When you want to sell a car, you can choose either a private party or go to a dealer. Generally, selling using a dealer takes a lot of pressure off the seller. The dealer will handle all the nuts and bolts of selling the car like paperwork. When it comes selling as a private sale, it will mean you and the buyer will take care of everything involved in the transaction. On the flip side, you may find it easier to negotiate the price you want with a private party. This is just the tip of the iceberg that you should expect when you are selling as a private party and a dealer car sale. The following are some of the pros and cons of each.
Dealer pros and cons
The following are some of the advantages of selling through a dealership:
- Selling a car through a dealer provides you with more legal protection than selling from a private party
- You have the option of trading in your car, instead of selling it, and getting a great deal on a newer model or a different make
- You may need to go to few dealerships to find the best one to sell your car
- Some dealerships will sell your car as a certified pre-owned vehicle
- Normally, cars from a used dealer have been inspected thoroughly and repaired if necessary
- Some dealerships will offer seller warranties on their cars
- Majority of dealerships offer financing options to the buyer
- Generally a dealer will be in charge of the paperwork associated with title transfer or ownership and registration
Cons
These are some of the cons of selling through a dealer instead of a private sale:
- It is easy to be distracted and lose sight of your big picture by being offered
- You are likely to deal with professional sales team who are pushy because they rely on sales commissions
- Sometimes the dealership may offer lower prices than private parties with having little room for negotiation being occasional