Sell. My. Car.

[shakahorn 1645]

Ordered a new car back in Nov and it should be here in March and thinking about selling the old one instead of trading it in.  Thinking back, I've never really sold a car, always just traded it in.  Just never seemed to be worth the headache to sell myself.  But now, all I'm hearing is that used cars are selling for more than their new counterparts, so maybe the math will work out.  What's the best option?  Carmax?  Carvana?  webuyyourcar.com or other online brokers?  Craigslist?  I feel like selling to a broker means they will take all the profit, not me.  Any gotchas to worry about?

The car in question is a 2018 Mercedes GLE.  Mileage kinda high, right around 60k.  Rear tires are new but mismatched...long story.  Otherwise, as far as I know, the MF is tip top.

[CooterBrown 18012]

Carvana. No hassle and the offer was ridiculous on my truck. It took like a total of 10 minutes of my time to get a quote, sign it over, and collect payment. I can’t imagine dealing with private buyers.

[El Tri 412]

6 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

Carvana. No hassle and the offer was ridiculous on my truck. It took like a total of 10 minutes of my time to get a quote, sign it over, and collect payment. I can’t imagine dealing with private buyers.

this. dealing with private buyers isn't worth any extra money you'd get

[Js1 85338]

1 hour ago, CooterBrown said:

Carvana. No hassle and the offer was ridiculous on my truck. It took like a total of 10 minutes of my time to get a quote, sign it over, and collect payment. I can’t imagine dealing with private buyers.

Driveway (I think it's called?) gave me a bigger offer than Carvana. 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

If there is any kind of a glitch Carvana has absolutely no customer service and it is a huge PITA getting them to resolve anything

[conVINCEd 21469]

29 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

If there is any kind of a glitch Carvana has absolutely no customer service and it is a huge PITA getting them to resolve anything

I had someone show up to buy a beater off Craigslist with poorly done counterfeit money and then threaten to come back with a gun if I didn’t accept it.  Next door neighbor at the time was a cop, and he happened to be home at the time.  When informed of this the guy left quickly.  I’d take my chances with carvana.

[elfenix 34241]

carvana, give me the vin, texas direct auto, a bunch of places will give you an offer just from vin. 

[Mother mopar 3318]

Never done anything other than a private party but those have gone really well. I always try to describe the vehicle to the best of my ability. Potential seller knew the asking price before they came to look at the vehicle and I either do cash, certified cashier check. Sold cars on forums, craigslist and Ebay with good success (while avoiding the eBay fees.)

I've never had any issues but I've don't have experience with some of the newer type selling platforms either.

[Gil Bang 25959]

My uncle used Carmax and was pretty happy with them. 

[Muny_Tex 293]

OP this is may be dumb question, but is there particular reason why you can’t (or are opposed) to trade-in toward the new purchase via the dealer that facilitated the order?

Not sure what state you’re in, but in TX, this is often advantageous versus selling outright since the trade-in decreases the taxable amount of the new purchase cost.

If that is appealing, I’d get a firm/solidified offer in writing from a local Carmax location (or maybe one of the online shops as well) then ask the dealer if they will match…everyone is dying for inventory right now so it’s worth a try.

Based on the tax advantages, you may still come out ahead on the trade even if dealer comes in $1k short or so on their competing offer.


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[shakahorn 1645]

1 hour ago, Muny_Tex said:

OP this is may be dumb question, but is there particular reason why you can’t (or are opposed) to trade-in toward the new purchase via the dealer that facilitated the order?

Not sure what state you’re in, but in TX, this is often advantageous versus selling outright since the trade-in decreases the taxable amount of the new purchase cost.

If that is appealing, I’d get a firm/solidified offer in writing from a local Carmax location (or maybe one of the online shops as well) then ask the dealer if they will match…everyone is dying for inventory right now so it’s worth a try.

Based on the tax advantages, you may still come out ahead on the trade even if dealer comes in $1k short or so on their competing offer.


