How Should I Describe My Car?
The first and most important rule in selling your car is that you should describe it accurately. If you fail to do so you could well lose your sale.
We recommend that you have an independent Vehicle Inspection
done. You can say in your description of the car that a copy
of the inspection is available, and can show them to the bidder who offers the price which is right for you.
We ask buyers to let us know if they think a car they have gone to see has been misdescribed. If they do we will ask you to provide us with a copy of an independent Visual Inspection, which can be made available to any other prospective buyers.
How
much are the fees to sell my car?
You will be assessed a fee of $15.00
to list a sale item and you can run your auction as many times
as you like for the $15.00. If you sell your listing or remove
the listing because you sold the item outside of the auction
or you just decide not to sell it you will be assessed a close
of auction fee of $35.00. The total cost of selling on
ispotdeals is $15.00 to list and $35.00 to sell or a total of
$50.00. Of course there are added feature you can ad to your
listing to get more exposure or to draw more attention to your
particular listing. See the listing fee schedule.
How
do I describe Color
of my Car?
This is one of the most difficult things to get right in describing your car, but it is important for buyers. Try and make sure
you give the manufacturer's name for the color, but also perhaps add your own description. Say whether or not the paint is metallic.
It is also important to try and be accurate in describing the interior
color and trim.
This is where submitting a good photo can really help. See
Taking a Photo
What Features Should I Mention In Describing My Car?
You need to be clear about whether the interior is leather (full or partial), cloth or any other material.
You should mention all features which are extras, and do not come as standard with the model. The important things are air conditioning, climate control,
power sunroof, anything to do with seats, wheels, power windows or mirrors, communications, security and music systems.
You should also state whether the car has a special body trim.
What About The Service History?
A full, main dealer service history helps sell a car. It means that the car has been serviced within the mileages and/or times specified by the manufacturer. Sometimes the service has been done by a specialist, and not a main dealer.
You should put in your description when the last service was done, and at what mileage. This shows the buyer whether a service is due, which they may want to take into account in their bid.
Buyer's may want to see evidence of the service history. You should photocopy the relevant pages from the service manual and be prepared to fax them on.
What Can I Say About The Condition?
You need to state whether there have been any accidents, what was repaired, who by and is it warranted. You should also state whether your car has been stolen and recovered, or whether it has been broken into, as this will often result in repairs to the interior, door panels etc.
You should say whether the body work has been painted in any way, had scratches or dents removed. Are there now any marks, bumps, dents, scratches, stone chips? Some of these may be due to normal wear and tear, but you should mention any excessive ones.
You should mention the state of the tires, particularly in sports cars, or if new ones have been put on recently. Has any mechanical work been done?
What If I Have Finance Outstanding?
You should talk to the Finance Company, get a settlement figure, and ask about the best way for this to be paid. A trade buyer should be able to arrange settlement direct with
the bank or finance company.
What Price Should I Ask?
There are guides available from N.A.D.A., Kelly Blue Book, or on other web-sites which give current values of cars. You can look at other advertisements, but they only show what people hope to get, and not what they are prepared to accept or may actually get.
You want to be able to attract bids, so set your opening price at a realistic level. The increments in which you want people to bid depend on the value of your car.
What Is A Reserve Price?
Your reserve price indicates the level you want bids to reach for you to sell the car. Your reserve is the lowest price you will accept for the car.
You may find however that you will have to subtract at least another few hundred
dollars to negotiate with over minor repairs and servicing. And, if even after three auctions the highest bid still does not meet your reserve, you ought seriously to consider negotiating a sale with the highest bidder.
Should I Give Contact Details With The Car's Description?
Trade sellers are geared up to having customers email them with queries about the cars they are selling, and will want to handle all the
contacts that result.
Private sellers will find that listing cars on the auction site frees them from handling multiple telephone calls all asking the same thing. You do not have to be in every evening to answer the telephone - you can even go away on holiday and leave the car to sell itself!
We do not list the personal contact details of our auction customers. Instead we
provide an automated email system for your customers to
request information about your listing. handle any inquiries about our customer's cars. You can answer queries at a time that suits you.
The auction process puts you in control of marketing your car.
Can I Withdraw My Car?
Yes, you can withdraw your car from the auction if you change your mind about selling it, or you sell it elsewhere. We
still do asses the close of auction fee of $35.00.
You should however consider that if you enter your car for an auction, it is a means of managing the marketing process. You can compare all the offers you receive in one place on your Member's Page.
.
Can A Bid Be Withdrawn?
Yes, a bid can be withdrawn. Buyers may change their minds, or find something else which suits them better. If the highest bid for your car is withdrawn we will inform you of the contact details of the next highest bidder.
Can I Check What Is Happening On My Auction?
You can check the bids for your car on your Members Page. Remember however, that you cannot manipulate these bids. If you are selling your car through our
auction services any bids obtained by ispotdeals will be identified with
an IP identifier.
What Do I Do When The Auction Closes?
Once the auction is closed you will know how many bids have been made for your car, and the highest bid. You can also see how much interest was generated.
If the bids meet your reserve price, you will be able to
contact the high bidder and provide him with your payment
details and how to complete the sale. The buyer should contact you within three days, and you should make arrangements for him/her to be able to view and collect the car. You should now expect to complete the sale of your car.
If the bidding did not meet you reserve price, we will still
have the contact details of the highest bidder. You can decide whether to contact the buyer and try and complete the sale of your car.
Is My Car Automatically Re-listed?
If the bidding does not meet your reserve you can re-list your car for a
another auction with no listing fees (you may re-list
your vehicle as many times as you like. You pay the listing
fee only once). If you do decide to sell the car during the auction, please let us know so that we can withdraw
it. You will then be assessed the close of auction fee of
$35.00
What Are Shipping Terms?
You and the buyer have to make arrangements for viewing and collecting the car. You should normally expect the buyer to travel and to pay his/her own expenses. This is something you may wish to
negotiate about. Ispotdeals has several shippers that we can recommend.
See shipping.
The buyer will wish to see the car in daylight, and you should make sure it is clean and presented properly. Go with the buyer on a test drive, but take all the normal precautions that apply when you are meeting a stranger for the first time.
How Do I Collect Payment?
Talk to the buyer about how you would like payment to be made, and make any necessary arrangements with your bank. It is usually best to ask for a banker's draft or electronic transfer, so that payment can be confirmed on the same day. In that way the buyer can view, pay for and take the car away in one visit. (Trade buyers from main dealerships may wish to pay with a company
check.)
Ispotdeals will provide a generic
bill of sale for you. B sure to check with your department of
motor vehicles to be sure the form is legal in your state. Go
to forms.
In the end you have to establish trust with the buyer, so that you can hand over the car when s/he has paid, and s/he can pay knowing you will hand over the car.
Do Buyers Make Comments?
Buyers may wish to make comments about how you have handled the sale of your car. We do
post these on the site for all to see. This will help if you
ever use our services again.
Should I Accept The Highest Bid?
Experience shows that unfortunately your car is unlikely to increase in value. In fact depreciation rates, even for prestige cars, are getting larger. There are however seasons in which the market is stronger for particular types of car.
You will have to weigh up whether to sell the car now at the best price you can get, or whether the continuing depreciation in its value is worth the extra use you will get if you keep it.
If you have firmly decided you are going to sell your car it is best to set yourself a deadline, and complete the sale in that period. (Dealers, with all the money they spend on marketing, usually give themselves 60 days.) An auction allows you to get a realistic view of buyers' interest. Once you know the best deal on offer, it pays to go ahead and complete the sale.
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