Woman hanging homemade for sale sign in car window

How to safely sell a car in a few simple steps

Consider these safety tips when selling a car privately.

把你的车卖给你自己而不是经销商可能看起来很可怕,但事实并非如此. If you do your homework, 这对你来说可能会更好——特别是如果你计划出售的汽车价值很高的话. Below are some tips to help you along the way.

What paperwork do I need to sell my car?

第一步是收集与你出售的汽车有关的所有文件. These documents include:

  • Warranty information -如果车辆仍有保修单,请将保修单提供给新买家.
  • Bill of Sale - When you create a bill of sale, include:
    • The sell date
    • Your name and the buyer's
    • The car's year, make and model
    • The negotiated price
    • 如果汽车是“按原样”出售的,或者你提供维修津贴
  • Title - Based on your state's regulations, you will likely sign off on the title, transferring it into the buyer's name.
  • Motor Vehicle Department regulations - Depending on the state where you live, you may need an emissions test or an odometer disclosure statement.

How do I get my car ready for sale?

To help get the best price for your car, consider the following:

  • Complete repairs - Servicing small items — such as fluids, brakes, light bulbs, air in tires, windshield cracks, dents or scratches — may help you get more money for your vehicle. 保留任何维修收据,向买家展示已经完成的工作.
  • Clean it -虽然这似乎是显而易见的,但许多卖家跳过或勉强遵循这一步. A clean, waxed and fresh smelling car can be appealing to buyers. So, pay attention to both the car's interior and exterior. Clean out the glove box and trunk. Wipe down all surfaces, including cup holders. 用吸尘器彻底吸尘,并记得清除所有pp王者电子官网杠贴纸以及它们留下的残留物.

How much should I ask for my car?

This can be one of the hardest parts of selling a used car. Most people don't know where to start when it comes to pricing. First, check out free appraisal tools on the internet. Compare the value of your vehicle as listed on multiple sites. Be realistic when evaluating the condition of your car. Here are some sites that may help:

底线:在你开始和买家谈判之前,你要知道你能接受的最低价格.

How do I find buyers for my car?

在私人市场上销售汽车的另一个挑战是接触潜在买家. How do you get the word out that you have a vehicle to sell? Keep in mind there are services, such as CarMax, that will purchase your vehicle and resell it for you. If you decide to go ahead and sell on your own, watch out for scams and people who may try to take advantage of you.

If you decide to self-sell, 接触潜在买家的一个好方法是通过当地的分类网站或各种在线服务——你可以在那里发布你的车的照片和描述. You may also buy ad space on sites, such as AutoTrader.com or Facebook (locally), to help sell your car.

How to write a good advertisement

When writing an ad to sell your car, 这是一个好主意,包括所有有关您的车辆的事实,如, model, year, condition, mileage, price and photos. To help make it stand out in a crowd of similar ads, consider including: color and trim; any extra features such as seat warmers or a sunroof; and if it has low mileage, only one owner or gets great gas mileage.

What buyers want to know

Buying a used car, whether it's from a dealership or a private seller, is an investment for anyone. 在购买之前,他们想要尽可能地了解车辆和卖家. Here are a few ways you can help them:

  • Vehicle history -如果你的车是旧款,或者如果你不是原车主,考虑申请一个 Carfax report. 这将提供有关汽车历史、任何事故及其维护记录的信息.
  • Why you are selling - Buyers will be curious as to why you are selling the car. Think about how you'll answer and be ready for their questions.
  • Respond quickly - When you receive a call, text or email that the buyer is ready to make a purchase, respond quickly with your acceptance or a counteroffer. 如果你反应迟钝,买家可能会认为你不感兴趣,或者你不想卖.

How do I offer potential buyers a test drive?

一旦你找到了一个潜在的买家,你就会想要安排一次试驾. Let the buyer get a feel for how the car handles. 遵循以下提示,帮助您创建安全的试驾体验.

  • Screen buyers - Thoroughly vet potential buyers before scheduling a test drive. Speak to the person on the phone and ask them screening questions, such as whether or not they have financing lined up. 也要向他们提问,以确定他们是否是认真的买家.
  • Safety in numbers and visibility - Don’t go on a test drive alone — ask a friend to join you. 将试驾安排在白天,并在人口密集的地区与潜在买家会面.
  • Credentials - Check the buyer's license before they get behind the wheel. Keep in mind, 卖方的pp王者电子官网是主要的,测试司机将被视为许可用户.

The test drive is not the time to take payment; but once completed, it's appropriate to begin negotiating the price.

How do I conduct a secure transaction?

Transferring the title also calls for a secure environment. 当你准备好正式销售时,考虑一下下面的建议.

  • Take payment inside the walls of a bank - The safest place to exchange payment is at the buyer's bank. Do not agree to drive the potential buyer to another location, especially if it's to pick up the payment.
  • Trade the title for the payment -在您收到约定的全额付款之前,不要签署或将车辆所有权交给买方. If the payment is not cash, see that the check or money order is legitimate, or wait for the Venmo payment to deposit in your checking account. If the buyer is paying with a check, go to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) website, FakeChecks.org, to verify it is not fraudulent.
  • Be careful if using escrow services -托管服务将保留买方支付的费用,直到卖方交付购买的物品,可以帮助确保双方免受欺诈. Before using an escrow service, however, 彻底研究并确认它是有信誉的,以避免与冒充托管服务的骗子接触.

Other safety tips for selling a car

  • Keep a paper trail - It is important that paperwork, like the title, 是否正确处理,以便您的汽车的转让可以适当地完成,您不负责任何与车辆出售后发生的事情.
  • Remove personal information from paperwork to be given to buyer - To avoid the risk of identity theft, mark out personal information, like credit card numbers, from any paperwork you will be handing off to the buyer.
  • Keep your car insured until transaction takes place -确保你的车在所有权和注册转移给买家之前都有pp王者电子官网. 你可以被认为对发生的任何事情负责,直到汽车进入买家的名下.
  • Beware of online scammers - Be cautious when sharing personal and financial information online; scammers may ask for this information to use it for malicious purposes. Also, 避开那些想用电子方式付款或想让别人代他们取车的买家, particularly if they decline to test drive the car beforehand.

After you have sold your car, don’t forget to reach out to your State Farm® agent to update your car insurance policy.

本文中的信息来自与State Farm®无关的各种来源(包括State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company及其子公司和关联公司). While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. State Farm is not responsible for, and does not endorse or approve, either implicitly or explicitly, 任何第三方网站的内容,可能从这个页面超链接. The information is not intended to replace manuals, 由制造商提供的说明或信息或合格专业人员的建议, or to affect coverage under any applicable insurance policy. 这些建议并不是所有控制损失措施的完整清单. 州立农场不保证使用这些信息的结果.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
State Farm Indemnity Company
Bloomington, IL

State Farm County Mutual Insurance Company of Texas
Richardson, TX

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