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Find the best websites to sell your car in the UK.
The internet has made selling your car super easy. With there now being multiple websites and platforms to help you get in contact with potential buyers, selling an old car is a much more hassle-free process.
With that said, selling a car over the internet can still be a bit risky, and there are plenty of domains that aren’t legitimate or don’t offer you the best service. If you’re looking to sell your car, you want to make sure you’re using a platform that’s easy to use, safe, and offers you the best prices possible.
Here’s a look at some of the best websites and places you can use to sell your car. Many of them will have their own unique quirks that make them different options from each other. As a result, it’s impossible to say which is the best, as each website will suit different needs.
For example, a website such as WeBuyAnyCar that buy vehicles from you directly will be much quicker than using a website that allows you to create ads to put you in contact with active buyers. This works great for people who want to shift their car quickly but may not be the best option if you want the best price.
You’ll have to consider different factors that make a car-selling website good and prioritise different factors that are more important for you. Car Adviser has put together a list of the top websites to sell a car, detailing their benefits and negatives so that you can choose a website that best suits you.
At Car Adviser, we think a few factors make a car selling website worth using. These factors have been used to help find the best websites you should use. When searching for places to sell a car yourself, make sure that they meet the following factors to ensure that you have an excellent car selling experience online.
One of the most important things you need to look for in a car selling website is how safe it is to use. A car is a high-value item most of the time, so you want to ensure that the site you’re using is secure and has measures in place to minimise the risk of dodgy buyers.
Plus, if you’re using a website that requires you to create an account and store personal information on it, you’ll want to check that it has the right kind of data security. Look for a padlock system on your browser’s search bar, as that indicates that the website is encrypted.
The websites reviewed in this article are all super safe and legitimate. However, be cautious that there may be imitation websites out there, so double-check that you’re in the right place before selling your car. Also, stay away from websites that allow buyers to pay with cash. This is typically a way for people to scam you out of your vehicle.
There are many online car-selling websites, and not all of them will offer you a fair price. The best websites value your car fairly and have measures in place to stop potential buyers from offering prices that are too low.
Of course, in terms of the money you can earn, you’ll find that websites allowing you to create ads for your car will typically allow you to sell your car for more than car buying services. With that said, the car buying services reviewed in this article still offer reasonable prices.
To ensure that you’re being offered the right price for your car, use multiple car valuation tools. Many of the best car-selling websites have their own tools that are reliable. As a rule of thumb, the more information you can input about your car when valuing it, the more likely that the price you’re offered for it will be accurate. It would be best if you were cautious of car selling websites that provide a valuation after only asking for your car’s age and model.
People use car selling websites because it’s meant to make the experience and lot easier for people. Keep this principle in mind when looking for the best website to sell your car. If a website looks too complicated to use and has too much going on, then it will probably not be right for you.
Instead, look for websites with a clear process that’s easy to follow and which guides you through it, explaining each step as you do it.
Car Adviser deems the following websites as the best places to sell your car online because they meet all these criteria while having other benefits and positive aspects. By using any of the following websites, you should be able to sell you car comfortably.
One of the most popular types of websites where you can sell a car is car buying services. These are where you enter details of your vehicle, such as the registration and mileage, get a quote, and then sell your car with the website directly.
This method of selling a car online is quick and easy and is perfect for those who want to avoid haggling and waiting around to find an individual buyer. Instead, these websites handle the awkward parts of selling a car, allowing you to access money for your car quickly.
Here are a few of the best car buying services you should consider:
Cazoo is an auto business that offers multiple services, including car subscriptions, finance options, and the ability to buy cars. In addition, Cazoo has expanded to allow people to sell cars directly with the company.
When you sell a car with Cazoo, you’re selling directly to them and not dealers, meaning that you will get quoted an instant price that won’t be haggled on. This removes some negotiation leverage but also makes things a lot easier and straightforward, allowing you to sell a car pretty quickly.
What’s nice about Cazoo is that when you get a quote for your car, you’ll have seven days to decide if you want to sell it for that price. It means that you have time to use other selling sites and methods to see if you can find a better deal.
