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Since it became the first online destination to sell your car in the UK, We Buy Any Car has been the dominant brand for those looking to sell their vehicle without having to do so on the private buyers’ market.
We Buy Any Car has allowed people to quickly sell their vehicle without any hassle or negotiations, making the process a lot quicker and more accessible for those who want to get a good deal for their car.
However, as time has passed and the industry has grown, We Buy Any Car is no longer your only option for selling your car online. Many other brands can now give you a valuation and buy your vehicle.
Some will follow the exact blueprint that We Buy Any Car pioneered, whereas others will have their unique approach in an attempt to help you get more money.
Although We Buy Any Car is a well-respected brand that has served the British public for many years, there are plenty of good alternatives to try if you want to go for someone else. Here’s a look at some of the top competitors to We Buy Any Car in 2024, which you should consider to get the best price for your vehicle.
Starting our list with ExchangeMyCar, a platform that is all about convenience and efficiency when it comes to selling your car online. Similar to We Buy Any Car but with a few added features, ExchangeMyCar offers a quick and easy way to get your car valued and sold.
From the moment you enter your car’s registration number and mileage on their website, ExchangeMyCar begins to stand out. They promise an instant valuation, saving you from the prolonged wait times often experienced elsewhere.
What’s more impressive, however, is their ability to offer some of the highest quotes in the market. This prowess is attributed to their extensive network of reputable car buyers across the UK. Through a sophisticated algorithm, ExchangeMyCar matches your specific vehicle to the most suitable buyer within seconds, ensuring you get the best possible price for your car.
Unlike We Buy Any Car, which charges a fee for the selling process and requires you to drop your car off at the nearest branch, ExchangeMyCar offers all services for free, including home collection. This not only adds to the convenience but also ensures a smoother transaction from valuation to pickup.
At the time of collection, the final steps are equally hassle-free; you’ll receive payment directly into your bank account via bank transfer, without the need to incur any additional fees.
This streamlined process, coupled with the potential for higher offers and added no-cost benefits, positions ExchangeMyCar as a compelling alternative for those looking to sell their vehicle online.
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Despite its primary focus as an online car marketplace where you can buy used vehicles, Cazoo also allows you to sell cars directly to them, making them a great alternative to We Buy Any Car and something you should consider if you’re looking to compare prices.
The selling process on Cazoo is very similar to We Buy Any Car. To start your valuation, all you need to do is enter your car’s registration plate. Usually, when you do this with We Buy Any Car, you’ll be sent an instant valuation based on your car’s information, assuming that your vehicle is in excellent condition.
However, when selling your car on Cazoo, you must fill in a quick questionnaire about your vehicle once you’ve entered your car’s registration. This is a good feature, as it means that the valuation Cazoo offers will be more accurate, allowing you to better understand how much your vehicle is worth.
When filling out the questionnaire, you’ll need to input critical information like the car’s mileage, any vehicle modifications, the car’s service history, and if the car has any finance.
After this, you’ll need to rank your car’s condition on a scale from ‘Poor’ to ‘Like new’. When selecting the condition of your vehicle, Cazoo will provide detailed information on what makes a car a specific condition. This makes it easier for you to be accurate when inputting details about your car.
Following this step, you’ll be able to see the valuation of your car, which will also be emailed to you. This valuation is valid for seven days, which is longer than the period offered by webuyanycar.com and gives you ample time to look around for any better offers. This price is set in stone and can’t be haggled at all.
What’s valuable about Cazoo is that because the brand buys the cars directly, you don’t have to create a profile for the vehicle and upload any images, which is something you need to do if you’re listing your car to be sold on an online marketplace. Instead, to finalise the sale to Cazoo, you will book a handover.
You can either hand over the vehicle at a Cazoo customer centre or arrange to have it picked up from your home. Having the car picked up will cost you around £149, which can be a large chunk of the car’s value. At the handover, the vehicle will go through checks to ensure everything is as it should be, and then the vehicle will be collected, with you being paid directly into your bank account.
If a Cazoo team member finds any issues that weren’t disclosed, you may have your quote reduced, so make sure you’re accurate when inputting your details.
Compared to We Buy Any Car, the valuation you’ll get from Cazoo is very similar. In fact, when looking at the quoted price for two identical Ford Fiestas with the same mileage, the offered price was the same.
That said, We Buy Any Car’s price was based on the assumption that there are no issues with the car, meaning that your final price may be lower. As you have to input details about the car’s condition on Cazoo, this price will likely stay the same, meaning you’ll get a better deal.
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Motorpoint is best known as a website where you can buy nearly new used cars in excellent condition. At Motorpoint, their USP is that all their vehicles have under 30,000 miles on their clock and are no older than four years old. This makes them an excellent option for those looking to buy modern cars at a considerable discount.
However, despite focusing more on the car-selling section of the website, you can also sell your vehicle to the brand, making them a great alternative to We Buy Any Car.
