I’ve heard friends share their experiences on how the bought and sold a lot of things includes cars on Craigslist. And I tell you, their experiences were mind-blowing that I decided that once I want to sell my car, Craigslist will be my first option.
So when I realized I would write this article, I was so excited because I have a lot of good things to talk about.
Craigslist just like eBay Motors, CarGurus, and TRUECar is an online classified service that allows you to run advertisements based on your location and the type of car you want to sell. Unlike, other platforms mentioned, Craigslist is free, cheap, and easy to use.
Statistics show that Craigslist since 1995 it was launched, it has received an average of launched in 1995 in San Francisco. And as of 2017, it receives an average of 50 billion page views and 200 million postings which comes every month.
If you have been looking for the best way to sell your car, you can see that Craigslist is a good option. All you have to do is to follow the easy hacks will discuss below and you are good to go.
Remember, carefully read word to word without skimming and I promise you, you will be glad you did.
Glancing through the table of contents will help you with easy navigation on the subheadings.
Table of contents
Easy Hacks to Sell a Car on Craigslist
The following hacks will help you sell your car on Craigslist:
#1. Ensure your car is sound
This is the first time to do before anything else. It will be sad to find out that your car is not in good shape after getting a buyer.
So, to be on the safer side, it’s vital to ensure that the vehicle is in good working condition. Take it to the mechanic if necessary before placing it for sale. I tell you that nothing gives buyers confidence than when they are sure that the car they are buying has no-fault.
Read Also; How Does Craigslist Make Money Much | 2023 Full Details
#2. Work on your Title
After fixing the car ensure you will have to take care of the title because no buyer will want to buy a car that they do not specify the title to. This is another way on how to safely sell a car on Craigslist faster.
However, a car’s title of ownership is a piece of ownership evidence that shows you’re the legal owner and has the sole right to sell it.
If you don’t have it because you still own your bank, make sure you first ratify that and know how much you would have to give them to get the title back. And if you misplaced it, proceed to your local DMV to get a new one.
Aside from the title, you may need to file a bill of sale, and it may need to be witnessed by a Notary during business hours. The bill of sale is additional paperwork, like a receipt, that proves the lists the buyers and sellers, the exact item, and the agreed-upon price.
Looking for where to sell your broken TV? Read: 8 Places Where You Sell Broken TV for Cash in 2023
#3. Clean Up your Car
Cleaning Up your Car before listing it on the Craigslist platform is another easy hack that can help you sell it off quickly. This is because every buyer needs a clean and spotless car, no matter how much he/she is ready to pay.
In fact, there is nothing more enticing to them than a clean car. If you don’t trust your cleaning skills, take it to a full-service car wash near you and get it washed thoroughly.
Once they are done servicing the car, clean and shine the inside yourself with a towel.
#4. Get enough pictures of the car.
When you don’t take a photo of a particular part of the vehicle, people may believe that something is wrong. Listings with just one picture or two don’t attract many buyers than when you have many pictures.
Besides attracting buyers, it will save you the stress of explaining to the buyers that will call about the car. Some of the significant parts that are necessary that you capture include:
- Front, back, and both sides
- Driver’s seat area
- Stereo, including capability like music player input, if you have it.
- Engine
- Odometer
- Dashboard while Car is on
- Backseat
- Trunk while open
- Wheels and tires
- Spare tire and jack
- Roof
#5. Fix an Affordable Price
Once you choose a price, be straightforward with yourself about your vehicle’s problems, and please be aware that the challenges you’ve grown to deal with won’t be so familiar to the customers.
For instance, you would need to knock off a couple of hundred bucks for a trunk-release valve that often holds or a window that never goes all the way down.
If time is of the essence, you should decide that you’re only going to take cash deals, but know that you’re going to make less of a cash-only contract.
When you already know what you want to sell the car, and what other sellers selling similar cars can take, you’ll know when to hop on a good bargain. Do bargain as far as you can.
Read Also; Get Quick Cash: 30 Things to Sell to Make Money Fast
#6. Give a Detail Description of the Car
This is another vital hack you must implore if you want to sell your car on Craigslist. If you are not good at writing an excellent copy, get someone else to do that for you.
Before you list any vehicle on the platform, make sure you fully describe the car in a more precise and concise pattern. Generally, you’re trying to paint the picture that you are honest about the car.
You also need to include a phone number in your listing, even if you’re also providing an email contact. If the car has any damage, don’t forget to mention it, whether or not it’s visible. And if you have any maintenance records, specify them on the description.
Before you move to the next step, make you edit and proofread to ensure no spelling errors, grammar errors, or misinterpretation.
#7. Write a catchy Post Title and Ads.
Give your description of a catchy title that is very simple and informative at the same time. In the title, let the model year come first before the name of the car.
Once you are done with the title, craft your ad and post. In preparing your ad, consider what people are searching for and construct your ads in such a way that it will answer the questions professionally.
#8. Set-Up Test Drive Appointments
Take a look ahead of time when you should host those test drives. Usually, I gave each person about 45 minutes. If you write a calendar ahead of time, you’ll be more prepared when calls and emails start rolling in.
When assigning dates, make sure you include each person’s name and phone number (in case they’re late or they’re forgotten). Don’t keep people’s seats if you don’t think they’re severe. You can’t spend precious time-space on things you can’t get.
In conjunction, determine how you’re going to reach them in advance. You can fix a meeting with a buyer in either a park, church, or grocery store. Don’t meet someone at home to avoid the risk of any unpredictable and unexpected stuff arising.
#9. Make Sure to Re-post Your Ads.
Once you post your ad, you’ll start getting calls that first week. After two to three days, re-post your advertisement to get right on top because people don’t like crossing the first few pages of search results.
Note, if you don’t re-post, your ad will effectively become worthless after a few days, since no one will see it again. Finally, your price is too high if you’ve taken all these measures and have received no calls yet.
So, don’t hesitate to reconsider your price or rewrite your description when you re-submit your post.
Bottom line
Having seen the easy hacks listed above that can help you make sales on Craigslist, all you have to do is get started. Remember, if you apply all these steps, you may be able to sell your vehicle faster and for a higher price than you’d get at a dealership.
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