Most Popular Sites to Buy and Sell Used Cars
There are lots of places online to list a car for sale, and so finding the best-used car website can be tricky.
While you can dump your nightmare lemon on eBay and get an ok price selling your 911 Porsche on Craigslist, easy isn’t necessarily the best for your wallet and consumer protection.
Here are some popular used car websites for sellers and buyers.
1. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is booming and to some people, it has replaced sites like Craigslist. If you already have a Facebook account, you’re halfway to posting your vehicle.
Listings are free and you can review potential buyers’ Facebook profiles before connecting.
Think Facebook is just for teenagers talking about coffee and beaches? Think again:
Facebook Statistics
- Over 2.1 billion Users
- 69% of Americans use Facebook.
- 42% of American teens use Facebook.
- 37% of U.S. adults get their news from Facebook.
- 73% of U.S. adults visit Facebook every day.
- 98% of Facebook users access the app on mobile.
The marketplace is a little chaotic but filled with interesting deals and unique items.
2. cars.com
This site has a huge inventory and syndicates widely on sites such as Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com, and NewCars.com as well as Cars.com affiliates. They also offer sellers the option of selling your car fast to a dealer.
The site’s huge inventory is an obvious pro for buyers but can be a drawback for sellers because it is hard to get noticed.
3. AutoTrader
Before the internet, AutroTrader was a must buy at the local magazine stand.
AutoTrader now has advanced search tools that make it easy to find very specific models and options. Some listing packages come with a money-back guarantee (no sale, no charge) and listings are syndicated on Kelley Blue Book.
They also have options to sell quickly to dealers.
4. eBay Motors
Setting up listings is simple and according to eBay, most cars and trucks sell fairly fast. The biggest downside is a buyer can back out for any reason at any time.
The other drawback is while it sounds simple, you will be asked endless questions about your listing from potential buyers. To avoid that, try and be upfront with as many details as you can.
Check out the super long eBay Motors listing fee page.
5. CarGurus
CarGurus has free listings, though you will be charged $99 regardless of the purchase price. There are 20 million buyers, and they love to see the unique good, fair or below average deal indicator.
6. TrueCar
TrueCar’s analyzes timely and comprehensive pricing information from dealers and then publishes it in an easy-to-understand format. Buyers can use that data to approach TrueCar Certified Dealers with confidence.
TrueCar has a resource for sellers looking to sell vehicles quickly as well. You can get an offer right on the TrueCar website which you can cash out at a Certified Dealer.
7. Craigslist
Selling your car or truck may take longer because selling locally is a smaller audience. But who hasn’t heard of Craigslist right?
While you often get some lowball offers or flakes this site has a massive audience and a simple process.
A $5 listing fee helps weed out scammers and spammers, which are all too common. Shady car dealers also sneak listings into the “owner” section, making finding what you want more difficult. This fee – it used to be free – is part of what is helping Facebook marketplace boom.
Craigslist Car Listing Fees:
All Craigslist postings are free, except for:
- Job postings in US and selected CA areas—$10-75 (fee varies by area)
- Apartment rentals in Boston, Chicago, and NYC areas—$5
- Commercial real estate in the US—$5
- All for sale by-dealer categories in the US—$3-5
- Cars/trucks by-dealer in the US, Vancouver BC—$5
- Furniture by-dealer in Vancouver BC—$3
- Cars/trucks, RVs, and motorcycles by-owner in the US—$5
- Gigs in US and selected CA areas—$3-10
- Services in US and CA—$5
- Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted.
Paid posting accounts provide high-volume posters with additional payment options in some cases.
Questions? Please email billing@craigslist.org.
8. Carvana
On Carvana, buyers also have the option to get cars in one of their car vending machines. Sellers like Carvana, because the process is fast and easy, and they’ll come with a truck to hand you a check and take your vehicle.
Check out how Carvana vending machines work!
Embed this: https://youtu.be/PkuBX6dOOGg
9. Vroom
Similar to Carvana, Vroom sells cars right on its website and delivers the cars it sells anywhere in the U.S. It also provides offers for your car or truck in 30 minutes or less. If you accept that offer, they’ll come to pick up your vehicle and pay via a direct deposit.
10. CarMax
CarMax gives you a real offer, in writing, for your vehicle online. You do have to go to one of their stores for an in-person appraisal of your vehicle. You’ll probably get less for your ride than you would if you sold it to a person, but you will leave CarMax with a check in hand.
One of the coolest things about CarMax is when you want to check out vehicle and not have to talk to a dealer, you can just go jump in a bunch of cars and get a quick feel for what you want. Seeing a car in person and from the inside can instantly help you in the complex process of buying a car.
Conclusion
Car buying and selling is much easier than in the past. The world is full of cars at your fingertips, if you open your mind to additional ways of buying, selling and shipping.
Car Transport After an Online Sale
Long-distance car buying is more popular than ever, especially now that having the car you bought online shipped is so easy.
Our car shipping advisors are available to answer all your questions as you get closer to your purchase.
Ready to have your new car delivered? Contact us today for a free car shipping quote.
