Selling your car online can sometimes get a bad reputation, but there are ways to use it so you get the visibility and the price you want. The best part is that it can save you time, so selling your car doesn’t turn into a months-long headache. eBay is one of the most respectable (and safe) ways you can sell your car to a legitimate buyer. Listed below are some of the reasons why eBay is known as a front-runner in the Online Car Sales Arena.

A Little Expertise

Selling a car is going to be a lot of work no matter what, and likely not without its share of inconveniences. Those hassles are why people trade in their cars in the first place. But going through a dealer will likely only get you a fraction of what the car is worth, making it an easy but not a financially sound idea. eBay is not only trusted by buyers, but the fees are relatively inexpensive (or even free.) Basically, you’ll just need a few computer skills before you list, and you’ll be in business.

The Process

You’ll need to take lots of photos, and you’ll want to make sure your car cleans up well. Get it professionally detailed and don’t look back about the cost. Presentation matters more than ever today. You’ll need to register on eBay if you haven’t already, and then start gathering the information you’ll need. This not only includes the title and vehicle information (VIN, miles, etc.), but also the price your car normally sells for. Don’t just check KBB.com though, look for similar cars on eBay that have sold in your area. Some vehicles are more highly prized in certain cities (e.g., all-wheel drive in snowy states.) You can access that information when you look through past sales on eBay listings.

Create Your Listing

Once you have the information, you’ll want to place a price on your vehicle, and then set the terms of sale. There is no bidding for cars on eBay, regardless of how you sell it. Be specific about your vehicle, and don’t leave anything out. Misrepresenting your car could violate eBay’s rules of selling. For example, you may list your car at $1,000 with no negotiations and no returns, but you’ll need to detail the information you do and don’t know first. Once the sale process begins, be as active as possible on the listing. Answer questions, update the information, and potentially reconsider your pricing if you aren’t having any luck. It would also be wise to take traffic school a defensive driving course to dismiss tickets before you sell. Once you sell, you’ll need to work out the delivery and pick-up times with the buyer.

Focus on Local

You can sell nation-wide on eBay, but you’ll likely want to sell locally instead. Local listings are sold on their classified site, which works very much like Craigslist or your local newspaper. eBay will not take a cut of the sale prices, though you will be limiting the amount of people who see your ad (those within a 200-mile radius.) Listing nationally will not only cost you, but it makes it a lot more likely you’ll run into delivery and pick-up problems. If you do choose to sell nationally, you’ll pay $60 to eBay if your car sells for less than $2,000, and $125 for anything over $2,000. You will not have to pay the fee if the car isn’t sold, and will be able to relist it quickly for a different price should you so choose. The fees and the number of pictures you can upload are still more reasonable than many of the other online forms of sale.