Truck Topics
What's it Worth to You? How to Get the Most out of Selling Your Truck
Every now and again, the time comes when you have to sell your van
and/or truck. Sure, it's easy to list, and easy to find folks who are
interested, and generally speaking, it's easy to figure out your
vehicle's estimated worth. But what's its
real worth, meaning how much will someone pay you for it--and how do you maximize the cash you can get for your sale?
All
this goes beyond mere negotiation and/or listing "Or best offer" in
your listing. In order to get the most out of selling your vehicle,
you have to be prepared--as does the vehicle itself. Here's how to get
it done.
How Much to Charge?
The first thing you
should do is to do a little comparison shopping. Take a look around at as
many places you can think of (starting at ExpeditersOnline.com is a pretty
good idea, if we do say so ourselves) for folks selling the same make,
model, and year of the vehicle you're looking to sell. This will give you
a good idea as to where to "start the bidding," so to speak, and it'll
give you a good idea of what buyers might be willing to pay. Too, you
might check the various blue book websites out there to estimate the
current worth of your van or truck, and maybe set your listing price
somewhere in that neighborhood.
Your Ad Here.
The
next thing you'll likely do is write up your classified advertisement
or put together an online listing for the van or truck. The great
majority of information you'll want to have in the ad is painfully
obvious, such as year, make and model, as well as mileage as close to
exactly accurate as is possible. You'll also want to list any features
or extras that the van or truck has that you found to be helpful or
otherwise worthwhile during your ownership--there may be some selling
points here that potential buyers are looking for.
Perhaps more
important than any words you could write about the vehicle you're
selling is the photographs of the vehicle that you post. It's
absolutely vital to make sure that they're clear, well-taken photos
that are in focus and show every important part of the van or
truck--the dash, seats, engine, and in the case of a commercial
vehicle, the cargo areas. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes--when
you're looking at listings, you're more likely to look at listings that
have photos attached to them--and you're more likely to buy a vehicle
you've seen pictures of. Buying something sight unseen happens, but
it's rare and it's generally not recommended.
If there is
anything wrong with the vehicle, regardless of what it might be, you'll
want to disclose those issues. While they may admittedly affect the
value of the truck and therefore what you might be able to get for it,
honesty is the best policy and disclosing any current (and past)
problems with a vehicle could keep you from any possible liabilities
that might exist in selling it.
Clean That Truck!
Whether you're the type who keeps his truck clean or if you're
more like me, it's a good idea to give the vehicle you're selling a
good, deep clean. It'll impress your buyers and there's the
possibility you might be able to squeeze a few more bucks out of the
deal. If there are any dents you can repair yourself or if there are
any chips or scratches you can touch up on your own, you might consider
taking care of those before you give the truck a good wash and wax.
As
for the interior, make sure that the entire cab has been cleaned out,
as well as the cargo area. Give the cargo area a good wipedown and
consider getting a detailing job done; this will get the truck's interior
as close to new as is possible and will at a minimum ensure that your
buyer is getting their money's worth--which is likely to be a bit more
than you might otherwise have gotten.
Safety, Safety, Safety...
There's
a definite truth that safety figures into just about everything we do
in some way or another, and selling your vehicle is no different.
Because of that, here are some quick tips on what to watch out for with
respect to scams when you're trying to sell your van or truck:
Be
wary of folks from overseas interested in your vehicle. Often, they'll
offer to pay well above your asking price and then ask you to wire the
overage to someone else. What they're doing is sending money
fraudulently to your bank account, only to have you return money that
isn't really there back to them. You'll end up out a lot of cash,
potentially thousands of dollars.
Don't give the VIN
number or any of your personal information to any potential buyers
unless they absolutely have to have it. Truth be told, the most
they'll need is your phone number and address so that they can look at
your vehicle and/or pick it up.
Don't let someone take your van or truck unless you've been paid. It's simple advice, but it can go a long way.
Work
out how you're going to change the title and/or registration for the
vehicle ahead of time to make the transaction simpler.
If
someone wants to use an escrow company to help with the transaction, do
some research on the escrow company to make sure they're a legitimate,
reliable company.
So, you're selling your van or
truck. It's something you've probably done before, and done quite
successfully. Of all the things to remember, it's probably most
important to know that your potential buyers are likely doing the same
research that you've done--and this puts you on more or less an even
playing field. The best way to make sure that you're going to get the
maximum amount that you can for your truck or van is to make sure that
you're selling the best one you can.