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There are no dumb questions, even here.  OK...maybe there are some here, but this is not one of them.  I feel like the amount of a private sale will far exceed what the dealer will offer in trade.  The sales guy, who we've used on previous purchases/leases and who family member have also used, pretty much said that.  If anyone here has a similar (or differing) experience, I'd love to hear about it.

I'm in CA anyway, just double checked, the tax amount is based on the cost of the new car before any trade-in or other offset is taken.

[torre 1286]

17 hours ago, shakahorn said:

.  I feel like the amount of a private sale will far exceed what the dealer will offer in trade. 

The sales guy, who we've used on previous purchases/leases and who family member have also used, pretty much said that.  If anyone here has a similar (or differing) experience, I'd love to hear about it.

I'm in CA anyway, just double checked, the tax amount is based on the cost of the new car before any trade-in or other offset is taken.

I have no experience in the current market except reading the articles and talking to friends.

Did the salesman say that for this purchase or previous purchases ?    The Ca market and the individual dealer's need for preowned inventory may affect the trade value.   Depending on the market and vehicle type,  some dealers are offering prime value for trades.

If the option exists since you have already ordered the vehicle,  another angle would be to negotiate down the price of the new vehicle before the trade.   You are likely paying more than MSRP for the new vehicle in today's market.   So any amount equal or below MSRP would be a saving.    The key is does the dealer need preowned vehicles.

I would encourage you to check Edmunds.com, kbb.com, and other sites to get the true value of your Mercedes and the vehicle you are purchasing.    Edmunds seems to account for the current climate.

That said,  many dealers today are not willing to negotiate due to demand vs low inventory.     But you can counter with a private sell.    Good Luck !

[Chewbacca 7779]

Carvana, Carmax, Echo Park, etc.  Lots of them will give you a price online.  Go with whoever offers the most money.  Also get a trade in price for shits & giggles.  They might surprise you.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

Carvana was dramatically different from comps on EBay and CL. I understand it’s a different transaction but it’s about half less.

[pops 6985]

Detail the fuck out of it,  take a ton of good pics and put it on Craigslist or fb marketplace for a week and see what happens.  Should get more than from carvana or any other wholesaler,  but if it's a pain in the ass they will still be there after you try private party. 

[Mother mopar 3318]

Detail the fuck out of it,  take a ton of good pics and put it on Craigslist or fb marketplace for a week and see what happens.  Should get more than from carvana or any other wholesaler,  but if it's a pain in the ass they will still be there after you try private party. 

This is one detail, that always bothered me when buying cars. The amount of time being spent in preparing the vehicle for sale. I can't tell you how much money you can get for a nice, clean, detailed car compared to someone who just takes pictures with trash, clothes and crap all in the car.

[Gil Bang 25959]

It's a long story, but I ended up with a friend's car, and the friend now lives in Germany.

I'm trying to help him out.  I just took this very nice Audi for a quote.  It should be worth 12,000 or so, they offered 8,000, because "the odometer has been rolled back".

This guy bought this car new, so I'm certain that he didn't roll back the odo.

I asked what proof they had of that.  He was in the Army at Ft. Bliss.  According to the "records", he took it in for service, and it had 37,xxx miles on the odo.  The next time he took it in, it had 33,xxx miles. 

so, instead of the obvious case of some chucklefuck hitting the wrong key on a computer, they assume he rolled it back to show 4000 fewer miles than actual. 

Stupid. 

[Jerry Callo 8703]

1 hour ago, Gil Bang said:

It's a long story, but I ended up with a friend's car, and the friend now lives in Germany.

I'm trying to help him out.  I just took this very nice Audi for a quote.  It should be worth 12,000 or so, they offered 8,000, because "the odometer has been rolled back".

This guy bought this car new, so I'm certain that he didn't roll back the odo.

I asked what proof they had of that.  He was in the Army at Ft. Bliss.  According to the "records", he took it in for service, and it had 37,xxx miles on the odo.  The next time he took it in, it had 33,xxx miles. 

so, instead of the obvious case of some chucklefuck hitting the wrong key on a computer, they assume he rolled it back to show 4000 fewer miles than actual. 

