The 10 Best Car Selling Sites for 2024 | Free Buyers Guide

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The Best Car Selling Sites

What's the Best Way to Sell Your Car?

Gone are the days of newspaper classifieds and putting a "for sale" sign in the dashboard window: most people today sell their cars online. It's usually easy, often fast, and there are lots of tools to help you set a competitive asking price. Generally speaking, you'll choose between two different methods of selling your car: getting a cash offer from a dealership (either online-only or one with a brick-and-mortar location near you) or creating a listing to sell it privately - like those newspaper ads but digital.

Which one is right for you? That depends. Cash offers often eliminate a lot of hassle: you don't have to screen prospective buyers, set up multiple appointments with interested customers, or verify the authenticity of their payment method. Many of the online-only services will pick up the vehicle at no charge, from any address you specify.

Thursday, April 25th

2024 Car Selling Site Reviews

Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award We Buy Any Car  Review 5 Star Rating

We Buy Any Car

5 Star Rating
  • "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
  • Available in 16 states
  • Over 22,000 5-star reviews
  • Get a check the same day
Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award

We Buy Any Car is a family-owned business in operation since 1951, focusing solely on buying used vehicles from the public. If you use this platform to sell your car, you won't have to worry about being pressured to trade it in for a car you can't afford or haggling on the amount offered: We Buy Any Car is straightforward and transparent in evaluating your vehicle and paying you the same day.

Easy online form

Your process with We Buy Any Car starts with an instant online valuation. Enter the year, make and model. Next, select any applicable trim levels or features from the dropdown boxes. Finally, indicate whether the car has ever been in an accident or currently has cosmetic or mechanical issues, provide your mileage and contact information, and then click to see your valuation. You may have extra questions to answer based on what you entered in the previous ones.

Set an in-person appointment

If you like the preliminary valuation you see, your next step is to select the branch near you and set up a date and time for an appointment. In the past, We Buy Any Car allowed walk-ins; however, they currently operate by appointment only. When you take your vehicle in, a representative will perform an on-site inspection (which you can participate in) and possibly a short test drive. That will be used to make a firm, no-obligation offer on the car. If you choose to accept the offer and your paperwork is in order, you can walk out with a check. The entire process can be completed in 30-60 minutes.

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Better than it looks at first glance

Speaking honestly, we initially had our doubts about this service. Cheesy radio ads and a website that looked a little basic gave an impression that wasn't exactly off the charts in trustworthiness. However, don't let that stop you from considering We Buy Any Car. We were floored when we started looking into this company's reputation: not only do they have an "A+" rating and accreditation with the Better Business Bureau (with only five complaints in the last three years), but they've earned more than 22,000 five-star ratings from clients. They describe this service as fair, accurate and honest, and many reviewers say that they got a much higher offer for their vehicle here than anything quoted by a dealership.

Only a few drawbacks

There are only two downsides we found when using We Buy Any Car. First, they don't offer vehicle pickup; you'll need to take your car to one of their brick-and-mortar locations (although we did see mention of "mobile assessments" in some customers' reviews). That leads to the second drawback: We Buy Any Car only has offices in 16 states. Those include Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Before you get too far down the track with this service, we suggest using the "Find Your Nearest Branch" option on the website to make sure there's a location convenient to you.

Best choice for selling cars

If you're lucky enough to live where We Buy Any Car has a presence, we strongly recommend you look there first when selling cars. The service is reliable and has lots of enthusiastic clients who'll tell you the same thing. This is the easiest way to get top dollar for your used car. We Buy Any Car gets our highest rating.

CarVIO Review 4.5 Star Rating

CarVIO

4.5 Star Rating
  • Good option for selling all types of used cars, even ones that aren't running
  • Over 2,000 five-star reviews from clients
  • 100+ locations in all 50 states
  • No fees to use this service
  • Get an offer within 24 hours, usually instantly
  • Offer is good for 72 hours

CarVIO wants to make selling your car as simple as possible. It doesn't get much easier than this: fill out a short online form describing your car and its condition, get a no-haggle offer - usually instantly but always within 24 hours - and then schedule a free pick-up or drop-off at your convenience. That's it.

Any car, any condition

There aren't many services for selling used cars that absolutely will make you an offer no matter what condition your vehicle is in - but CarVIO will. Salvage title? High mileage? Failed an emissions test? Yes, yes, and yes. There's no need for your car to pass a 150-point inspection here. And, you won't be charged fees for any part of this service, even if you have them come to your house to pick up the car.

