Trade My Car

The Benefits of Selling Your Car to a Dealership

Drivers often choose to sell their used cars at dealerships for a variety of reasons. Working with a Ford dealership in Springville, Alabama, has many benefits over a private sale, including:

• Expedience: When you sell your car to a dealership, you can often make an appointment and close the deal on the same day, resulting in a quick sale.
• Hassle-free: Selling to a dealership circumvents all the time and steps required to make a private sale, including listing your vehicle, letting people test-drive it, allowing buyers to schedule inspections, and negotiating the price.
• Less red tape: Selling a vehicle and transferring ownership involves a lot of paperwork. The dealership will handle titles, registration, loan payoffs, and more so you don't have to do it.
• Less risk: When you sell a vehicle privately, you must meet with strangers and put yourself at risk of criminal activity and fraud. Dealerships are safe spaces for selling used cars.

While you might be able to sell your car for slightly more money if you do so via a private sale, the time, effort, and risk might not be worth it.

How To Sell Your Car to a Dealership

Working with a dealership is a hassle-free way to sell your car. Understanding the steps involved can make the process as quick and easy as possible. Follow these steps to sell your car to a dealership.

Choose a Dealership

If your car is a newer model or in good condition, you can likely sell it to a variety of dealerships. Choosing one that sells the same make as your car, however, can help you get a better offer. This is because many dealerships have certified pre-owned programs they like to keep well stocked for potential buyers. Here at All American Ford, we buy many makes and models in addition to Ford.

Gather Paperwork and Accessories

To sell your car to a dealership, you'll need to bring all its keys, fobs, and remotes as well as documentation confirming you own the vehicle. This includes:

• Your identification.
• The vehicle's title.
• The payoff information if you're still paying off the car's loan.
• The vehicle's current registration.

You can visit the dealership and get an offer on your vehicle without these items, but you won't be able to complete the sale.

Meet With a Salesperson

To expedite the car-selling process, call the dealership first to make an appointment. You don't need an appointment, however - you can simply stop by and tell a salesperson or manager you're interested in selling your vehicle. They'll use the vehicle identification number to check for previous repairs and accidents. Then they'll inspect the condition of your car's interior, exterior, and mechanics and might take it for a test drive.

Receive an Offer

After assessing your used car and the current market demand for that make and model, the dealer will present you with an offer. Several factors can affect the offer you receive, including:

• Current dealership inventory.
• Vehicle condition and its maintenance and repair history.
• Current auction prices for similar cars.
• Whether you still owe money on the car.

Do your research before going to the dealership so you have a good estimate of your car's value before receiving an offer. If the offer doesn't meet your expectations, ask the dealer to explain how they arrived at that figure. Consider getting offers from multiple dealerships so you can choose the best one. The market can change quickly, however, so don't expect offers to remain valid for much longer than a week.

How To Maximize Your Car's Trade-In Value

Before you drive onto the dealership lot to sell your used car, take a few steps to ensure you receive the best offer possible.

Research Your Car's Value

Use online tools to estimate your vehicle's trade-in value based on its age, mileage, and condition. Bring these appraisals with you to the dealership so you can compare them with the offer you receive. If you know what your car is worth, you have greater negotiating power.