Stupid. 

I'll give you $500 for the nice Audi with the rolled back odometer.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

On 2/2/2022 at 9:12 PM, shakahorn said:

There are no dumb questions, even here.  OK...maybe there are some here, but this is not one of them.  I feel like the amount of a private sale will far exceed what the dealer will offer in trade.  The sales guy, who we've used on previous purchases/leases and who family member have also used, pretty much said that.  If anyone here has a similar (or differing) experience, I'd love to hear about it.

I'm in CA anyway, just double checked, the tax amount is based on the cost of the new car before any trade-in or other offset is taken.

Carmax offered me more than the dealership but when informed of this, the dealership matched it.

[immamac 42850]

Tred got nought by autotrader and is now the private marketplace. I would do that. They handle everything like a dealer and you get to maximize private sale. 

If you are getting a new car there is no reason not to trade the tax benefit is incredible on trade in for most cases. 

[Superhero 8830]

On 6/27/2023 at 11:43 AM, Gil Bang said:

It's a long story, but I ended up with a friend's car, and the friend now lives in Germany.

I'm trying to help him out.  I just took this very nice Audi for a quote.  It should be worth 12,000 or so, they offered 8,000, because "the odometer has been rolled back".

This guy bought this car new, so I'm certain that he didn't roll back the odo.

I asked what proof they had of that.  He was in the Army at Ft. Bliss.  According to the "records", he took it in for service, and it had 37,xxx miles on the odo.  The next time he took it in, it had 33,xxx miles. 

so, instead of the obvious case of some chucklefuck hitting the wrong key on a computer, they assume he rolled it back to show 4000 fewer miles than actual. 

Stupid. 

We sold 2 cars to shift. They offered more than carmax or carvana. 

[Gil Bang 25959]

5 hours ago, Superhero said:

We sold 2 cars to shift. They offered more than carmax or carvana. 

Carvana's website now takes you to Shift.

[Mother mopar 3318]

It's a long story, but I ended up with a friend's car, and the friend now lives in Germany.
I'm trying to help him out.  I just took this very nice Audi for a quote.  It should be worth 12,000 or so, they offered 8,000, because "the odometer has been rolled back".
This guy bought this car new, so I'm certain that he didn't roll back the odo.

I asked what proof they had of that.  He was in the Army at Ft. Bliss.  According to the "records", he took it in for service, and it had 37,xxx miles on the odo.  The next time he took it in, it had 33,xxx miles. 
so, instead of the obvious case of some chucklefuck hitting the wrong key on a computer, they assume he rolled it back to show 4000 fewer miles than actual. 
Stupid. 

Rolling back ofdometers is illegal and considered fraud, the place that did it should be reported. This is a huge issue in the collector muscle car market...along with rebodies.

[Gil Bang 25959]

2 hours ago, Mother mopar said:

On 6/27/2023 at 11:43 AM, Gil Bang said:

It's a long story, but I ended up with a friend's car, and the friend now lives in Germany.
I'm trying to help him out.  I just took this very nice Audi for a quote.  It should be worth 12,000 or so, they offered 8,000, because "the odometer has been rolled back".
This guy bought this car new, so I'm certain that he didn't roll back the odo.

I asked what proof they had of that.  He was in the Army at Ft. Bliss.  According to the "records", he took it in for service, and it had 37,xxx miles on the odo.  The next time he took it in, it had 33,xxx miles. 
so, instead of the obvious case of some chucklefuck hitting the wrong key on a computer, they assume he rolled it back to show 4000 fewer miles than actual. 
Stupid. 

Rolling back ofdometers is illegal and considered fraud, the place that did it should be reported. This is a huge issue in the collector muscle car market...along with rebodies.

nobody did shit.

Seriously, who would roll back an odo 4000 mi on a 37,000 mi car.  It's obviously an error made by whoever input the mileage.