Prepare the vehicle for pick-up

Once you accept a CarVIO offer, you'll need to prepare your car for pick-up or drop-off. This includes clearing out all of your belongings, taking off the license plates, and keeping an eye out for contact from the local company/driver who will be assigned to do your pick-up (if you've selected that option). Also, if you live in Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, or Pennsylvania, you'll need to have a notarized and signed title.

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Not the best BBB rating

CarVIO proudly proclaims their status as an accredited business with the BBB, but the logo at the bottom of the site didn't allow us to "click for profile" . No wonder: when we went to the BBB's listing for this service, it turned out that not only is CarVIO not accredited but it also only has a lackluster "C-" rating. Strangely, we couldn't read the complaints on the BBB site, just the reviews"�which were surprisingly a mix of positive and negative.

Great reputation otherwise

Looking beyond the BBB, CarVIO's customer feedback is actually quite good. Out of nearly 2750 reviews, 75% gave this service a perfect five-star rating. The clients who seem to really like this service are the ones with vehicles in less-than-perfect condition: many of them say that CarVIO gave them much more money than local junkyards offered or than they expected to get as a private seller, and that the vehicles get picked up right on time.

Best option for selling cars in less-than-perfect shape

Despite their lower-than-average BBB rating, this company is doing a good job at keeping their clients happy with transparent processes and decent cash offers on a wide range of used cars - all with handy, hassle-free pick-up for most people. This might not be the service you choose to sell your car if it's in top shape, but if you've got a clunker to get off your hands, CarVIO could be your best choice.

Car Gurus Review 4 Star Rating

Car Gurus

4 Star Rating
  • "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
  • Can sell your car privately ($4.95) or get a cash offer (in 22 states)
  • Offers valid for 7 days or 250 additional miles
  • Cash offer vehicles will be picked up at your preferred location
  • Payment through bank transfer or check

CarGurus was founded in 2006 by Langley Steinert, who also co-created the popular TripAdvisor travel service. The site uses powerful data analytics to help you price your used car appropriately. Although you'll find that this site specializes in dealer listings, consumers can use the service for selling cars too.

Cash offers available in 22 states

There are potentially two ways to sell your car using CarGurus: Instant Max Cash Offer or private listing. Cash offers are currently available in 22 states and Washington DC; the complete list is available on the CarGurus site. If you live in an eligible state, you'll enter basic information about your car: plate or VIN, mileage, condition, and so on. CarGurus will source offers from various dealers and send you the best one; that offer is good for seven days or an additional 250 miles over what you entered in the questionnaire.

Offer was less than rivals

We found that CarGurus' offer on a 2013 Honda Civic that we used for comparison was about $2,000 lower than we were offered by their rivals. If you choose to accept your CarGurus offer, once you've uploaded the documents proving ownership of the vehicle you'll schedule a date and time for pickup. Payment can be made by linking your bank account through CarGurus' secure portal or via paper check at time of pickup.

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Easy to list your car privately

If you prefer to list and sell your car privately, you'll pay $4.95 to place your ad. CarGurus offers pricing guidance, verified buyers, paperwork assistance, and a secure payment method (no need to make sure you're not getting scammed with a fake cashier's check or counterfeit bills). It's helpful that CarGurus takes the information you entered during the Instant Max Cash process and lets you carry it over to the listing section; you just have to click on the option for starting where you left off instead of creating a new vehicle entry. All you'll need to do is set the price - use what's suggested or select your own - and enter a brief description. (Unfortunately, there's nowhere to upload photos here.) On the payment page, you'll have the option of paying an extra $19.99 to get 14 days of priority positioning as a "featured listing" .

Mixed results

User feedback about CarGurus is mixed. On the one hand, the company has an "A+" and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, with just 15 complaints logged in the year prior to this evaluation. That's not bad for a service that's been around for nearly 20 years. However, in other places we looked, we found a lot of unhappy people describing their disappointment with the car-selling aspect of this site - both for private listings and cash offers. There were problems with the payment system, accuracy of listings (and with getting CarGurus to fix the mistakes), and just overall difficulties in reaching anyone at the company for support.