Cazoo also has swift payment, as you can expect the money in your bank account within two hours of handover, which you can schedule for any day of the week. Because everything is organised with Cazoo directly, it’s a lot easier to organise a pick-up time.
Cazoo has a lot of great feedback in past reviews, with common praises including how the whole process was stress-free and very straightforward, which is something you want from the best car-selling websites.
The handover experience has also been praised, with the couriers said to be very patient, respectful and knowledgeable, which can make the experience a much better one for everyone.
There have been a few complaints that once Cazoo comes to collect your car, they may try to knock down the price, which is frustrating. This is because, in these cases, the car wasn’t in the same condition as it was described online. You’ll avoid problems like this if you’re honest and transparent when uploading information and images. That said, it’s worth noting that you should expect your car to be scrutinised before they pick it up and pay you.
There are also a few complaints against the customer service of Cazoo, with there being a pretty high wait time until your call is answered. This is something to be wary of, but with everything considered, Cazoo is a great place to sell your car and may be one of the best websites to do so online.
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Motorpoint is a longstanding business within the auto industry in the UK. Starting in the late 90s, Motorpoint has pivoted from a physical dealership to one that operates primarily online, allowing users to buy cars from anywhere in the country and sell their vehicles.
Motorpoint focuses on its car selling and finance offerings far more than its car buying service, and although it’s a periphery service, it’s still a good one and remains one of the best places to sell your car online.
Like many other car dealerships online, you do so directly with the brand when you sell your car with Motorpoint. Motorpoint is not a car ad website that allows multiple dealers to bid on your vehicle.
Instead, you’ll get a single quote that you can accept or decline. There’s not much scope for haggling or negotiating, which can make selling a car a bit easier for you, although it does make it harder to get the best price.
That said, Motorpoint’s prices for your car are reasonable and are determined by a few factors, such as your car’s age and the mileage on it.
To generate a quote with Motorpoint online, you must enter your car’s registration number and input how much mileage your car has.
When you enter your registration plate, Motorpoint can find the core details about your vehicle, such as its age, body type, manufacturer, and more, and then use that to figure out how much your car is worth.
The mileage of your vehicle will then alter that valuation, with a low mileage increasing how much your car is worth and a larger one reducing how much you’ll be offered.
It’s important to note that although Motorpoint only sells nearly new cars, they still accept cars of any age. To be able to sell your car, you need to have all the appropriate documentation, and the vehicle needs to be taxed and insured. Motorpoint will not buy a car that has been written off or consider purchasing a car that has been stolen or reported missing.
When you make a sale with Motorpoint, you can expect a swift payment, with money being in your bank account within 60 minutes for most people. There are no fees and no middlemen, allowing you to keep the majority of the profit that you make. Once your car is sold, Motorpoint will collect your vehicle from your property, although you also have the option to drive it to one of their many physical dealerships.
Motorpoint has a lot of great reviews, with their service being rated 4.7 stars on Trustpilot. When you use Motorpoint to sell your car, you can expect a smooth experience and a good price, taking the hassle out of selling a car online.
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WeBuyAnyCar may be the most recognisable car buying service in the UK, partially because of its catchy and memorable advertising campaign. However, despite that, it still remains one of the better options when looking to sell a car quickly and efficiently.
To sell a car on the website, you must enter your car’s registration and mileage to get an estimated valuation. After that, you can add additional details to help you get a more accurate price.
The unique selling point is that WeBuyAnyCar typically buys cars in various conditions. If your vehicle is too old to sell on other sites, you’ll likely still be able to sell the car with them. This is good news for people who are desperate to get rid of an old vehicle.
Unlike the previous two options, WeBuyAnyCar does not offer the service to pick your car up, even for a fee, so once you sell your vehicle, you’ll have to drive it to one of their nearest outlets. The company says you should be no more than 15 minutes away from any location, but they’re often much further than this, so you must check how far your nearest outlet is before confirming a sale.
Once at the outlet, your car will go under a final inspection to ensure that it’s in the same condition as advertised. Once complete, you’ll be offered a final price, which should be the same as what was offered online if no issues are found.
