If you’re looking to sell your car for the best price and with minimal hassle, an online sale is absolutely the way to go. However, searches for “sell my car online” provide a dizzying number of results, and finding the right website for you can be overwhelming.
First, consider your car and your priorities when selling. Are you looking to trade-in with the same business you sell to? Are you willing to travel to conduct part of your sale in person? What condition is your vehicle in?
With the answers to these questions in mind, check out the following guide of some of the top car buyers online and find the right fit for you.
CarMax
CarMax is one of the more well-known online auto dealers, having been established as a brick and mortar business back in 1993. CarMax emphasizes the safety of the vehicles it sells, providing a vehicle history for each car and only selling vehicles with no accident history whatsoever. That said, CarMax will buy cars in just about any condition, including vehicles with salvage titles.
As with any dealership which owns the stock it buys, it’s important to remember that cars in poor condition will be sold at auction and provide little in the way of profit to the dealership. For that reason, the offers you receive from businesses hoping to resell your vehicle will tend to skew lower than fair market value, particularly if your car is damaged in any way.
Although CarMax has broadened its online tools as time has gone on, their commitment to their in-person locations hasn’t faltered. When selling with CarMax, you can typically expect to bring your car into a physical location for a free appraisal. If your car isn’t running and needs to be towed there, that’s an expense you should consider. Once you’ve received your appraisal, your offer will be good for a week.
AutoNation
Another big name in the used car business, AutoNation shares a similar history to CarMax, having opened in 1996 with a physical location. While getting your appraisal from AutoNation works a bit differently, the companies share similar advantages and disadvantages when it comes to selling with them.
First, you receive your appraisal online using your license plate number or Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and your answers to questions regarding your vehicle’s history and condition. The window given to receive your appraisal is about half an hour. AutoNation gives you one week or 500 additional miles on your car to accept your appraisal, giving you time to pursue other quotes if you’d like.
To complete your sale, you’ll still typically need to bring your car into an AutoNation location for an inspection to confirm the answers you gave during your appraisal questionnaire. At this time you’ll also receive your payment.
This post-appraisal inspection does open up the possibility of your payment amount being lower than the amount you were quoted should the information you provide be inaccurate. Once again, the cost of towing your vehicle to the location if necessary is also a factor to consider.
Carvana
Established in 2012, Carvana is one of the biggest names in the online auto industry today. Though Carvana is also a used dealership and operates similarly when buying and selling vehicles to CarMax and AutoNation, at no point are you required to leave your home for a Carvana transaction.
Carvana’s model is built around convenience. They claim quotes are available in a matter of seconds and offer those trading in their vehicles the ability to have their old car picked up, and their new car dropped off on the same day.
While Carvana will buy cars in most conditions, including salvage and rebuilt titles, they only accept cars that are currently running and functional. At the time of pickup, a Carvana representative will give your car a test drive. If your car doesn’t run, selling with Carvana isn’t an option.
CarWorth
One of the biggest benefits to selling online is that you’re avoiding the downsides of selling with a dealership. So why sell to an online dealership that’s going to devalue your vehicle the same way the used car lot down the road would?
You should always sell your car to the buyer that knows and offers exactly what it’s worth. Getting every cent out of the vehicle you own now ensures you have the most money possible to put toward a newer, safer model.
Many websites also refuse to buy cars that don’t run, or force you to take on extra expenses to get your damaged car sold. Cars that don’t run are far from valueless, and you deserve the fair market value of your car even if it hasn’t moved a mile in years. That’s what CarWorth is for.
Get An Offer For Your Non-Running Car With CarWorth
CarWorth isn’t an online dealership. Instead, CarWorth specializes in purchasing less-than-perfect vehicles. Car-Worth works by matching you with salvage buyers in your area, making it the most environmentally friendly way to get rid of your vehicle that no longer works.
This also means CarWorth always provides you with a fair price for your car. With appraisals focused on the value of your car as material rather than as something to be immediately resold, you can trust that CarWorth knows just what your car is worth!
To get a free, guaranteed quote from CarWorth, simply enter your VIN and upload photos of your car. You’ll get an appraisal in just 90 seconds, and that offer will stay good for seven days. Once you’ve accepted your quote, your vehicle can be picked up for free in as little as 24-48 hours! Sell your less-than-perfect car with the experts at Car-Worth today.
Which Website Is Best For Selling Cars?
The best website to sell a car depends on your goals and the condition of your vehicle. If your vehicle is in good shape, you might want to sell to a traditional car dealership website.
However, if your vehicle is damaged, it may make more sense to turn to a buyer like CarWorth, CarBrain or DamagedCars. These websites specialize in making offers for cars with damage, so their quotes more accurately reflect a damaged car’s worth.
Where Can I Post My Car For Sale For Free?
You can post your car for sale for free through CarWorth. It costs nothing to obtain an offer or to request offers from buyers in your area. You can also post your car for free on websites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, which allow you to negotiate directly with potential, individual buyers.
Where Can I Sell My Car For The Most Money?
It typically depends on the condition of your vehicle. If you are attempting to maximize profits for your car with problems, CarWorth can help you get a fair market price for your car with free towing and title transfer.
It’s a Quick and Easy Process
Tell us About Your Vehicle
Answer a few quick questions and provide a picture if you can.
Offer
In less than two minutes, you’ll have a guaranteed offer.
Get Your Offer
In less than two minutes, you’ll have a guaranteed offer.
Get Paid
Within 24-48 hours, we will tow your car for FREE and pay you on the spot!