Just average

CarGurus has a few things going for it. It's nice to be able to choose between two different pathways for selling cars - and there's nothing saying you can't do both (list it privately and then take an offer) if you live where the cash option is available. And, it's one of several services that will come and take the car right from your driveway, no trip to the dealership necessary. But, CarGurus' track record isn't what we would like to see: for a higher ranking among the competition in the future, we need many more ratings from consumers who have used this platform and come away satisfied with the experience. We would suggest experimenting with what CarGurus has to offer, but be sure to compare it with our higher-ranked car-selling services first.

CarMax Review 4 Star Rating

CarMax

4 Star Rating
  • "A+" rated by the BBB
  • Locations in 41 states
  • Get a real offer online on most vehicles
  • Offers valid for 7 days
  • Get paid right away

CarMax is our favorite choice for buying used cars, but what about selling them? You can trust them in that regard too. While you probably won't get a great offer if your car is in less-than-stellar condition - CarMax is, after all, well-known for being extremely particular about the cars they put on their lots - it's a great option for a lot of sellers. CarMax is in 41 states with over 200 locations.

Get an instant offer - sometimes

Will you have to bring your car in to get a real offer online from CarMax? Sometimes. Many cars qualify for an instant quote because CarMax uses the auto's VIN or license plate to pull up the pertinent details. However, when we entered the details for a 2021 Toyota Corolla, CarMax told us that the car "is pretty rare" and they wanted to see it in person. Not sure that's very rare, but okay. Most of their rivals were able to give us at least an estimate right from their website on the exact same vehicle. You may have a different experience, depending on the car you're trying to sell.

Like your quote? Set an appointment.

When we tried a different car - a 2013 Honda Civic - we did get an offer. The CarMax offer page will show you a Kelley Blue Book Trade-in Value to compare with their quote; for the Civic, CarMax came in about $900 under the KBB median price, but $2,000 higher than one of their rivals we evaluated. If you like the offer you get on your car, you can click to save it or use the "Continue" button to schedule an appointment at the CarMax location that's most convenient for you. When you get there, a rep will do a brief inspection on your car to make sure it matches the information entered during the online appraisal process. Assuming everything checks out, they'll pay you on the spot and you're done.

7 days to think it over

Not sure you're quite ready to let your four-wheeled "baby" go? No rush: you've got 7 days to redeem your offer. CarMax even puts a handy countdown timer on their site to remind you how much time you have left (but really... no pressure...). Just remember that you'll need valid state ID for anyone on the title, current vehicle registration, all key fobs and remotes, and either the car title or the payoff information. That may vary slightly if you live in a state with electronic titling (such as Florida).

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Same quote whether you buy a car or not

You can absolutely trust the process of selling your car here. CarMax has an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, and plenty of positive feedback from individuals who have sold multiple cars to them over the years. The one downside is that their offers tend to be lower than you'll get in other places, especially if your vehicle isn't in top condition or you're considering a trade-in. We found that many dealerships will offer more money on the trade-in, because they hope to make even more money selling you a new or preowned car. CarMax, in contrast, offers the same amount whether you trade it in or sell it outright; it's up to you to run the numbers and see which one really works out best in your situation.

Is there a CarMax near you?

Also, there are no options for at-home pick-up here either. If you don't have a CarMax within a reasonable driving distance from where you live or work, you'll have to choose a different service.

Worth considering when selling a car

Generally speaking, CarMax has a lot of loyal customers who wouldn't dream of buying or selling a car anywhere else. They love the no-funny-business nature of every transaction and being able to walk away with cash in hand, no need to wait for a check in the mail or for documents to get passed back and forth. For anyone with a CarMax nearby, it should be one of the options you consider first when selling your car.

AutoTrader Review 3.5 Star Rating

AutoTrader

3.5 Star Rating
  • $49 to list your car for sale or get a KBB Instant Cash Offer
  • Include up to 30 photos at no extra charge
  • No-cost ad renewals every 30 days for up to a year
  • Free vehicle history report included in your ad
  • "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB

Over 14 million people visit the Autotrader site each month in their attempts to research, buy, or sell a car. If you're trying to get a good price for your used vehicle, that's a lot of potential customers.

Instant quote or DIY

Autotrader takes a two-pronged approach to selling cars: Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offers from a participating dealership near you (no charge) or listing your car privately ($49/listing with free renewals up to a year). The fastest route is the first one: enter your license plate or VIN, tell Autotrader the specifics about your vehicle's condition, and then get cash or trade-in credit offers from a participating dealer near you. That offer is valid for 7 days. Next, you'll bring your car to the dealer for an inspection to verify the info you entered during the quote process, and you've got one day after the inspection to redeem the cash offer.