With that said, a common complaint against WeBuyAnyCar is that they tend to knock off significant amounts of the final price for what seem to be minor cosmetic issues. This is something to be wary of when selling with WeBuyAnyCar and is why it pays to accurately describe your car so that there are no last-minute surprises and reductions in price.
Plus, despite not offering a collection service, the website charges a transaction fee for selling a car with them, which ranges depending on the value of your car. If under £4,000, you’ll have to pay £50 and £75 if it’s over £5,000. In addition, payments from WeBuyAnyCar aren’t as quick as some other car buying services unless you pay extra for same-day payments. All these extra costs and lack of service make it one of the worst of the car buying services reviewed here. However, the website may make up for it with the prices that they offer.
People praise WeBuyAnyCar for being efficient once you’ve delivered your car to your local branch, and many also say they get a good price, which is a great bonus.
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Motorway is a car buying website that’s a unique mix of both traditional ad sites and car buying services. When you sell a car on Motorway, their network of dealers will compete and bid on your vehicle. This means that if multiple interested dealers want your car, you could get a pretty good price for it as they all compete to get your car.
Motorway has a network of over 5000+ dealers, meaning that there’s a big chance that you’ll be able to find a buyer easily and quickly on the site. To start, all you need to do is enter your registration and other additional details. After that, their system will provide a valuation that can be used as a guide price.
What makes Motorway great is that the dealers pay a fee to Motorway to buy your car. This means that there are no fees for you to pay at all, helping you maximise your car’s profit. There’s also free home collection, so you won’t have to pay anything when selling your vehicle.
One of the most common praises for Motorway that many past customers shout about is that the service is very fast and efficient. For example, many people say that they’ve been paid very quickly after a car was sold, with it often being transferred the same day.
In addition, many other people have also talked up the value of the service, as a few reviews have stated that they received more money through selling their car on Motorway than they would have directly with a trade-in. There’s also consistent praise for the customer service team, as people say they were helpful and guided many first-timer users through the process, keeping it simple and easy to use.
With all that said, there are a few drawbacks for Motorway, with them having a few complaints regarding vehicle pick-up. A few past customers had their pick-up date rearranged without notice, which isn’t ideal. Thankfully, this issue is very few and far between, and you’re likely to have a smooth pick-up experience.
There are also a few complaints about how things were handled once a buyer was found. As Motorway auctions off your car to multiple dealers to help you get the best price, once a buyer is agreed, it’s down to them to organise pick-up and payment. Sometimes this can take a long time or be disorganised because of the dealer. Motorway does what it can to facilitate a smooth a speedy transfer, but sometimes things are out of its control, so do have that in mind.
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In addition to being able to sell your cars instantly on car buying services, you can also go the traditional route and list your vehicle on ad websites. With these websites, you’ll make a listing for your car, disclosing information, images, and a guide price for potential buyers to browse.
Once on one of these sites, members of the general public can search through cars and contact the seller directly to start a dialogue on how to buy the car. Typically, selling a car on these sites can take a lot longer and be riskier as there’s less safeguarding against timewasters and scammers. However, there is potential to earn more when selling your car through this method, as you’re more likely to find a buyer who wants to drive the car instead of selling it on for profit.
Here’s a look at some of the most popular car ad websites to sell your car, with information to help you choose the best one for you:
Starting its life as a magazine from which people used to buy cars, kind of like an Argos shopping catalogue, AutoTrader is now an entirely online company from where you can sell cars.
AutoTrader is still extremely popular, especially for those looking for used cars. This is why it’s an excellent tool for those looking to sell a car, as it has a pretty big audience.
AutoTrader is strictly an advertising site, giving you the means to list your car and get it seen by potential buyers. The mechanics of the sale is down to you and the buyer to sort out once one has been found. With that said, AutoTrader does offer a lot of advice to ensure that you’re following the best practices when selling your car.
AutoTrader can be a bit expensive to use, especially if you want to use its top features. There are four different tiers you can use when selling a car. Their bottom level costs £37 and lets you run an ad for two weeks. If it’s not sold in that time, the listing will be removed. Their top ‘Ultimate’ tier costs £75 and keeps the car on the site until it’s sold.
