How a Killer Listing Will Help You Sell Your Car

Back in June, GM announced that its 60,000 certified used vehicles from 3,900 dealers will be listed on eBay Motors. This is great news for buyers looking for pre-owned cars, a market that expanded just as quickly as the price of gas. It's one more source to look to for used cars. To sellers, it's another place to list their car, especially with eBay proclaiming they are waiving all up front fees for listings. What does this mean to you, the used car seller? A little more competition.

You, a car salesman
Anyone who has sold a used car knows it's tough. The car your selling is stacked up against many others, hoping to catch a buyer's eye and put some cash in your pocket. Listing your car online now is the norm. Today, whether buying new or used, the first place people turn is the internet. They research the cars they're interested in, find out what they can expect to pay and, of course, search for what's available. They do it from the comfort of their home, without having to drive from lot to lot, searching for a car.

Great listings sell cars
This brings us to one of the most significant aspects of selling a used car. The importance of a great listing. A nice way to start is by being honest and letting your potential buyer know who you are, how you've driven the car and if you've taken care of it. Full disclosure makes a buyer more comfortable. Be up front with them and they'll appreciate you as a reputable seller. And be more prone to buy.

List all of the details about the car, including mileage, condition, services you've completed, service it needs, and any modifications you've made. Does any one of these help the value of your car? When it comes to used cars, think mileage. The fewer the miles on your car, the more it's worth. That's why the Kelley Blue Book is the reference of choice for determining a car's value while Mota's Price My Car can give you accurate pricing because it is based on actual online sales results.

The car's condition plays a role as well. You will be able to ask more for the car if the body is damage free and the tires in excellent condition. Beyond that, you'll gain extra points with your buyer if you can prove a regular maintenance program with shop receipts.

Take the time to clean your car too, maybe even spring for a detail. Photos of a spotless car will do a better job of showing off its condition.

And finally, modifications. Quite simply, any changes you make beyond stock won't do much. Plus, not all buyers will agree with your taste in car "improvements."

These are just some simple tips to help you get your car noticed. As long as your car has relatively low mileage and is in good condition, you should be able to find a buyer. Take the time to do it right and you'll be successful.

Andy Mrozinski

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Brenda Priddy Charity Auctions: Dodge Challenger Prototypes, Michelin Tires & More!

My favorite Spy Photographer, Brenda Priddy, has launched a new series of auctions to benefit the Frank Washington Fund following his terrible attack in Detroit a couple of months ago.

Frank Washington is a journalist who was brutally attacked for no reason and has suffered a tremendous setback. Detroit has rallied behind him and in her true automotive gal spirit, Brenda has reached out to several automotive industry fans of hers who have responded with gifts to benefit Frank's recovery.

Current live auctions on eBay include:

• A series of 5 DODGE CHALLENGER PROTOTYPE PISTOL GRIP SHIFTERS from the Dodge Design Studio!
• Two ORIGINAL framed mid-engine CORVETTE sketches from the CORVETTE DESIGN STUDIO, circa 1973.
• RARE BMW 'sculpture' / model (circa 1981) donated by Jim Dunne.
• A $1200 MICHELIN gift certificate.
• A 5-hour BOB BONDURANT High Performance driving class!

All proceeds go directly to the Frank Washington Fund at Charter One Bank in Michigan.

All Brenda Priddy Charity Auctions to benefit Frank Washington.

(Apologies to all but that BMW sculpture WILL be Miss Mota Mouth's!)

Bid well and enjoy a lot!!

XOO,M

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Selling Your Car Online or Selling the Most Famous Car on the Planet

Here is a cautionary tale that I hope has a happy ending for everyone:

John Schneider, you know- Bo Duke of the Duke’s of Hazard? Well, he is selling his General Lee again. Well, he is trying to sell his General Lee again and this time he will be successful. What he probably learned in the previous attempts are useful to anyone who would like to try to sell their car online.

Schneider first tried to sell his General Lee last year on eBay Motors and he tried more than once. Schneider was heard to joke that his auctions got more hits than his last 2 movies and while eBay Marketing employees were going crazy trying to push the auction, Schneider was busy trying to promote a movie that he was trying to make. Here are some lessons that you can learn from those auctions:

General Lee: By relying on promotions that this was the General Lee, the auction managers were so excited by the bids that soared to $8 million that they neglected to make sure that they bidders were real and the auction ended with a fake high bid.
Your Car: Everyone loves promoting how well they took care of their car and want the most money that they can possibly get but not all buyers are for real. Be realistic, communicate with potential buyers and verify that they are who they claim to be.