Dealers have to honor offer amount

Will the amount change? It might, if the dealer inspects your car and finds that you didn't represent it accurately or you drive more than 50 miles after it's been inspected. However, other than those two circumstances, dealers that participate in this program are required to honor the Instant Cash Offer: that's a reassurance you won't find with some dealer-connected services for selling cars.

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Fully-featured private seller listings

Autotrader is probably more well-known for its private listing service. It isn't free - you'll pay $49 - but you can renew your ad at no charge every 30 days for up to a year, if it takes that long to sell your car. It'll be listed on both Autotrader and the Kelley Blue Book site, exposing your ad to millions of active shoppers. Your ad can include up to 30 photos, and it comes with a free vehicle history report. You'll get guidance for pricing using the KBB Private Party Value tool, plus plenty of guidance in writing up your listing. Prospective buyers will fill out the contact form on your ad, and Autotrader will forward it to the email address you specify: you remain anonymous (just first name and last initial) until you decide to respond to a buyer's request for information.

Not effective for selling cars on your own

You might think that Autotrader is a great option for selling your car when you see that the Better Business Bureau gives the company an "A+" and accreditation. Typically we view that as confirmation of a service's trustworthiness, but comments we found outside of the BBB made us think twice. Review after review from people selling cars described an inundation of spam/scam emails once they posted their listing - so much that it was rare to find even one legitimate inquiry among all of the fraud-y ones. "Waste of money" and "waste of time" are the two phrases we saw most often used to evaluate the Autotrader experience when selling a car.

Site is good, but users not so much

We like that Autotrader gives you two options, whether you want to take a DIY approach and sell your car on your own, or take the easy route and get a dealer offer. The company has been around a long time, and we don't have any concerns about its reputability. However, sellers seem to have a consistently disappointing experience with the self-listing options here. We recommend using that feature with caution, and maybe look more closely at the Instant Cash Offer before listing your car as a private seller.

Carvana Review 3 Star Rating

Carvana

3 Star Rating
  • Quick offer online, valid for 7 days
  • Get cash or trade in your vehicle
  • Drop off the car or have Carvana pick it up
  • Get paid via check when the car is picked up or dropped off
  • Vehicles qualify if they are newer than 1992, the odometer is in working condition, and it can be safely test-driven

Carvana probably has the most visibility among the services that let you sell your car online and have it picked up right from your driveway. Founded in 2012, the company is based in Phoenix, Arizona and offers novel "car vending machines" in 28 locations throughout the country if you'd like to bring in your car instead.

Easier to sell here than with other services

Carvana has pretty relaxed requirements for selling them a car. As long as the vehicle is newer than 1992, the odometer is working, and they can safely take it for a test drive, it's eligible.

100% online process

You'll start by answering questions about your car: the simplest route is to enter your plate or VIN, but you can also click on the "get an estimate" button if you don't have that info handy. Within a matter of minutes, you'll get your Carvana offer; if you like it, your next steps include uploading your ownership documents, selecting your preferred payment method, and setting up the appointment to give them the vehicle. Carvana can pick it up at any address you choose, meet you in the middle, or receive it at one of their in-person locations.

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Get paid when they get the car

When you sell your car to Carvana, you'll get paid as soon as they get the vehicle, whether they pick it up from your home or receive it at one of their physical locations. That's a win over some services for selling cars who make you wait for a bank transfer or a check in the mail.

Lots of negative reviews - but mostly from car-buyers

How about Carvana's reputation? They definitely score higher with people selling cars to them than they do with customers buying their vehicles - but they seem to do much more business on the latter end. Client feedback on the selling cars side runs about 50-50: some people say that they got a great price on their vehicle and the transaction went smoothly from beginning to end, while others describe delays in paperwork, lacking customer support responses, and lowball offers. Their Better Business Bureau rating shows both accreditation and a "B+" rating, but there were over 2,000 complaints in the year leading up to this evaluation. We don't find that overly inspiring, do you? But again, we'd estimate that at least 90% of those complaints were from consumers who bought a car through Carvana and not the other way around.

Low risk to see what they offer

We definitely have our concerns about Carvana - but they're mostly with respect to the car-buying experience. There's not a ton of risk involved with selling your car here: you either like the offer they give you and get paid... or you don't. At most, you've wasted some time if they show up for your vehicle and you change your mind. Carvana needs to make some big changes to their customer service overall (as demonstrated by their many negative reviews), but there's no reason you can't see what kind of offer they make for your car and then decide.

