Selling a car

Here you don't have so much space for car information or pictures. Still, you reach a lot of interested people with it. Always write the three magic letters behind the price: VHB. This means a basis for negotiation and shows that you are quite willing to let us talk to you. Therefore you can set the price a little higher in advance. You should also consider which contact information you would like to provide. What's important Only use the number of a phone that you can turn off if you get too many calls (which can happen and be very annoying). An address should not be indicated and also not the full name. At the address given, there is always the danger of falling for fraudsters, who then suddenly stand in front of the door and can no longer be turned away.

The second option is to place a sales advertisement on the Internet. The same points apply as for printed advertisements in a newspaper or magazine. The two largest used car platforms are mobile.de and Autoscout24. But you can also advertise your vehicle on Ebay Kleinanzeigen. The advantage of the online platforms is that you have plenty of space for information about the vehicle and can add numerous pictures. In addition, you achieve the maximum reach online with your ad. One thing is important for the photos: For security reasons, cover the license plate or retouch it out.

There is another way to sell your car over the Internet, but it is not quite as well known. You can set the vehicle at an auction house. Here, too, of course, the important points that have to be observed in the printed sales advertisements posted on the Internet apply. But when it comes to the price, the question arises in an Internet auction: What is the minimum bid for the vehicle? Do I go on full risk and offer the car from one euro, with the danger of selling the car far below value? Or do I want to set a minimum sales price at which I can bid? When setting up a vehicle in an online auction, it is also important to take as many photos of the vehicle as possible, from all sides and if possible also from below.

Another option is to sell your vehicle to a dealer who either buys used vehicles or places them on his property on commission. The former is good if you want to turn your car into money quickly. However, you must also expect that your proceeds will probably be a little lower, because the dealer would also like to earn on the sale of the car.

The variant, sale on commission, is always a double-edged sword. Some second-hand car dealers actually commit themselves to selling the vehicle soon. Others are only interested in the space rental they receive for the vehicle and the longer it stays in their yard, the more money they get from you.

A third possibility is that you give your car in payment at a dealer. This means that the dealer will credit you the value of your car as a discount for a car purchased from him. Here, good deals can often be made for both sides. The dealer benefits from the car sale and you benefit from the discount and save the time you would otherwise have to invest in selling the car. So if you want to replace your old vehicle with a newer one this is a very practical way.

Even if the Internet has clearly made competition for this form of sales, there are still regular used car markets in many places. Here, private individuals and dealers can offer their cars for sale in large car parks, for example. Here you pay a stall fee for your car and then you can come into contact with many potential buyers on the spot. However, be prepared for intense price negotiations. This is similar to flea markets. It's not everyone's cup of tea. If that's not your thing, you probably drive better with the online ad on a used car exchange.

If the interested party would like to meet in a very remote place without traffic, e.g. on weekends in an industrial area, you should refuse immediately. Suggest instead a lively place with sufficient "public traffic". Here you have many potential witnesses, if anything should happen.

Always take a friend or family member with you. That gives security. Communicate this to interested parties in advance in order to deter possible fraudsters. And in the worst case, your companion can at least serve as a witness.

Drängt der vermeintliche Käufer, dass es nicht anders geht, weise ihn darauf hin, dass er nur bei Tageslicht einen guten Eindruck vom Auto bekäme.

Do not hand over the vehicle registration document BEFORE receiving the money and BEFORE the signature of the buyer under the purchase contract. If the interested party absolutely wants to have insight into the vehicle registration document, then you can show him a copy of it. Only hand over the vehicle registration document at the end when the purchase has been duly made.

Always conclude a written sales contract. Interested parties who reject a written purchase contract are in any case dubious. You can download a sample contract here.