Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and sell

Alternatives to selling my car

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:58:29 -0800

SuperDumbIdeaFilter: Alternatives to selling my car... like leasing it? I'm moving to an urban area and will not be needing my car in the foreseeable future (save the occasional use that a car-sharing service would make sense for). I will be a bit poor during the transition period, which just underscores the fact that it does not make economic sense to keep my car: car payments + insurance + maintenance + gas + parking = ditch it!

Problems with this plan: I love my car. I don't want to get rid of it. I want to use it occasionally, at least down the road. In I'll be much more willing and able to afford the costs associated with it.

Is it really, really dumb to consider anything other than 'sell it'? I know just letting the car sit in a lot/driveway rotting and uninsured is a bad idea. A family member does need a car long-term temporarily (i.e. the mirror of when I need to not have a car). Could I lease it to them? Is that legally feasible (reasonably feasible, not just possible)? Is it a really horrible idea? Most likely they would pay less than I owe monthly, but I'm not averse to paying some of the monthly payment if I don't have to pay for all the rest of the associated costs (and eventually get the car back and paid off).

How ridiculously bad of an idea is all this?

(Please: no "don't mix family and money" -- I'm not ignoring that, but that's not what I'm asking about.)

email: cantbeartopartwithmysubaru@gmail.com

How to buy a car from a person

exceptinsects — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:26:59 -0800

I am looking to buy a used car for cash from a local (CA) private party, not a dealer. What do I need to know? I am mainly looking on Craigslist, but other suggestions are welcome. I'm looking for a Toyota Echo, if it matters.

So...what should I look out for in terms of scams? (I am already aware of things like shipping cars from far away, etc.) I will of course get it checked by a mechanic but what else should I be aware of?

How should I actually pay for it? Certified check? Giant wad of cash? Goats? I'm expecting it to be in the $5k range.

I am also going to be selling my old car, which is a 1997 Corolla in "fair" condition. Is it better to try to sell it myself, or should I go to Carmax? If I do sell it myself, how should I ask for payment?

To Keep the Jeep or Dump the Jeep?

ElmerFishpaw — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:35:33 -0800

Moving to the UK. What to do with my car? Sell? Store? Roadtrip across the Atlantic? I will be in London for at least a year. Maybe longer. If I decide to keep it, I'm not entirely sure about how to store it. Parents were and option at one point but not any longer. Paying a storage facility cant be cheap. 2006 Jeep Wrangler. Bought new for $22k. 40k miles. I love it. The Kelly Blue Book is $12,000 which I'm feeling would be hard to get. Buying a new car and selling it 3 years later is generally a bad idea financially, I know. But gas prices are on their way back up and a couple years from now it might be harder to sell than now. I dont want to come back in 12 months and have to hunt for another car. But there is a chance that I will be gone for several years. Leaving for UK in 3 months. Keep? Sell?

How do I sell a car that's financed?

twiggy32 — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:20:48 -0800

How do you sell a car when you owe the car company money? I am moving and I need to sell my car. I owe more money than it is worth, but I am able to make the difference up. But what is the procedure when both parties need to pay the car company before the title gets released?

Worth the trouble to try to sell my car piecemeal?

Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:32:54 -0800

[Posted for a friend:] I posted this a while back. Today I was talking with someone about the car, and he offered me $400 for it. He's coming back by on Monday. Quick recap: it's a high mileage 97 Hyundai Sonata with a busted transmission. I could try to sell the car piecemeal and might end up getting more money if I did it that way (everything but the transmission is mechanically sound, the tires are new-ish, the radio is new, etc.), but who knows how long that would take. I'm thinking that it's not worth the hassle but I don't know for sure. I'd appreciate some additional perspective.

How can I sell my (uninsured, unregistered) car with minimum work/hassle?

Perplexity — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:41:58 -0800

How can I sell my (uninsured, unregistered) car with minimum work/hassle? It's a 2003 Rav4 with about 33k miles. Blue book is something like $8k.

It's been sitting unused in a downtown Boston parking lot for several weeks now. The insurance has expired, and the registration has been revoked for this reason. I want to sell it with minimal hassle/effort.

I don't want to deal with having numerous random people come check it out / test drive it / etc. I'd rather not have to reinsure / reregister it.

I recognize that I'll receive substantially less money doing it this way.

What should I do?

Thanks!

How do I sell my car?

imposster — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:42:00 -0800

Where can I find information about how to sell my car? (Ohio) I've never sold a car before and I'm unsure of all the steps I need to take (and in what order to take them). The BMV website doesn't provide much guidance (unless I'm missing some sort of obvious page that explains it all). When do I sign over the title? What do I do with the plates? When do I notarize the mileage? What steps am I leaving out?

First-time car seller looking for best way to sell a car in NYC

dcjd — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:55:45 -0800

First-time car seller looking for best way to sell a car in NYC? I moved to Manhattan a few months ago, and I brought my car with me. I hardly ever use it now, and its costing me a lot of money and aggravation. I'm thinking that it might be time to get rid of it, however, I've never sold a car before.

What's the best method to get rid of my car and not get ripped off? Should I have the car inspected before listing it, or is that something the buyer would want to do themselves? I'd like to be safe, as I'm sure there are plenty of people on craigslist who might try to scam me out of my vehicle. The car is registered in NY, gets decent gas mileage, and I have the title to it.

