How to Sell a Car on Craigslist

  • 1-4 hours
  • Beginner
What You'll Need
Car
Internet
Cellphone
Car Title
Camera
What You'll Need
Car
Internet
Cellphone
Car Title
Camera

Craigslist can be a great resource to sell a car with its wide range of options for the owner, such as putting in the correct details and the specific amount of money you want to sell it for. This will make it so you will not have to work with a dealership that will add on extra fees. You can easily follow these few steps and sell your vehicle on Craigslist.

Step 1: Amount Estimate

Use the Kelly Blue book or car estimate sites to find an estimate that will help you determine the price you want for you car. Research your local newspaper and other online sites on the same type of car you have to get a rough estimate of what your car should be selling for. Increase the car 10% more than your original price and you will have a chance to negotiate with a buyer but have a longer waiting time. Lower the price around 5% and your car will sell quicker with less negotiations.

Step 2: Pictures of Car

Clean your car to get better looking pictures that you will be able to post online. Take picture of the front and back of the car as well as angle shots and the interior. Also take a picture of the odometer as this can be a very good way to show to a potential buyer your car's mileage. If there is any damage, like a rip in a seat, then make sure to include those as well, so the buyer knows what they are going to be purchasing when they come to see the car. Blur out the license plate number and any other detail that you do not want shown before you post the pictures.

Step 3: Description Detail

Write down all of the usual detaila of your car such as the make, mileage and color as well as any other details that you would want to include in the ad. If there is any damage on your car, make sure to write it down and to include a description of the damage in the final post on the Craigslist site.

Step 4: Add Car on Craigslist

Go to the Craigslist website using your favorite browser. By selecting your State and the city, the site will take you to your correct location on the website. Select cars and trucks under the heading of "for sale". Click on the word "post" on the top right corner to bring you to a new category in which you choose "cars and trucks by owner".

You will need to pick a title for your post. The title should include the year and make of the car. The price should be the amount you decided to use from your estimate depending on how fast or how much money you want to make. Add in your email and description of the car along with the pictures you took then click "continue" to sell your car on Craigslist.

Step 5: No Scams

Make sure when you add your car to Cragislist that you fill out the information correctly. There are scammers out there who want to take your money and car, leaving you with nothing. Make sure you will not accept any checks or mailed money or shipping to any place, because this can be a scam. Your best option is to only allow cash in person without shipping the car anywhere. The buyer must pick up the car for themselves to protect your security of a possible scam from happening.