If you don’t like the idea of selling your car this way, AutoTrader also has a car buying service similar to MotorWay and WeBuyAnyCar. Here you’ll be able to get a valuation and then sell your car instantly.
AutoTrader is well-trusted and will likely be the best place to list your car online. People praise it for its wide reach, helping you to find a buyer quicker, and it’s also said to be very easy to list a car on it, even if you’re a bit of a technophobe.
People have also said that listing on AutoTrader gets them offers a lot more quickly than listing on other sites.
There are a few complaints against the website, however. The main one is that this method of selling a car does put you at risk of encountering scammers and dodgy people, so it’s something that you’ll have to be mindful of.
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Gumtree is a great place to sell a car online. Working in a similar way that eBay does, what makes Gumtree great for those looking to sell a vehicle is that there are no fees for posting an advert on the site. This is great for those that want to get a listing out while maximising their potential profit. However, if you’re going to boost your advert with extra features, you’ll have to start paying for the pleasure.
Gumtree makes it easy to put an ad up, as it has a tool that gathers all the critical details of your car once you enter the registration. Gumtree will also provide tips to help you enhance your ad, such as how many pictures to add as well as what to include in the description.
Gumtree is also a well-liked site for people buying cars because all the cars listed on it are given a vehicle history check. This means that if a car passes this test, a note will appear next to the listing confirming that it’s not been scrapped, written off, or stolen. This makes people far more likely to trust your listing, which can help you find a buyer quicker.
The biggest issue against Gumtree is that the website does not offer any payment facilities. This means that the buyer and seller must arrange a way to transfer money. You’ll have to negotiate with the buyer directly, which can cause issues and slow the buying process.
People who used Gumtree in the past to sell their cars have praised the ease of use that the site offers, as making a listing is seamless and doesn’t take long at all. This stops people from wasting a lot of time and energy getting an advert created, which is a huge plus.
That said, there are a few complaints against Gumtree, with a consistent issue being that the lack of an on-site payment method means that transactions aren’t as secure as some might like. Many people have also reported that once an ad goes live, they’ll get inquiries and spam from scammers. This situation can happen with all ad websites; however, it seems to be a much more frequent issue for those selling on Gumtree.
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eBay is the biggest auction site online, with millions of users using the platform to buy and sell second-hand items. Due to its successes, it makes sense that eBay created its own dedicated website specifically for buying and selling cars.
The website uses the same infrastructure and listing process as the original eBay site, meaning that listing a car on it feels familiar to people who have experience with eBay.
Instead of listing your car for a neverending period of time, eBay Motors allows you to generate interest for your vehicle by setting a time limit for people to bid on your car. By allowing you to create an auction for your car, eBay Motors has the potential to help you get a reasonable price for your car, especially if more than one person is interested in your vehicle.
Plus, if you’re not interested in waiting for an auction to end, you can also set a buy-now price to sell the car instantly.
eBay Motors is a great place to sell your car because it’s exceptionally well-trusted, with people buying from it being more legitimate. eBay also has multiple safeguards in place to limit scams and timewasters. eBay also manages payment for you, meaning you’ll get your money before parting with your car, making things even more secure.
Plus, eBay allows users to post reviews of people, both buyers and sellers. This means that you can check out prospective buyers’ feedback to see if you can trust them. This feature makes eBay really safe to use.
eBay Motors is also a lot cheaper to list a car than other options, costing just £15 to make a listing, although adding extra features will increase the price. However, eBay also takes a 1% cut of your sale to a maximum of £45, which is a fair price.
The most common bit of praise that eBay Motors gets is that it’s easy to set up a listing and that past users have found a buyer quickly. With that said, many people seem to complain about how eBay charge for these listings. Many are unhappy that the site charges you even if the car doesn’t sell or if you remove the listing. This is something to be aware of when making a listing.
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Facebook is a social media platform with a lot of functionality, such as the ability to play games, stream live videos, and purchase goods and services. Through their Marketplace section of the app, which allows those with a Facebook account to list and sell any item in their area, it’s possible to sell your car without paying any fees.
Listing an item on Marketplace is free, and because of this, the platform has become a popular place for people wanting to sell cars at the cheaper end of the market, as it allows the seller to retain as much profit as possible.
