Autotrader Sell My Car

Autotrader is one of the biggest online car marketplaces, with the Autotrader Sell My Car platform being among the most used car selling platforms used by private car sellers in the United States. By selling your car on Autotrader, you are assured of secure transactions, fraud protection, and an extensive audience reach, among other benefits. Before we get to the full benefits of selling your car on Autotrader, what is Autotrader, and how does it work?

Described as the cornerstone of buying and selling a car in the United States, Autotrader is an online platform that connects car buyers, dealerships, and private sellers, aggregating both new and used vehicles. It's one of the leading brands under Cox Automotive, which provides different vehicle-related services, including dealership inventory management, sales, marketing, and operations management.

What other services does Autotrader offer?

In addition to being a vehicle marketplace, Autotrader has some unique additional features and services. The platform provides car buyers with research tools such as buying guides, an affordability calculator, and a car dealer locator. You can also get vehicle safety information, history reports, and help with finance, insurance, and warranty programs when buying a car through Autotrader.

The research tools make car buying more straightforward and can be done online from the comfort of your office or home couch. If you are on the go, Autotrader has a free mobile app compatible with Android and iOS with the same functionality as their website. Through the app, you can also create a free account or log in to an existing one to add your favorite listings and share them with family or friends to seek their opinions.

Another benefit buyers enjoy on Autotrader is the vehicle pricing stats on listings. Based on average market prices and the car's condition, the vehicle stats indicate whether the listing is a good or great deal.

Sellers are not left behind. Through their seller resources, Autotrader teaches sellers the best practices of selling a car online to get the most money out of their vehicles. There are also other seller resources, such as FAQs concerning selling cars on the platform, that make the sale listing process stress-free.

How to Sell Your Car Through Autotrader

Selling your car on Autotrader is relatively easy and cheap compared to other platforms. Sure, there are more affordable options, but only a few have the same offerings as Autotrader. How much does it cost to sell a car on Autotrader?

The most preferred ad package on Autotrader is the $49 package, which allows the addition of photos in a listing. It also has free ad renewals every 30 days if it doesn't sell within the first month. A cheaper option is the $25 ad package, but you don't get to add photos to the listing. Lastly, there's a premium ad package that goes for $90. How can I sell my car on Autotrader?

Autotrader advertises the process in four steps: prepare to sell, advertise your car, find a buyer, and close a deal. But there's more to it, and here's how you can do it:

• Prepare the car. Like when selling a car through other means, preparing your vehicle is essential when selling through Autotrader. Get the imperfections sorted out if possible and clean the car. If some issues cannot be fixed, note them and include the details in the listing.

• Gather all paperwork relating to the car's history, including maintenance and replacement reports. Even though the paperwork will not be publicly displayed, it helps gain buyers' confidence should they contact you about the listing.

• Take quality photos of the car. When selling a vehicle online, not just on Autotrader, always use quality photos taken from different angles, including underneath the car, if possible. Use as many photos as possible, including photos of imperfections such as dents. Also, compress or upscale photos to meet Autotrader's size limits.

• If you don't have an account on Autotrader, create one, and it's free and easy. Use authentic photos and information, as this also helps in boosting a buyer's confidence.

• Visit the Autotrader Sell Your Car platform on the website and enter your ZIP code. Review their ad packages from there and select one that suits you best. There are various ad packages, but we recommend going for an ad that allows photos in the listing.

• Follow the ad publishing steps on Autotrader and review to confirm that you didn't miss any steps when filling out the ad. Also, ensure that you didn't miss any details concerning the car when writing the listing details.

• Once everything checks out, purchase your ad, and Autotrader will handle the rest. All you have to do is sit back and wait for buyer offers. It's that easy!

How else can I sell my car on Autotrader? In addition to providing a platform where buyers can buy cars from private sellers, Autotrader will buy your car by presenting an instant cash offer to buy your car. How does this work?

• On the Autotrader website, visit the "Instant Cash Offer" page and insert your car details, starting with the license plate and State or the VIN. This enables them to look up your car's history, but you'll also need to add your car's information as required.

• Your car is evaluated through third-party evaluators, after which you'll get an offer valid for only seven days.

• Once you get an offer, select an Autotrader-authorized dealership near you and drive your car there for inspection and payment collection.

• The dealership inspects your car and verifies the information you initially provided. If anything differs, the cash offer will be rescinded.

• If the dealership approves your car, you can trade in your car using the offer amount or accept the cash, thus selling your vehicle.

Benefits Of Selling Your Car Through Autotrader

Easy To Use

Autotrader's website is relatively easy to use, even for starters looking to sell a car online for the first time. First, you have to create an account, which is easy to do, and Autotrader does not charge for a user account. The listing process is also relatively easy, with instructions and the platform's detailed provisions for filling in details, ensuring you input the correct information.

Autotrader has a free mobile app compatible with Android and iOS if you are constantly on the go. The app makes monitoring listings for buyers, dealerships, and sellers accessible on the fly. It's also easier to use than the Autotrader website but still retains the platform's features.

