[arnieshwartz]

Originally Posted by locusjag

The Orange Book Valuation (OBV) off of the home page of team-bhp gives a 'Fair' or 'good' condition value of around Rs.1.8 Lakhs onwards for your car's specs...assuming you're selling to a dealer. Try selling to an individual.

Edit - I wonder why the OBV tool doesn't ask nor take into account the garaging zip code, the title (whether clean or if under loan) and the number of owners. This is what all the used car valuation algorithms in the USA go by.
* Garaging zip code matters due to geographically variable factors such as corrosion, likelihood of damage to suspension and underbody due to road conditions etc. Also, it's important to be able to tell if the car could have been hit by floods, hail etc.
* Title matters to individual buyers a lot since there are delays and hassles involved if the seller is still under loan and the title is hypothecated to the financing company.
* Number of owners matters because...well, the fewer the better, ostensibly.

I eventually did sell to an individual, through OLX. We settled for 2L; the buyer seemingly liking the condition of the car in general.

I do agree with your other observations though. Personally, I'd give preference to a car that has been well maintained wrt the mechanicals rather than one that just "looks good". One can always care for the cosmetic parts later, knowing that the vehicle is going to serve him/her reliably.

[DDiSLover]

I faced the same thing when I was buying my new car. I had a Feb 2009 model Swift VDi (which I had adored, see my ownership thread for more information) and had clocked about 1,07,000 kms on it. Since it was a diesel swift, that too a 2009 model, it was in pretty good demand in the used car market. The fact that I had maintained it well and had a few decent (read tastefully) modifications, I was expecting a good price. When I hot Hyundai to take a look, they offered my 1.5 lakh.

This was on the 23rd of March, and I was planning on buying the elite i20 CRDI Asta(O) variant on full cash (thank you, dear grandparents!!). Now, I needed to buy the car before the 31st, as my dad was strict on getting the car before the end of the financial year.

Using this as leverage, and with a lot of background checking, (I heard that they were offering a 30K exchange bonus) I forced them to give me 2.3L + the 30K, totalling 2.5L for the Swift! Not bad for a car I paid 5.3L for, is it

My advice when dealing with car dealers for the exchange of your old car, demand the money and say you will sign the deal for the new car the moment you get the required quote for the old one. Sadly, it is the only way you can deal with car dealers in our country, as they are all looking to make the maximum gain at the buyer's expense.

[bdutta]

Originally Posted by aargee

In Jan 2017, despite knowing very well my WagonR should never be sold to Maruti for exchange, I gave-in just because those guys at Nexa said free evaluation. Despite refusing several times they said no strings attached & probably the thought of giving them another count to show on their job, I yielded.

Sure my WagonR was 13 years old pristine only with engine with visible visual blemishes & repainted door & bonnet & replaced quadra panel, they quoted Rs 65000. It was shockingly disappointing Even the RM at Nexa himself agreed the quote was low. However the evaluator showed some fancy tablet & said based on some inputs he obtained this figure. Since I knew all these drama, I smiled & moved on.

Anyway, I got double the price of what they quoted eventually.


My incident may be one of a case or I might've been lucky, but I got exactly what I quoted from Olx, absolutely no negotiations or whatsoever. Key was patience, research the market & quote a realistic & not inflated price. Had politely knocked off all the unwanted impatient buyers & broker one by one. I listed the car in Jan 2017 & sold on 19-Mar. I had 2 buyers who agreed to all my terms & conditions inclusive of price, date of sale, paper works & to my convenience. But I agree there were 1000 different questions from 100 different folks & eventually I would say just 1% turned into actual sale.

Thanks for sharing your experience. In a somewhat similar situation, and would like to sell my 2002-model Wagon-R LX. Have been low-balled by 3 different dealers and considering selling direct via Olx / Quikr -- however the recent incident in Bangalore where the person selling their car was kidnapped/dissapeared does cause some concern. There is definitely all kinds of shady characters lurking on those sites.

Are there some precautions to be taken when selling automobiles on such sites (apart from general caution) ? What form / mode is payment collected ? In what acceptable parts/when (S.a. after some handover, then remaining after something else is completed) ? Is the quoted figure inclusive of RTO transfer charges ? Who is responsible for the RTO transfer work ? If there is an existing dedicated thread for this topic, would be grateful for a pointer as I couldn't locate one.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by bdutta

Are there some precautions to be taken when selling automobiles on such sites (apart from general caution)?

Better be safe than sorry; most of the time rely on your instinct & common sense. Go through TBhp threads.

Originally Posted by bdutta

What form / mode is payment collected?

Bank transfer is safest method

Originally Posted by bdutta

In what acceptable parts/when (S.a. after some handover, then remaining after something else is completed)?

Didn't understand

Originally Posted by bdutta

Is the quoted figure inclusive of RTO transfer charges? Who is responsible for the RTO transfer work?

Buyer

[krishnadevjs]

Last August, when we were planning to sell off our 3 year old City iDtec VX, the Skoda dealers offered Rs. 6.5 Lacs. I tried using cars24.com but quickly realized they were just a sham. They quoted Rs. 5.5 lacs. In the end, I sold the car on OLX for Rs. 8.6 lacs, which I believe is a fair price given how immaculately the car was maintained.

So, I guess it's always better to sell to an individual rather than a dealer or a reseller to get the best price recovery for your old car.

