How to Sell a Car at a Dealership

If you’re wondering how to sell your car at a dealership, then you’re in luck because our finance department is here to show you the ropes. By selling your car to a dealership, you cut out a lot of the stress involved in selling to a third party, such as listing your car near Ooltewah, scheduling test drives, and making sure paperwork is being handled. At Mtn. View Chevrolet, once you get an offer from our finance department, you can use that amount to save on your new purchase, or you can take the offer home as cash in pocket without worry! However you intend on selling your car, learning how to sell a car at a dealership can save you time and money. Read on to get an idea of what to expect, and then if you have any questions, you can contact us at any point! 

How Does Selling Your Car to a Dealership Work? 

You’ll notice that learning how to sell a car at a dealership is a pretty simple process, but there are a couple things you can do to prepare before stopping into a Dalton-area dealership:

• Clean Up Your Car: By washing your car, having it detailed, and replacing small parts like windshield wipers or floor mats, you can increase the value of your vehicle and make it more presentable for the dealership.
• Write Down the Benefits Of Your Car: Highlight what you’ve done to take care of your vehicle. Be sure to include a detailed maintenance record, along with any additional features and accessories found on the vehicle like extra key fobs or bike mounts.
• Have Your Car’s Title on Hand: Be sure to have your vehicle’s title ready, so if you’re ready to sell, the dealer can get you an offer faster.
• Research Your Car’s Value: To help you negotiate and find the estimated value of your model, use tools from Cars.com, Kelley Blue Book, or our trade-in value tool. It gives you an idea of what the dealer is willing to buy your car for, and allows you to use any information you’ve found for your benefit.
• Pick Your Dealership Wisely: Consider the overall condition of your car. Newer and gently used models will have a good chance of being purchased by a dealership, regardless of their inventory or the car’s initial condition. However, if you have an older vehicle, it might be a better idea to sell to a used-car-only dealership instead.

What to Expect When Selling to a Dealership

Now that you’re prepared, here’s how selling your car to a dealership works:

• Make an Appointment: Dealerships around Athens are happy to accept walk-ins, but when you make an appointment, the dealer can prepare the necessary paperwork, and have you back on the road faster. 
• Used Car Manager: From there, you’ll be directed to the Used Car Manager or a salesperson to handle the sale where they’ll collect your information and run a vehicle history report.
• Inspection: A thorough inspection of the interior and exterior mechanical condition will be handled by the Used Car Manager or their service center.
• Consider the Offer: You’ll be given an offer, and from there, you can decide whether to accept it or you can go to another dealership to see if there’s a better offer. 

Why Sell Your Car with a Dealership? 

When you learn how to sell a car at a dealership rather than a private sale, there are a couple benefits you can take advantage of:

• Save Time & Avoid Hassles: With a private sale, you have to worry about listing your car online, finding buyers, scheduling test drives at your home—the list goes on. By selling at a dealership, you have a reliable and painless process. 
• Lower Your New Car Price: Selling to a dealership means you can easily apply the value of your vehicle towards the purchase of a new car. This means that you can offset the price of your new Chevrolet or even significantly lower your monthly payments. 
• Save on Your Taxes: Another advantage is you can save on your taxes when trading in a vehicle. You’ll only pay sales tax on the difference between the trade-in value and the cost of your new car. 

Let Us Help You Today at Mtn. View Chevrolet

Whether you’re just selling your car to a dealership for cash in hand, or you’re looking to trade-in for a new model, we’re ready to help you today. We make the car buying process easy, so you don’t have to worry.