Autotrader Accepts a Wide Variety of Cars

With Autotrader, you don't have to worry about your car's make, model, and class since everything goes, including trucks and commercial vehicles. This primarily benefits the buyers since they have everything under one roof and allows sellers to sell whatever they have.

Can I sell an old car on Autotrader? Yes. Autotrader accepts new and used vehicles regardless of their age. Maybe it's time you fix and let go of that classic you've had sitting in the barn forever. However, when listing a classic car on Autotrader, it would be best to use Autotrader's classic car marketplace, Autotrader Classics.

Extensive Audience Reach

Autotrader's online presence and large user numbers make it the best place to sell your car online. How long does it take to sell a car on Autotrader? Once your listing is approved, expect to get an offer within the first few days, and it's not uncommon for cars to sell within the first few hours.

Free History Report

When selling a car through Autotrader, you get a free vehicle report as the seller, and it's also available to potential buyers. In most cases, Autotrader uses Carfax to generate vehicle reports, but it's not uncommon to find cars with reports generated by other third-party services such as AutoCheck.

Well, the history report is not really free since it's included in the ad fee. But getting a car report will cost you $25-$50 on average, and getting one can be a pain in the neck. Autotrader handles that for you, so the history report is mostly free. Also included in the ad fee are state-required forms when selling a car since Autotrader provides these forms should you and the seller reach an agreement.

Instant Cash Offers

Autotrader's instant cash offers make the car-selling process easier. You don't have to pay for ads, take photos, and write captivating listing descriptions to entice buyers. Upload your car details on Autotrader, and they'll get back to you with a cash offer shortly.

Secure Transactions and Fraud Protection

One of the best benefits of selling a car through Autotrader is that they offer fraud protection through their fraud specialty team. This covers private sellers, dealerships, and buyers since the team verifies users' identities and reviews ads before they go live, ensuring the seller and the listing are legit. The team also ensures strict payment protocols are followed when making a sale and has triggers set in place to stop scammers in their tracks.

Selling a Car Through Autotrader: The Disadvantages

Selling a car on Autotrader has its advantages, but like when selling through other methods, it also has its disadvantages. Here are the main disadvantages of selling a car on Autotrader:

Not All Cars are Eligible For a Cash Offer

When selling a car through Autotrader's instant cash offer service, there's a chance that your vehicle might not get approved. This depends not on the car's conditions but on Autotrader's policies. 

Additionally, Autotrader clarifies that the cash offer might be lower than Kelley Blue Book's trade-in value or range. This means that there's a chance you'll not get what your car is worth. But this is common in almost all online car marketplaces.

Lacks A Car Financing Option

There are online car marketplaces with financing services for buyers, but Autotrader is not among them. This mostly limits the buyers but also disadvantages sellers since many car buyers prefer financing to buying a car in cash, especially when buying newer cars.

Other Disadvantages of Selling a Car Through Autotrader

Besides the above-listed disadvantages, Autotrader doesn't show discounted percentages and price drop amounts on car listings. Cars with decreased prices will only be marked with "reduced price" tags, so a buyer cannot know if the vehicle is worth buying based on the price decrease. Also, it would be nice if Autotrader indicated how long cars have been on sale. Due to condition and mileage changes, vehicles on sale for shorter periods are often considered better purchases than those listed for longer.

Should You Sell a Car on Your Own

Selling a car on your own is often known as a private car sale, and it's the best way to get the best price than using other methods such as selling through a dealership. However, it also has disadvantages, but we'll first highlight a few of the main the advantages.

Pros of Selling a Car on Your Own

• Potential for a higher selling price: Compared to when selling to a dealer or trading in, selling a car individually has the potential for a higher selling price as you have more control over the asking price and negotiations.

• No extra fees: Selling a car on your own means you don't incur any additional fees such as middleman, advertising, and dealership fees, which can affect how much you get from the sale.

• Convenience: This is one of the most significant advantages of selling a car on your own. You can list the vehicle for sale on multiple platforms and still use it while waiting for a buyer. Additionally, you interact with potential buyers, addressing inquiries while trying to convince them to buy the car simultaneously.

Cons of Selling a Car on Your Own

• Safety concerns: Private car sales involve the buyer viewing the car before agreeing to the terms of the sale set by the seller. This means meeting up with a stranger, which poses serious safety risks to you as the seller.

• Fraud risk: When exchanging funds in a private car sale, there's a high chance of being defrauded by con buyers. However, this depends on the method used since some ways, such as banker's checks, offer more seller protection than others, such as cash handover.

Why Use Exotic Car Trader To Sell Your Car?

Did you know you could list your car on Autotrader and related major alternatives listed through Exotic Car Trader? 

Yes, we provide listing solutions on the mentioned online marketplaces and our own platform, ensuring maximum reach to potential buyers. What type of cars do we list? We facilitate listings of all car types, including supercars, exotic cars, classics and luxury cars.

Why Use Exotic Car Trader To Sell Your Car? We take care of everything, including your car's photoshoot, listing and transacting the deal on your behalf, removing all the hurdles associated with selling your vehicle privately. We also take care of shipping, trade-in, and financing needs just in case the buyer requires any of these services. So sign up on Exotic Car Trader, and we'll handle the listing process for you, including a professional photo shoot for your vehicle!