Some car owners might feel they lose money trading in a car at a dealership verses selling it independently. Not so says Performance Pre-owned Sales Director Dean Perella.
“These days trading in your car verses selling it on your own is a lot less hassle and a lot less liability,” he said. “If something goes wrong with the car they will come back to you. If they trade-in the vehicle the customer will come back to the dealership where they are going to hold them accountable.”
There are many things that go into determining the value of a trade-in and sometimes the seller can get top dollar for their vehicle.
“One of the things about getting a car evaluated at a dealership is when we already have a customer looking for that exact same car,” stated Perella. “When that happens we are able to give top dollar for the trade-in. It can be like finding a diamond in the rough.”
Dealerships consider the following points when determining how much money they will offer on a trade-in:
1. Year of the car: Typically newer vehicles are easier to sell than older ones. The newer the car the more attention it will receive from buyer.
2. Make and Model: Certain makes hold their value much better than others.
3. Condition: How well a car was maintained can carry a lot of weight when trading in a vehicle.
4. Mileage: Even if the vehicle’s condition is impeccable, an odometer reflecting high mileage may make a consumer less willing to purchase a car at a price acceptable to the dealership.
And Perella says it goes further than that.
“We look at the car color, interior, service records and determine if the car has ever been in an accident,” he said. “If you sell a car that has been in an accident that wasn’t reported to the insurance companies the person buying the car from an independent seller would never know that. But a dealership will be able to tell that by just looking and inspecting the vehicle.”
For an online trade appraisal: Free Trade Appraisal
Learn more about Market-Based Pricing: How Pre-Owned Vehicles are Priced.
Written by Leslie Weaver, Corporate Relationship Manager
Categories:
News