The website works like any other ad listing website: you create a page for the car, providing details, images and additional important information for it to appear in people’s feeds. Potential buyers can narrow down their search by using filters, allowing them to find cars that have a particular mileage or can be picked up in a specific location. This is how people find cars that are listed on the Marketplace.
All sale negations are handled between the buyer and seller. Facebook has no involvement and also provides very little aid in protecting you from scammers. In fact, Facebook Marketplace is the car-selling website where you’re most likely to be scammed or to run into trouble.
Plus, because people are using Facebook Marketplace to find a bargain, you’ll likely get a lot more low-value offers for your car, making finding a buyer a lot more complicated.
Many past sellers praise Facebook Marketplace for being easy to use and good at helping sellers connect with potential buyers. However, it also receives many complaints from people who have been scammed or had bad experiences trying to sell their cars to people from the general public.
When you use Facebook Marketplace to sell a vehicle, you do so at your own risk, and although it can be good, there are more secure options that have a much better track record.
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At the moment, there are currently two main types of car selling websites that you'll find online. The most popular in recent years has been car buying services. These websites make it easy and convenient to sell your car as instead of trying to get you in contact with a person actively looking to buy a car, these services simply offer you a quote for your vehicle and buy it from your directly.
Car buying services are well-liked because they make selling cars a lot easier, and you'll likely be able to get rid of your old car quickly if you agree to their price. The only issue with car buying services is that you probably won't get as much money for your vehicle as you would selling directly to someone. This is because these services will usually almost immediately put the car they just bought off you for sale, so they're going to lowball you to maximise profit.
If you don't like the idea of using a car buying service and have the time and patience to communicate with and haggle with buyers, you can use the next most popular type of car selling website, a traditional ad site.
An ad site lets you put up a listing for your car, and then potential buyers will then browse through the various options advertised on the site. This is great as it makes it easier to find buyers. However, the website will likely take some commission of your sale or charge you another way to make money.
Both types of car selling websites have their benefits and negatives, and it's down to what you value most as a seller when choosing which one works best for you.
When you choose to sell a car online, you'll have to hand over a few pieces of documentation and paperwork, regardless if you're selling on a car buying service or an ad website.
Some of the most critical pieces of documentation you need to sell your car are the car's handbook and the service logbook. You must also have the receipts for past services to sell your car with most websites.
If your car is older than three years old, you will also need an MOT certificate. Some buyers will also ask for credentials from past MOTs so that they can get a complete history of the vehicle.
Once the car has been sold, you'll also need to create a receipt with the date of sale, the price it was sold for, the car's registration, and the vehicle's make and model. You'll also need to have the addresses of everyone involved in the sale.
You'll also need to tell the DVLA you've sold the car. You can do this by sending the bottom of a V5C form while giving the buyer the top of this form. Once you've done all that, your car can be legally sold.
When getting a valuation for your car online, it can be tough to know if that's an accurate reflection of your car's value. That's why it's a good idea to get multiple valuations for your vehicle, as the amount offered can fluctuate a lot between car selling websites and valuation tools.
To find an accurate price, use these multiple valuations to find an average, as it's likely that your car will fall within the range that you've been given. If you want to do a bit more research, you can also look at what similar vehicles are going for online and in person so that you have a more accurate idea of how much your car is worth.
As a general rule of thumb, a brand new car will depreciate in value by around 60% after three years, and on average, a car will reduce in price by 15-25% per year. This means that a car that costs £20,000 new will be worth around £8,000 after three years.
As well to selling your car outright, it's possible to part exchange your car, too. This is where you use the value of your current vehicle to knock off the price of a car you want to buy.
To do this, you'll have to be selling your car on a website that allows you to buy cars. A part exchange is a great way to swap your old car for a new one while helping you save on how much you need to spend.
When part-exchanging, most websites will have a tool that will give you a price on how much you can get by selling a car this way, and it is something you should consider if you have a specific vehicle in mind that you want to buy.
If you're currently paying for your car through a finance scheme, you will be unable to sell that car until you've fully paid it off. Trying to sell a car while you have outstanding finance to pay is illegal, as technically, the car is not yours to sell until you settle the debt.