Sell Us Your Car

Why DePaula?

We Want Your Vehicle: Our Top Dollar Guarantee

Are you ready to turn your car into cash? It’s as easy as visiting one of the DePaula Auto Group dealers: DePaula Ford, DePaula Chevrolet, or DePaula Mazda. But why do we want you to sell us your car?

The used car market is flourishing, with sales at an all-time high. As a result, the demand for affordable used cars, trucks, and SUVs is higher than the supply, putting you in an excellent position. You have more leverage when it’s time to trade in or sell your vehicle, which gives you every opportunity to turn your car into easy money!

Our dealerships are renowned for their extensive inventories that guarantee there’s something for every budget and driving need in one convenient location. This saves customers like you valuable time and money. However, maintaining that inventory means constantly restocking our lots, and that’s where you can help. We’ll pay top dollar for your trade with no commitment to purchase your next vehicle from us. It’s as easy as visiting one of our dealerships to value your vehicle, discuss a fair price, and finalize the sale!

Why Sell to a Dealer?

Most people believe that selling their vehicles themselves guarantees they’ll make more money. However, that’s not usually the case. Why? Here’s a closer look at what happens when you sell your vehicle privately and how selling to a dealer saves you valuable time and earns you higher profits.

#1 Minimal Prep Work

Dealerships like ours are excited to buy your vehicle because we have the team and tools to restore and recondition your car, truck, or SUV, so it’s ready to resell. When you sell your vehicle privately, you’re responsible for repairing or reconditioning the car so that it attracts potential buyers. This prep work is an investment of time and money, often requiring mechanical inspections, professional detailing, and other cosmetic upgrades like replacing broken lights, buying new floor mats, etc.

#2 Time Isn’t a Factor

Selling your vehicle to a dealership is a fast and straightforward process, taking mere minutes compared to the time you’ll invest when you sell your car privately. For example, you can drive to one of our dealerships today, and we’ll give you top dollar for your vehicle. On the other hand, when you sell your car yourself, you may wait months before finding a potential buyer only to discover the buyer isn’t interested, and you must start the process over.

#3 Avoid Scams

Not everyone has good intentions, which is a significant risk you take when selling your vehicle yourself. There’s always the possibility of getting scammed or putting yourself in a position that threatens your safety. You can mitigate this risk by selling to a reputable dealership like DePaula Mazda, DePaula Ford, or DePaula Chevrolet, where our team is always looking out for you.

#4 Fair Market Price

DePaula Auto Group has decades of experience in the automotive business, which works in your favor when selling a vehicle. We know the ins and outs of the process and how to value your car, truck, or SUV based on the fair market price. Our goal is to ensure you get top dollar for your trade, so we rely on our experience and tools like Kelley Blue Book to make that happen. We also encourage every customer to get the Kelley Blue Book Value for their vehicle so that they know what the model is worth and where to start negotiations.

When you sell your vehicle privately, a potential buyer isn’t interested in the fair market price. Instead, they’re aiming to get the best deal possible and will look for every way to accomplish this. For example, they might find dents, dings, or scratches on the exterior to negotiate a lower price, or they may argue that the mileage is too high so that you lower the price to make a quick sale.

#5 More Post-Sale Options

Selling your vehicle to a dealership gives you several options after your purchase. First, you can walk away with cash in hand because there’s no commitment to buy your next vehicle from one of our dealerships. However, if you’re looking for a newer model, you’re in the perfect place with the DePaula team.

You can use your current vehicle as a trade-in, applying our offer to your next purchase. For example, if you’ve paid off your vehicle and we give you $10,000 for your trade, you can put that money toward your next purchase. You can even save on taxes since you’ll only have to pay sales tax on the difference between the cost of your new car and the value of your trade. It’s a win-win because it helps you get behind the wheel of a newer, better-equipped, more economical, and safer model.

FAQs: Things You Should Know

Now that you know the benefits of selling to a dealership, what else should you know? With decades of experience in the industry, we’re putting our expertise to good use. Here’s a guide to some of our most frequently asked questions to help you get the most for your car.

How Do I Know I’m Getting Top Dollar?

We promise to give you top dollar for your trade because every DePaula Auto Group dealership operates on integrity and transparency. When you sell your vehicle to us, we base our offer on the fair market price or what buyers are currently paying for the exact vehicle in our area. This offer is a starting point for negotiations, which is why we encourage our customers to know the value of their car before they accept any offer. Tools like Kelley Blue Book, Consumer Reports, and the National Automobile Dealers Association are reputable sites that will estimate the value of your car so that you have confidence in the sale.

Can I Still Sell My Car if It’s Financed?

Selling a financed car is incredibly common, requiring only a few extra steps before the sale. For starters, you’ll need to contact the lender and find out the loan payoff amount or how much you owe on the vehicle. This payoff tells you how much you need to get for the car to satisfy the loan. Why is this important?

Let’s say that you have $5,000 remaining on your loan, and we’ve offered you $10,000 for your trade. This nets you $5,000, which you can apply to your next purchase, and puts you in a positive equity situation. However, if your vehicle is only worth $3,000, you’re in a negative equity situation because it’s your responsibility to pay the $2,000 to satisfy the loan. Ideally, you want to put yourself in a position where you break even or have positive equity that you can use toward your next purchase.

How Do I Prepare My Vehicle for the Sale? Or Do I Have To?

When you sell your vehicle to a dealership, you don’t have to take any extra measures to prepare or recondition it. However, there is a caveat to this if you’re looking to get the most for your car, truck, or SUV. First impressions are everything, and that’s true for your vehicle. You can take a few extra minutes to stop at a drive-thru car wash and remove any trash or clutter from the interior, a minimal investment that can have a dramatic payoff when it’s time to sell.

What Paperwork Do I Need?

Before you sell your vehicle to one of our dealerships, you’ll need to get your paperwork together. This includes the title if you own the car or the lender information if it’s financed. You’ll also need proof of insurance, your driver’s license, and vehicle registration. By getting this paperwork together in advance, you can save valuable time and enjoy the perks of an efficient and straightforward sale!