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if i sell my car via autotrader or similar sites, can i be a private person?

i had a look at autotrader.co.uk and all sellers seem to be businesses (dealers). if i place my ad as private will i sell successfully or it is better to go thru a dealer? if i use a car dealer, will i get cash upfront or will i need to wait until they sell my car to get my money?

Public Comments

1. You can sell privately in AutoTrader. If you sell it to a dealer you won't get as much money as selling it privately. You'll get the cash (well, a cheque) straight away.
2. Depends on what terms you agree to with the dealer, Make a deal thats why they are called dealers ;)
3. All publications that sell cars is full of dealer ads. But that doesn't prevent you from selling as an individual. Having a dealer sell the car for you is called - putting the car on "Consignment". Not all dealers work that way but some will. They will take a commission or selling fee for acting as your agent.
4. To be honest, no major dealership will allow a consignment sale simply because of the liability involved. I would suggest putting your ad on autotrader as it is one of the best publications available. Even if it is full of dealerships trying to sell cars, the reason the dealers are there in the first place is because of how many people read the publication. Basically, more market awareness. You can try a smaller lot and ask about a consignment, however my experiences never yield positive results for the seller. Good luck and I hope this helps.