True Car Review 3 Star Rating

True Car

3 Star Rating
  • "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
  • Service gives you a trade-in value from a dealer; can't be used to sell cars privately
  • Offers good for three days

In business since 2005, TrueCar is an automotive digital marketplace that lets you buy and sell used cars. When using this service for selling cars, your offers will all come from certified dealerships near you: there's no messing around with taking inquiries and offers from private buyers, just direct contact from dealers alone.

See your estimate as you enter details

To sell your used vehicle, you'll start by entering the license plate, VIN or make/model. You'll confirm a few details, like the color, options, mileage and ZIP code, and then move on to specifics about any accidents, damage, or mechanical issues. We love how the offer estimate populates in the bottom right corner as you enter that information, giving you a real-time idea of what you might get for your car.

Estimate subject to in-person inspection

Finally, you'll see your True Cash Estimate. It includes a breakdown of how each detail raised or lowered the dollar amount, from mileage to condition. Keep in mind that this offer is just an estimate. It's valid for three days, but it is subject to an in-person inspection.

Save your work or get offers now

You can enter your email address at that point if you'd like to save your progress: maybe you're not quite ready to sell, or you're hoping that the value will increase in the near future, as the market for used cars gets tighter. Otherwise, click on "Get Your True Cash Offer" to enter your name, phone number and/or email to connect with local dealers. You can specify whether you'd prefer to receive emails only or if you're willing to be contacted by phone and email.

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Dealers aren't obligated to honor TrueCar's estimate

TrueCar's reputation is somewhat mixed. On the one hand, they've got accreditation and an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, and there were only 11 complaints filed there in the 12 months prior to this review. On the other hand, we've seen some pretty angry comments from users in places beyond the BBB. Granted, most of them are referring to the car-buying features of TrueCar, but they're still not pleased: dealerships aren't honoring the sale price, so you might be wise to suspect that the same could happen on a trade-in value too. Lots of TrueCar users say the site is a waste of time, because the partner dealerships aren't obligated to hold up their end of the bargain promised during the TrueCar process.

Lowball offers

Plus, we all know that dealer offers are usually the lowest when selling cars. Comparing several services in our review, our TrueCar estimate was just half of the highest offer we got elsewhere.

Not bad, but not very good either

Could you use TrueCar to sell your vehicle? Probably. There's nothing we found that makes this service untrustworthy or bad. But, it could prove to be a waste of time - especially if the partner dealers near you don't make you an offer that's even close to what you were quoted through the TrueCar site. You may want to try a higher-ranked option before using TrueCar.

Driveway Review 2 Star Rating

Driveway

2 Star Rating
  • Will pick up your car from your home
  • Simple online quote/offer process
  • Offer valid for 7 days
  • Payment via check, bank transfer, or trade-in credit

As a division of Lithia Motors, Inc, Driveway is one of the newer options for selling cars. Like many of their competitors, this service lets you get an online offer and have your vehicle picked up at your house or other location.

Standard online quote process

How does it work when selling a car to Driveway? The fastest way is to use your VIN or license plate number to give them some initial information, like the make and model of your vehicle and some trim details. You'll then answer questions about its mileage, installed options and overall condition. Last, provide your contact information so that a Driveway team member can reach out to you with an offer.

Offers aren't exactly "instant"

We didn't love that last aspect of the Driveway process: having to wait for contact. Most of their rivals provide that information right on the website, to give you a ballpark of what to expect. So much for "get an instant offer" like they describe in their "How It Works" page.

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Driveway "valet" comes to you

Let's say you hear from a Driveway rep and you like the sound of the initial offer. What's next? You set up a time for their "valet" to come to your location. They'll perform an inspection process that lasts 30 minutes or less: verifying the condition details you entered on the site and taking it on a test drive. They'll confirm Driveway's final, official offer to buy your car; if you accept it, you can either get a bank transfer within 24-48 hours from when your car is picked up, or you can get a physical check in the mail. Just be sure that you have the keys, photo ID, title and registration at the time of your valet appointment - and everyone listed on the title/registration has to be present. Your offer is good for 7 days, if you need more time to think about it.

