you use a good advertising strategy, you’ll definitely receive many calls, which gives you the opportunity to take the highest bid for the car.

Conclusion

Some people may feel rushed to sell their car and lose out on hundreds of dollars that they could have received if they would have taken some time to get the car ready to sell. Spending a couple weeknights improving your car will fetch you more for it when you post it on Craig’s List Saturday morning.

We hope this article provided you with some good tips to get you the most cash for your car. If we missed something, please leave a comment for us. Please also share this article and pass it on to others.