Why Sell to a Dealership

Once the time comes to sell your car, knowing the right way to get it off of your hands can mean the difference between a sale experience that’s fast, safe, and fair to one that puts you at risk of fraud or possible setbacks. For most car owners looking to part ways with their vehicle, dealerships offer the safest, most reliable, and most cost-effective way to sell.

Sell With Confidence to a Trustworthy Dealer

Selling your car directly to a car dealership like Team Toyota offers unique opportunities that will benefit you. One of the benefits of selling your car to a dealership is that there’s less hassle involved when selling to a dealership. When you sell your vehicle to a dealership, they will handle all of the necessary paperwork on your behalf, unlike in a private party sale where you expect to handle the paperwork yourself.

The Selling Process is Easy

1. No Waiting - This is a big one. With how quickly inventory has been moving. If your next car purchase is contingent on selling your current vehicle you may not have the time to wait on that perfect buyer to offer you the best price.

2. Less Back and Forth - Dealing with buyers can be difficult. Just like how you are trying to make more money selling privately, the buyer is trying to save money buying privately. Therefore, be prepared to negotiate. Nearly every single person that comes to you will be trying to talk you down in price.

3. Trade-In Tax Credits - Did you know you can get a tax deduction on your next purchase by selling through a dealership? This alone can make up for the lost profits of selling to the dealership. It works like this; if you’re buying a $20,000 car and trade in your used vehicle for $8,000 dollars, you will only be taxed for the $12,000 difference on the new vehicle purchase. By not selling to a dealership, you risk this deduction and generally make it more complicated.

4. Paperwork is Done for You - When transferring ownership of a vehicle, the paperwork can be a nightmare. You have to deal with the title, registration, any sort of lean on the vehicle, etc. At a dealership, they have the resources to take care of all this, quickly and easily for you.

5. Less Risk at a Dealership - Selling a vehicle is a big transaction to handle without standard business resources. There’s a larger risk for fraud, and if you are subject to fraud, it’s harder to remedy yourself as a private seller. It is especially difficult without any type of seller’s insurance. On top of this, you have the added risk of exposing yourself to more strangers. If selling privately, be sure you show your vehicle and make the sale in a highly-populated and well-lit location, like a dealership!

6. Save Time and Energy - Are you a used-car marketing pro? If not, you will need to learn how to list your vehicle and sell your car by putting in all the hours to do so. It’s a lot, especially if you live in a location with a competitive market and you’re trying to get the best price possible. On top of all this, you have the added time of scheduling appointments, showing your vehicle, and allowing people to test drive it. Selling your vehicle privately can be a headache, to say the least. So consider, how much is your time worth to you?

7. Additional Legal Protection - If you sell your vehicle, and it breaks down after the sale, you could be held liable for this. When you sell it to a dealership, generally you’re protected from any sort of legal action after the sale happens. Ensuring when you’re done with the deal, you’re actually done with the deal.

Pro Tips

Many dealerships do not purchase cars that do not run or come with a blown engine. So, if that is the case, you might have to find a different route. The reason is these dealerships do not have a market to resell these cars.

When you sell your car, do not cancel your insurance until the car title is transferred. You're still legally responsible for the car if it's in your name. Learn more about insurance when selling a car.

If you're selling a car with an active loan, you're still the one responsible for paying it off, so the remaining balance on the loan will likely be subtracted from the price the dealer offers you. If you owe more than what the dealer offers, you'll need to pay the difference to the lienholder.

EXAMPLE: If you owe $5,000 on your loan and the dealer offers you $6,000 to buy the car, the dealer will pay $5,000 directly to your lender, and you'll get a check for the remaining $1,000. On the other hand, if you still owe $5,000 and the dealer offers you $4,000, you'll need to pay the remaining $1,000 to the lienholder.

Make Team Toyota Your Selling and Buying Destination

At Team Toyota, we offer a safe and reliable way of selling your cars, trucks, and SUVs without the hassle of the back and forth of a private party. For individuals who may be interested in buying, we offer a wide selection of new, used and certified pre-owned vehicles for sale at fair prices.

As well as that, we have a reputable service center that’s highly recommended as far as auto repairs and maintenance are concerned. Whether you’re selling a vehicle, in need of maintenance, or a potential buyer, there’s room for us to work together for mutually beneficial outcomes.

You may book a service appointment online or visit us today at Team Toyota for a test drive or a trade-in! We can't wait to assist you!