Getting a valuation from Motorpoint takes under a minute and starts by asking you to enter your car’s registration and current mileage. It will then use the car’s registration to get more details about your car and then use the mileage to modify your offered price.
Once you add this, you’ll be taken to a page to input more information about the car, such as the car’s condition, service history, and more. Asking these questions allows Motorpoint to provide an accurate car valuation and the site even gives a brief guide of what makes a car ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ condition. Adding this helps sellers get a more reliable and accurate valuation and offer.
Once you’ve done this, you will get a valuation for your vehicle. This valuation lasts for 14 days, meaning it won’t change during that time, giving you a lot of time to search for better deals. The valuation offered by Motorpoint is much better than what was offered through We Buy Any Car, with you able to get around £500 more when comparing the offer for the exact vehicle.
To continue to sell your car, you need to create an account. After that, you’ll deduce when you want to drop your vehicle off for handover. You must take your car to one of the drop-off points to sell your car, which could be a problem for some as Motorpoint only have 19 locations around the country. You may have to travel a long way to sell your car with Motorpoint.
That said, once you go through the process, the payment is swift, and you’ll get your money within an hour, making it a fast and effective way to sell a car in the UK.
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Heycar is another online website where you can buy a wide range of cars. In addition, Heycar also acts as an online resource, posting multiple guides and lists to help drivers buy the best car possible. Like many others, the website’s primary focus is to act as a car-selling marketplace, but they also offer a tool where you can value your vehicle.
If you’re looking to sell your car through We Buy Any Car, then using heycar to get another valuation for it can help you figure out if there are better prices for you out there.
What’s good about Heycar’s online car valuation service is that it is free and doesn’t require you to input an email address or make an account, helping it become an easy-to-use tool to generate a quick price.
To use Heycar’s car valuation tool, you only need to enter your car’s registration number and then a rough estimate of how many miles the car has been driven. The more accurate you are with the miles, the more precise the valuation becomes. Once you’ve added these data sets, Heycar will give you a range of what they believe the car is worth.
Having a range is good, as it can let you see what to expect if the car’s in brilliant, like-new condition and what to expect if it’s in average condition, with a few examples of wear and tear. That said, this valuation should only be used as a rough guide, as you may be able to find better prices elsewhere. Its wide range may also suggest that it’s not the most accurate, and the fact that the valuation service doesn’t consider your car’s condition may indicate a lack of reliability.
The issue with Heycar is that you can’t go further with this valuation and sell your car on Heycar. However, from their valuation page, you are directed to try selling on Motorway, a partner company of Heycar, which we’ll detail more in a bit.
When comparing the valuations given by Heycar and We Buy Any car for the exact vehicle, the price suggested by Heycar is much better. Even the minimum value in their range is around £400 better, meaning that the price offered by We Buy Any Car isn’t one of the best on the market.
However, because Heycar doesn’t offer the service of buying cars themselves, their valuation ends up being pretty empty and somewhat pointless. It can be a reasonable guide price, and if it’s better than what webuyanycar.com is offering, it may indicate that you’re better off selling your car privately to an independent buyer.
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If you’re looking for an alternative to We Buy Any Car that does things completely differently, then Motorway is an excellent option. Although the process of selling a car can be longer than when using We Buy Any Car, for most people, the experience is pleasant and has the potential to help you obtain more money for the exact vehicle.
This is because, with webuyanycar.com, the business buys your car directly. With Motorway, you’re essentially using the platform to list your car for dealerships around the UK to bid on your vehicle. Motorway has over 5000 dealerships on their website, all bidding and offering competing prices, which helps make the prices you’re offered more competitive, especially if two or more dealerships are interested in your vehicle.
The selling process on Motorway starts the same as everywhere else. You first input your car’s registration number to start the valuation. Once it searches its database and pulls up the information about the vehicle, you can confirm your car’s current mileage. After that, you’ll need to enter an email address to continue, as you’ll need that to create a profile to sign into Motorway.
For many, the need to go through this effort and sign in can be annoying, especially for those looking for a quick valuation. However, adding these steps ensures that people using Motorway are serious about selling their car, limiting the number of time wasters that the dealerships that partner with the site need to deal with.
Once you’ve done this, you will get an estimated sale price valid for seven days. This isn’t the final price you’ll be offered but is more a guide price of what you can expect based on the bids that similar cars have received on the website in the past.
When giving you this valuation, Motorway has a nice feature that tells you how many dealers have been interested in similar cars. This can give you an excellent indication of the level of interest you can expect for your vehicle.
Of course, this price is based on the assumption that your car is in fantastic condition. Your offers could lower dramatically after creating your car’s profile and detailing any issues and features.
To continue, you’ll create a profile of your car, take pictures, detail more information about the car, and attach any service history you have. Once you have a complete profile, your car will go on auction for 24 hours, where dealers will bid on the vehicle.