Limited feedback, mostly negative

But should you take them up on it? We'd say no. There's not enough feedback on Driveway to convince us that sellers will get the best opportunity here. The BBB gives this company an "F" rating for failure to respond to just under a dozen complaints; that's not a high number in itself, but the lack of response is troubling. We didn't see any independently-verified reviews from anyone who used Driveway to sell their car, but we found a handful of comments from car buyers who said they were left without needed paperwork months after the purchase date. It stands to reason that could happen with the selling process too.

Room for improvement

We hope to see good things from Driveway in the future, like dozens of reviews from car-sellers who have nothing but glowing remarks for the entire experience and a dramatically-improved rating from the BBB. Until then, this company doesn't come close to earning our seal of approval for people hoping to sell their cars.

Vroom Review 1.5 Star Rating

Vroom

1.5 Star Rating
  • Available throughout the continental US
  • Offers good for 7 days or 250 additional miles
  • No charge to pick up your vehicle
  • Can visit an in-person location

Vroom has been in business for about a decade. You may have seen their flatbed trucks picking up and delivering vehicles near you: this service is available in all lower 48 states and has both at-home pickup options and office locations you can visit.

Get an estimated offer quickly

Hoping to sell a car? Vroom's instant online appraisal requires you to enter your car's license plate and state or its VIN: helpful because it populates most of the pertinent details like trim level and color. You'll still need to enter the mileage, how many keys you have, and information about the overall condition of the vehicle. Once you've entered your contact details, you'll be taken to your estimated offer; it's good for seven days or up to 250 miles over the mileage you indicated.

Payment sent within a few days of vehicle pick-up... theoretically

What's next? You'll provide documents to verify ownership, e-sign a contract, and schedule a time for pickup (or visit an in-person location if there's one near you). Once Vroom has your vehicle, your payment is supposed to be sent within 2-3 business days.

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Is there anyone who actually likes this service?

Did you catch that one little phrase: "supposed to" ? Keep that in mind if you try to sell your car through Vroom, because it describes practically every aspect of the process. Vroom makes a lot of promises about how things are "supposed to" go, but fails to deliver on just about every one of them. You'll see that when you look at their customer feedback. It doesn't matter if you look at comments from buyers or sellers here: it's all bad. It starts with Vroom's "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau and nearly 3,000 complaints filed there in the last 12 months alone. It's legitimately difficult to find anyone that had a good experience with this company - or even just an average one. Everywhere you look, people describe Vroom as "horrible" , "scam" , "nightmare" and "a company to avoid" .

Problematic in every way

Granted, the vast majority of Vroom's reviews are coming from car buyers and not sellers, but there are issues on that end of things you should know. We read comments that referenced missing titles (because Vroom requires you to send them through the mail, apparently), zero customer support, missing payments a month after the car was taken away, and so on.

Choose one of Vroom's competitors

We can't come up with one good reason to trust Vroom to buy your car. If you want a 100% online process and pickup right from your home, there are several other options that have a much better chance of getting it done with no headaches. Check out the higher-ranked services in our review and stay well away from Vroom.

Sell My Car Review 1 Star Rating

Sell My Car

1 Star Rating
  • No charge to list your car for sale
  • Renew ads every two months

Sell My Car is a service offered by Internet Brands Automotive. This is not a service that specializes in all things cars, and we'll tell you right from the start that you'll want to avoid it when trying to sell yours. But, if you can get past the pages that load slowly and often fail to connect to the host, we can tell you what to expect from this service.

Create your own car listing

You'll have to create an account to list your car through Sell My Car, which requires your name, address and zip code, phone number and email address. From there, you'll fill out a very basic form with dropdowns and checkboxes: vehicle information, features, and a box to type in a description. Adding photos is optional, and once you click the "activate" button, your ad will be reviewed for listing within 24 hours.

100 major city zones?

Once your car is listed, it'll be displayed in "over 100 major city zones near you" . It sounds like they're advertising all of their listings nationwide, which could be a hassle if you're not interested in entertaining inquiries from buyers in Ohio when you live in Oregon, for example. But, evidently you can set your ad's search radius to narrow down the out-of-town buyers.

No cost for the service

Apparently there's no charge for selling a car here: we were never asked for credit card information, and we were told that our ad would expire after two months if we didn't extend the listing - but we could do that as many times as we wanted.