[HappyRoadie]

I am facing the same situation currently. I called up the Tata Motors dealer for a quote of my vehicle which is Tata Safari Dicor LX with 68000 kms in ODO. After taking the details I was quoted a shocking price of 1.5L. I never knew that they will quote me such a pathetic price. Now I have posted the ad on olx. Getting good response. Hope I seal the deal quickly.

[PrasannaDhana]

Guys, I got a decent resale for my Dicor. 3.25 lakhs plus 15k exchange bonus for the new Storme 400. Happily gave away the car. A good price for a 1.4 lakhs run 6 year old base safari dicor

[pedrolourenco]

Originally Posted by GTO

Then, tell the dealer that you'll give him your new car business only if he gives you a fair price on your trade-in. Be sure to mention a fair well-researched value of what your car is worth.

This is exactly what I did when I upgraded from an i10 to a Rapid.

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Sellers who maintain a calm, business head and are in no hurry, slowly and slowly reach their fair price goal, whereas the not so informed/impatient sellers get fleeced.

This is again something I always do.

For example, a DUDE called me to offer me Rs500 for a phone, which I had put up on sale for Rs5000.
I politely replied to him that "500 mein phone ka cover milega, chahiye kya", and added that the cover was also for sale, and he is welcome to come home and collect the same.

I did a bit better than you. I was selling my RX100 and an Extreme Low Baller called. He was staying 60 Km away. I told him to come. After he inspected the bike I told him I needed to take it to the mechanic. He asked why? I told him I need to remove the engine. I told him that I said I would sell you the bike for the offered price. I didn't say it included the engine. You can only imagine his reaction after that.

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Guys, I got a decent resale for my Dicor. 3.25 lakhs plus 15k exchange bonus for the new Storme 400. Happily gave away the car. A good price for a 1.4 lakhs run 6 year old base safari dicor

Safari is not easy to sell. I had bought a 3.0 4x4 Dicor some years ago for 2L. I actually low balled the guy for 1L when he quoted 3L. After spending 25K on sprucing it up I got lucky with a guy who offered 3.25 L. I had no intention of selling as I had bought it for my sunday use. However the offer was too good to ignore. Now the guy wants to sell and upgrade to a Fortunner. He is having a tough time selling.

[fordfreak]

I'm looking to sell my December 2011 VW Passat (2.0 TDI Highline) with around 50,500 KMs on the ODO. The car is well maintained and I have kept a very detailed log about it's service/repair/maintenance history, so the buyer would have complete knowledge about what he/she is buying.

Asked the Toyota dealer (since I am planning on finalizing on a new Altis) for an offer and was given a figure of Rs 3.25 Lakh for the Passat. I laughed at him and politely asked him not to waste my time until they had a serious offer.

Since I am in no hurry to sell, I will not be placing the order for a new car until the Passat is sold. It's up to the dealer to come to me with a serious offer if he wants to hurry the sale. At the moment, I have gotten a couple of decent offers on OLX. Just have to wait and see if the (potential) buyers are serious.

[the_skyliner]

Originally Posted by fordfreak

Asked the Toyota dealer (since I am planning on finalizing on a new Altis) for an offer and was given a figure of Rs 3.25 Lakh for the Passat. I laughed at him and politely asked him not to waste my time until they had a serious offer.

How ridiculous! Don't even think of waiting for a reasonable offer from them. Better to sell it online or you can also try cars24. Heard decent reviews about them and when I called them up a year ago, the experience was quite good.

[fordfreak]

Originally Posted by the_skyliner

How ridiculous! Don't even think of waiting for a reasonable offer from them. Better to sell it online or you can also try cars24. Heard decent reviews about them and when I called them up a year ago, the experience was quite good.

I agree. I have a already put the car on OLX and on the classifieds on T-BHP (waiting for approval). Unfortunately cars24 do not have a branch in West Bengal, so they aren't an option.

[SJM1214]

My experience of selling Santro Zipdrive 2003/98475km.

My first option was to Exchange it at MS Dealer. I visited local MS dealer, showed my eagerness to book an MS Brezza if they give me a good rate for my car with some exchange bonus. True Value executive checked my car, my docs, insurance status and had a small test drive. He asked me to come inside and offered me cold-drink (maybe to swallow the shock he was going to give me). He offered me 30k without any exchange bonus! MS Brezza is their good going product, so I could understand that they can’t offer any exchange bonus. But 30k for my well-maintained Santro!! It was insulting for both of us (me and my Santro). I said no, in fact mildly abused that guy for quoting that low.

My second option was Hyundai, Downtown. I approached Hyundai SE. Hyundai SE checked my car. He knew me because before finalizing MS Brezza, I TDed Hyundai Creta. He had some words with the exchange in charge. Exchange in charge offered me 90k if I go for Hyundai Creta ( or any Hyundai Car). It was an amazing offer for a 14-years old car but Hyundai Creta(1.6 CRDI) was out of my reach. Hyundai SE knew that (Creta was not shortlisted) but he was trying all of his sales skills and gimmicks on me.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by fordfreak

I agree. I have a already put the car on OLX and on the classifieds on T-BHP (waiting for approval). Unfortunately cars24 do not have a branch in West Bengal, so they aren't an option.

Have patience and wait it out, you will find the right buyer.

In the case of our Laura which was sold a few months back, we were offered 4L by Skoda (in exchange for another Skoda) & cars24 etc. didn't give a much better valuation either.
Unfortunately, some cars are jinxed with worries of high upkeep cost - the Laura and Passat being prime examples which impact their resale values.

Eventually sold it to a individual buyer for significantly more.