Craiglsist Cars (2024)

FAQs

How effective is Craigslist for selling cars? ›

Getting your inventory listed on Craigslist is one of the most profitable ways to advertise your cars. It's proven that car buyers on Craigslist tend to convert much quicker than on any other classifieds. The conversion rate on Craigslist can be as high as 10%, and that's huge.

You can start the bottom end of your range with a lower price estimate of the car's current market value. For example, if a car has a market value of $25,000, you can start your negotiation at $23,000 or $22,000. Avoid going too much lower than the market value, as it may offend the person selling their car.

Craigslist has a spot to routinely list the VIN on ads for this reason. Repeat used car buyers look askance at sellers who won't provide the VIN. There really is nothing a buyer can do with the VIN to cause the seller harm.

Set a target price (one that you're willing to buy or sell at) Set your first offer at 65% of that price (if you're buying), or 135% of that price (if you're selling) Move your offer in three increments: 85% (or 115%), 95% (or 105%), and then finally 100%.

Make a reasonable offer that reflects both the Private Party Value you found and how closely the car matches the condition the seller claimed it was. First explain how you determined your offer (unreported damage or defects, repairs you will have to pay for, missing features) and then announce your offer.

Use a secure form of payment

One of the most important Craigslist precautions is to be wary of scammers. In almost all cases, you are best off accepting cash for a Craigslist sale. Personal checks can bounce, and scammers can fake cashier's checks and money orders.

Yes, you can negotiate on the price of a car. However, it helps to do your research on the vehicle's fair market value and out-the-door price beforehand so that you know how much room you have to haggle.

Is It Safe To Give A Stranger My Vehicle Identification Number? Yes! Because VIN data is not public record, providing your car's VIN to a potential buyer, whether online or in person, is completely safe. A VIN number can only be used to obtain general information about the service records and history of your vehicle.

Should you share a VIN number when selling a car? ›

It provides buyers with essential details on the car's history, such as its model year, past recalls, and service records. Fortunately, sharing your VIN number is entirely safe and secure when selling a car privately. The VIN does not contain any personal information about you, the seller.

Another question is whether the seller will be providing a vehicle history report. If not, ask for the car's vehicle identification number, or VIN, so you can order a history report yourself. The most popular vehicle history reports can be purchased from Carfax or AutoCheck, with a single report costing less than $50.

What is considered high mileage on a car? Often, 100,000 miles is considered a cut-off point for used cars because older vehicles often start requiring more expensive and frequent maintenance when mileage exceeds 100,000.

Start saving ASAP and consider using cash for the purchase

That's because the more you can pay up front in cash for that first car, the smaller your monthly payments will be. Don't use all your savings, though — remember you need a cushion for some emergencies or unexpected expenses that may come up!

Generally, buying a car outright is the cheapest way of owning a new car, as you'll only be paying the cost of the vehicle, without interest. But if you do not have the money upfront, or you do not want to pay a lump sum straight away, leasing is an alternative.

Avoid adding any personal information in the posting, including your name, real phone number or real email address. Always use the generated email address on your Craigslist posts. This creates a random email address, so the poster doesn't have your real email on file.

To identify a scam listing on Craigslist, look for these red flags: prices that are too good to be true, vague or generic item descriptions, poor grammar and spelling in the listing, a sense of urgency to complete the transaction, and requests for personal information or unconventional payment methods.