After 24 hours, you’ll be able to see what the highest offer was and either accept or decline it. If you accept it, you’ll be given the dealer’s information to arrange handover and payment directly from them.
When comparing the valuation price with We Buy Any Car for the exact vehicle, Motorway offered almost £700 more. Furthermore, as both give their valuation before receiving any information about the car’s value, it suggests that you can get a better price with Motorway than with We Buy Any Car. That said, your final price can be seriously reduced once you’ve listed the car, and unlike We Buy Any Car, the price you’re offered isn’t guaranteed.
Thankfully, the dealers who buy offer Motorway are only allowed to haggle or negotiate on price if they spot a severe issue that wasn’t mentioned online. All the dealers are also vetted before they become a partner with Motorway, meaning that you should be able to trust them when finalising the sale.
Although Motorway provides many safeguarding features, the fact that you have to deal with an independent buyer when selling your car can put a few people off, making the process much less straightforward and simple to go through.
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When trying to sell cars online, you may find that a few sites have restrictions and rules on what kinds of vehicles you can sell. In addition to that, these rules may vary from site to site, making it a bit harder to know what you'll be able to sell.
For example, most websites will not allow you to sell a car with less than six months of its MOT. Plus, some may also not want to sell your car if it's been written off or doesn't have a complete service history.
You may also find that many places will not let you sell a car that hasn't had its finances paid off, making it difficult for those stuck in a car finance agreement that isn't working out for them.
Thankfully, most websites can tell you if you're able to sell your car on their platform after you enter your registration. If you're still not sure, check the FAQs of the site you're trying to sell on to ensure you can sell your car.
No matter where you get them from, car valuations are usually very quick, with you getting a quote within seconds. This is because all you need to do is enter the registration of your car and its current mileage. That said, the valuation you get after doing this will likely be less accurate, as it's assuming some aspects of the car's condition.
A more precise valuation may take more time to get, as you'll have to enter more information, but it should still be done within minutes.
If you're using a reputable website, selling your car online is safe and trustworthy. All the alternatives mentioned in this article have great reviews and have been used by multiple people, meaning you can rely on them to sell your car correctly.
When selling to a private buyer online, check their details to see if they're legit, and only hand over documents or money once you've met them in person.
When you sell a car online to any of the websites mentioned in this article, it'll likely be refurbished and put back on the market so that these websites can try and obtain a profit.
Because many of these websites will be trying to re-sell your car, most will offer you a little lower than what you should get for your vehicle. This is because they're trying to ensure they can profit from your vehicle.
It's impossible to say where the best place to sell your car is. Each platform will have its quirks and differences that make it best suited for different people. For example, those who value the speed and ease of selling with We Buy Any Car will be best suited to that brand than they would Motorway, which takes a bit more time.
However, if you want the best prices and like the idea of a dealership bidding on your car, then Motorway will be best for you. Picking the right car-selling platform will depend on your individual needs and preferences, so take some time to figure out what you value the most.
For a car valuation to be accurate, it needs as much data about your vehicle as possible. This is why valuations that only use your number plate and mileage typically differ from your car's final price.
To get a more accurate valuation, you need to share details such as the car's history, any modifications it's had, how many past owners it's had, and what imperfections it has. All of these factors will play a part in changing the valuation of your car, allowing you to get one that is accurate and reliable.
You cannot negotiate on the prices offered by any of the We Buy Any Car alternatives mentioned in this guide. This means that the price is locked in and will be the maximum you can get after a staff member inspects your car.
Although this removes some of the opportunity to get a good deal, it also means that you won't have your price chipped down as long as everything runs smoothly. Most platforms only allow their dealers or staff to offer lower prices if a significant issue with the car wasn't disclosed online.
You can back out of a deal anytime, as no quotes or offers are compulsory to accept. This means that if you find a better deal elsewhere, you can stop the process and go elsewhere and do so without getting a penalty charge or anything like that.
Car selling platforms do this to ensure the seller is always in total control and never feels trapped in a deal that doesn't favour them.
A good platform to sell cars will offer a fair price for your vehicle. Although there is some variation among the websites suggested in this article, they're all in the same ballpark, making them reliable. If you get any offers that are too low or abnormally high, then it's likely not an excellent place to see your car.
It would help if you also thought about the reputation of the brand. If they've been used by many others before you and have a good review score, then you can rely on them as a good option with a good service.
You should also consider fees when selecting a good place to sell your car. Many websites will charge you various fees, so to find the best place, go for ones that don't include any fees when you sell or those that only charge you a little.
To get the most money for your car when selling online, it's best to ensure that it is in good condition and up to date with all its services and paperwork. For example, a vehicle with an MOT that expires in a year will be worth more than one that expires in six months.
It would be best if you also thought about the car's condition. Removing any scratches or scuffs that you can repair or buff out can also help you get the most money from the vehicle. If you've been the only owner of the car, it can also help you earn more by making that clear when selling your vehicle, as having many previous owners greatly reduces a car's value.