How to sell a car in a pandemic, and do it safely
Selling a car privately has long been a way for people to potentially get more money for their vehicle compared with trading it in to a dealership. But it’s always been a laborious process.
Add potential exposure to COVID-19 during in-person interactions like testdrives with strangers and suddenly selling your vehicle this way can be downright unappealing.
So what are the options?
Trade it in at a traditional dealership:
This option will be most useful for people who already planned on buying a new car. By now, most franchise dealerships have been trained on how to handle customers during COVID-19. You’ll want to start by reaching out to the dealership that you’re interested in purchasing from. Call ahead to schedule an appointment not only to get an appraisal for your trade-in but also to test-drive the vehicle you are interested in.
This strategy allows you to maximize your time because the dealership can appraise your car while you’re test-driving another.
Use an alternative to a nonfranchise dealership:
This option is good for two types of sellers: 1) those who need cash for their vehicle and don’t want to feel pressured to buy something else and 2) those who want a faster alternative to trading in at a franchise dealership.
On the Edmunds site, for example, you can enter your vehicle identification number or license plate to get an instant offer on your vehicle. Then all you have to do is redeem the offer at a participating dealership.
There are very few people to interact with, and you don’t have to get in the car with anyone for a test drive.
Consider a car broker: In this scenario, you’re only dealing with one point of contact versus a few at the dealership. The broker will use his or her network of dealer contacts to find the best offer for it.