Sell a classic sportscar with a brand new Ebay seller account?

JustDerek — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:22:15 -0800

Selling classic car Filter: Can a seller with no history/feedback/seller rating realistically sell a 1978 De Tomaso Longchamp for $25K on Ebay? My boss, a wealthy executive and occasional classic sportscar collector, is having me list his 1978 De Tomaso Longchamp on Ebay. He bought it about a year ago at an auction for around $25K. His wife got as far as setting up a seller account on Ebay, getting 12 good pictures of the car, (all angles, interior, odometer, engine, etc) before turning the task of listing it over to me. She also told me what reserve price to set.

My question is, are they wasting their time? Are they way more likely to make a little profit on the car by selling it on a different site, or by listing it in some other way offline?

Repair Car Before Selling?

mto — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:15:53 -0800

I am looking to sell my 2003 Toyota Echo. It's in great condition except the rear bumper. I am wondering if I should have the bumper repaired before selling it. The lowest estimate I got for getting the bumper fixed was $480 (insurance won't cover it). I'm looking to sell the car for between $9000 and $9500, which is what I see cars of my type selling for online and in ads.

So, should I get this repair done? It basically comes down to whether or not I think I can get my money back in the sale. However, I've never sold a car before so I'm not sure how to make that judgement. Some people have told me to sell the car at a higher price and let the bumper be a negotiating point in letting them "talk me down" on my inflated price. However, that sounds sketchy.

Some extra detail: I will be selling the car myself, but I still have a loan on it. The loan amount is much less than what I know I'll get for the car, even without the repairs. So that is not a concern for me. Also, I live in San Francisco, if that makes a difference at all.

Should I keep or sell my 1995 Mercedes C280?

SeizeTheDay — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 08:11:02 -0800

What should I do with my 1995 Mercedes C280? I inherited the car from my dad. This was his office commuter car that he used before he passed away. So I have some sentimental attachment to the car. But it has 160,000 miles on it and is costing, on average, 2000-2500/year to maintain. (I can afford to maintain it, but I'm not sure if it's worth it) The body, paint, engine, tranny, everything is mint. The car was garage kept its entire life and still looks damn good. But I'm going back and forth about whether I should sell it or maintain it. I love the car. It's smooth, quiet, comfortable, and elegant. But I'm young and want a two-seat roadster.

Is it responsible to keep the car and maintain it or should I sell? If I should sell, what price should I get? Is it worth selling at all? What needs to break on the car (besides the engine) that is an indication that I need to sell? Help me!

Selling A Tercel with an engine light that won't turn off

toddst — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 09:46:30 -0800

I am about to sell a 1996 Toyota Tercel that has seen better cosmetic days. It runs fine, has a pretty new exhaust, and a new thermostat. However, the engine light is on. I got an inspection at a Toyota dealer and the read out states that there is nothing wrong with it, but the light will not turn off. To my knowledge, there is nothing wrong with the car. I do not want to put any more money into it and I want to sell it as soon as possible. Does anyone have any ideas on how (or where) I might be able to get a good price for it since the fact that the engine light is on will surely take a few hundred off a car that already is not worth much? (I am in Boston if that helps...)

I am selling a car with a loan on it, but how do I complete the sale with the buyer if I am "upside-down" on the loan? (search used already!)

skyguy14 — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 09:06:33 -0800

I am selling a car with a loan on it, but how do I complete the sale with the buyer if I am "upside-down" on the loan? (search used already!) As I read via searching here, in a transaction where there is a loan on the car, the buyer make the check out to the bank and they send him the title. However, if I am upside down on the loan (owing more than the value/sale price), do I also send the difference of the selling price vs. the payoff to the bank? Will the bank rectify this and allow 2 payments to clear the loan and transfer the title? Sounds like they would. I tried to contact them but gave up after 25 minutes listening to music, and I want to get the ad going!

Help me sell/get rid of my falling-apart 1978 Cadillac DeVille.

chota — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 12:53:38 -0800

I have a 1978 Cadillac DeVille sitting in my driveway. It needs a new starter and rear main seal (so they say). I don't really want it, but want to get rid of it for the most money possible. What should I do? The car was from my grandpa, who was its only owner. He died, and I inheirited it, and drove it from Virginia to Arkansas last November.

I don't like driving it, as it's super huge, and older than I am.

Also, I'm in the market for a new car, as I have no transportation, and take the bus to work. But having no car at 22 puts a stranglehold on my personal life.

Advice needed from those w/experience selling an antique car online.

drakepool — Mon, 23 May 2005 08:53:12 -0800

I need suggestions for a site to list my neighbor's antique car. He's a nice old fellow and I want to help. My 70 year-old neighbor and his wife are online. However, neither they nor I have done online selling.
He has a 1920-something Ford in nice condition that he wants to sell. I've got a friend w/ a Nikon D-7 lined-up . However, I'm afraid of steering my neighbors wrong on the choice of site/sites to post their car for sale. Please share your experiences, and thank you.

How to sell a non-moving car?

defcom1 — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 11:50:46 -0800

How to sell a non-moving car? [MI]