General Lee: The second auction only got the opening bid and did not meet reserve so remained unsold.
Your Car: Buyers like to know that there is a ceiling to the sellers expected price so, although frantic bidding can generate a fun auction, not using some kind of Buy It Now to indicate that there is a price that they can reach and actually buy the car will put buyers off bidding. It will especially bore them if the opening bid is so low that they just give up because they don’t want to play games- they want to buy a car. Reserves may protect your perceived value but can be detrimental.

General Lee: Not that Schneider shouldn’t be proud of this car but “Bo’s General Lee” is not a General Lee from the 1979 TV show but is one from the Duke’s reunion movie. The TV Lees were Corvette Flame Red and the movie Lees, like Schneider’s that he is selling, are Big Bad Orange.
Your Car: Be proud of your car but don’t try to misrepresent it. You would want full disclosure about a vehicle’s history if your were a buyer and unlike selling your by putting a sign in a window, an online ad is your words and they are in print for all the world to see.

So, as for Bo’s General Lee that will be auctioned this week at Barrett Jackson in Arizona, it is a beautiful orange 1969 Dodge Charger and this time, there is no reserve and a portion of the proceeds of the sale will benefit Cure Autism Now. I think that Schneider learned his lesson of how not to sell a car and now every one will win.

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eBay Motors Updates for Buyers

What is it about change that just freaks everyone out? eBay is no longer just an auction site where buyers and sellers can meet across the miles and haggle in a gigantic garage sale. It is a venue that has more similarities to a clubhouse where loyalties get struck in stone and emotions can run high. Every time there is a change made in the site, you would think that someone walked in the house with a disrespectful machete swinging.

The new eBay Motors look and feel (aka, M2 in eBay-speak) is no different. In an attempt to bring in more buyers and make their user experience easier, the developers at eBay have raised the ire of the old school members.

What the angry protesters do not mention are the cool things that have been added to the new site that will help them get more eyeballs to their auctions. Being able to jump right in and begin browsing inventory by type or model and then drill down to that perfect ride is intuitive and interesting!

Probably the best of the additions is a salute to the competitor Craigslist. In the old eBay Motors, it was a pain to wade through the endless stream of over-priced dealer offerings to find the little gems from private party sellers. Now, while browsing, you can set the search to show Dealers or Private Sellers. Buying For Sale By Owner actually stretches your dollars to get more of a car for less than the retail prices of dealers. Training sellers to use this feature will be the challenge however, because there is still an option for “Unspecified” that will not help the buyers at all.

Of course, there are some hiccups in the brand new system which I would imagine the eBay folks refer to as undocumented features instead of bugs but those will slowly get ironed out. There is just some downright odd “marketing speak” –isms. For example, there is no longer a completed auction search because someone thought it was clever to call it “Just Sold listings” whether they sold or not.

Despite it detractors, I prefer poking around the new eBay Motors to going into any of the other major online car sites. Between the guides, reviews, statistics and the inventory, M2 has become a portal to the world of vehicles that is easier to get lost in than YouTube on a rainy day.

Test drive the new eBay Motors.

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Brenda Priddy Charity Auction for Gearheads

Just wanted to share a link to a charity auction on eBay hosted by spy photographer of the auto industry and concept car espionage specialist Brenda Priddy (featured here in MotorTrend).

Brenda has secured a Dodge Crew badge (a brief name for a crossover SUV that is now known as the Dodge Journey) and is offering it up along with a discarded piece of camouflage from the concept car, a Dodge Rubik’s cube that was given out on press day at the recent LA Auto Show and best of all, a 12” x 18” Brenda Priddy Co. photo of the Dodge Journey test vehicle.

Are these collectible items? Heck yeh! The emblem is a limited production item and piece of short history from Dodge that will never be reproduced and the photo is something that gearheads and Jalopnik geeks will swoon over.

Without further ado, jump to the auction HERE.

Bid well and enjoy a lot!

M

PS- If you win, you can choose the charity you want or choose from the following: Make A Wish Foundation,
American Heart Association, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, Fisher House, Shriners Hospitals for Children

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