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Lots of typos, little contact info

There's a lot on the Sell My Car site that comes across a little... off. We found more than a few typos that made this site look less-than-professional, like referring to "prospect buyers" (instead of "prospective" ) and talking about protecting our "personal informations" . The only way to contact Sell My Car is through an online form: no email, no toll-free number, no live chat on the site. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence, does it?

Horrible user reviews

It doesn't get any better. Not only does the BBB not have a listing for this business (though Internet Brands itself has a "D-" , not good), but any reviews we found elsewhere were awful. When the main word used to describe a service is "scam" , you know it's not where you want to sell your car - or offer any of your personal information for any other reason.

Literally any other platform is preferable

It's never been easier to sell your car online - so there's zero need to trust a sketchy service like Sell My Car. Save yourself the grief and use a platform with a decent reputation, and avoid this one like the plague.

Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

Of course, that convenience may cost you. Not every service with cash offers will take cars in any condition, and you may get more money for your car with a private buyer. After all, they're trying to avoid the markup that always happens after a dealership buys a used car and puts it on their lot, so you might be able to meet in the middle and start at a higher asking price. Many people selling cars try both at the same time: shopping around for the best cash offer while testing the waters with a private listing. It's up to you.

What will you need to sell your car? Either route you choose, you'll almost always need current, valid registration papers; any available key fobs/remotes and manuals; valid state-issued photo ID; and, typically, anyone named as an owner on the title needs to be present at the time of sale. Are you required to have a paper title in hand? That depends on the state where you live and the terms of the car-selling service you select.

There are quite a few sites out there for selling cars. Which one is the best for you? Keep these criteria in mind to help you decide:

  • Cash offer or DIY? Some services give you both options, while others specialize in just one pathway. If you go the offer route, it's a good idea to compare quotes among several platforms to help you get top dollar for your vehicle.
  • Tools. Does the service help you price your car appropriately or show you an estimate from an objective source like Kelley Blue Book?
  • Payment methods. How will you get the money for your car? Will you walk away with cash in hand, a cashier's check, or find yourself waiting for a bank transfer or a check in the mail?
  • Reputation. What do other sellers say about their experience with the service? Was it transparent and fair, or did they feel ripped off in the end? Has the Better Business Bureau rated the company?

To help you choose the right platform for selling your car, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked the most popular services currently available online. We hope this information makes it possible for you to sell your car quickly and get the most possible cash out of the deal!

The Best Car Selling Sites Compare Car Selling Sites Compare Car Selling Site Reviews What are the best Car Selling Sites Best Car Selling Site Reviews

Car Selling Site FAQ

Yes! The days of taking out an ad in the classifieds are gone - most private sellers sell their cars by listing them online. The process is simple and makes it possible for thousands of prospective buyers to see your vehicle.
Nothing! There are several sites that allow you to list your car for free. Of course, most of these sites offer upgraded listings for a fee, if you'd like to put up more photos, have your ad up for longer than 30 days, or include your vehicle's CARFAX report.
Start by determining a fair market value for your car: most people use Kelley Blue Book to do that. Then, make sure your vehicle is reasonably clean - you don't have to spend a lot of money for a professional detailing, but at least make sure to wash it well and do a thorough job of cleaning out the inside (no crumbs, fast food wrappers, or unpleasant odors!). Finally, set up your online listing for maximum visibility: the more information you provide, including photos, the more prospective buyers you'll get.
At the very least, you'll need to have the vehicle's title in hand (or available for electronic transfer at your DMV). If you still owe money on your car, contact your lender to find out their process for getting the title. Other paperwork that can help you sell your car includes documentation of the service history (e.g. oil changes, tire rotations), initial purchase documents if you bought the car new, and a vehicle history report from a service like CARFAX.
For safety reasons, you may want to arrange to meet at a neutral public location like a parking lot or even outside of the police station. If the buyer wants to take a test drive - as they should! - you should get a photo of their driver's license and be sure to ride along with them.
Absolutely! While you may not get as much money for your vehicle this way, it eliminates a lot of the hassle you'll experience when selling to a private buyer. There are online services that specialize in advertising your car only to dealerships. You could get an instant cash offer, or a dealer might ask to do an in-person appraisal first.
That's up to you, but a smart buyer will probably request one from a mechanic they trust instead of taking yours at face value. It might be better to wait until you have a buyer and let them choose if and where to have an inspection done.
Call your insurer! If you're planning on getting a new car, you may have to keep your policy in place so that there's no lapse in coverage.
The Best Reviews of Car Selling Sites