【Car Sale Experience】A Difference of Up to 650,000 Yen! A Real Story After Debating Dealer Trade-in

I decided to part with my Mitsubishi Delica D:5 that I had for 6 years. Initially, the dealer's appraisal was 2,100,000 yen, but by utilizing a car buying service, I recorded my actual experience of selling it for a final price of 2,750,000 yen.

The trigger was a comment from a friend who used to work at a car dealership

I decided to part with my Mitsubishi Delica D:5, which I had driven for 6 years, to buy a new car. The first thing I did was to have it appraised at a dealership, and the offered amount was 2.1 million yen. After much contemplation on "Is this a fair price?", I consulted with my friend from the car dealership and decided to use a certain car buying appraisal website.

As a result, I was able to sell it for 2.75 million yen. This time, I recorded my real experience of how I practiced selling the car at a higher price and with satisfaction.

I bought the Delica D:5 new 6 years ago and drove it about 70,000 kilometers with my family. It was a beloved car filled with many memories with my family, but even though I decided to part with it, I was troubled about how to sell it.

I was wondering, "Is it really okay to just trade it in at the dealership?" When I was in doubt, a friend advised me, "You should get multiple estimates instead of just relying on the dealer." Encouraged by those words, I decided to reconsider my selling method.

I decided to use a website that offers prices from buying shops in an auction format

The initial representative from a certain dealership candidly explained, "Honestly, trade-ins at dealerships will inevitably result in lower offers." I appreciated their sincere approach, but it also sparked the hope that "maybe I could sell it for a higher price?"

Thus, I decided to try the site that my friend recommended, which allows receiving appraisals from buying shops in an auction format.

Comparison appraisal process with three purchasing companies

This site offers a service where you can compare rough estimates from up to 20 companies online. I applied online immediately and checked the rough estimates. The next day, I received calls from the top three companies to schedule appraisal dates at my home. At that moment, I thought, "It's a hassle to repeat the same explanation three times," so I decided to compile the vehicle information on paper.

Basically, it was designed to allow smooth progress in appraisals while avoiding a rush of phone calls. In fact, the only companies that called were the top three in the rough estimates. There was no stress from constant contact from many companies, which was a valuable point that allowed me to compare calmly.

The compiled information is as follows:

・Vehicle type, model year, grade
・Odometer reading
・Presence or absence of accident history
・Equipped genuine options
・Presence or absence of maintenance records
・Details of recent inspections and maintenance, etc.

Since I was generally asked the same questions, I was able to smoothly share the information with the appraisers by having it printed and prepared in advance.

Results can change from site appraisal assessment to real company confirmation

First, based on the rough estimates from the photos and vehicle information, the following amounts were presented by each company:

1st place: Company A 2.643 million - 2.76 million yen
2nd place: Company B 2.505 million - 2.55 million yen
3rd place: Company C 2.486 million - 2.60 million yen

At this point, I predicted that the company in first place would remain the highest in the end.

However, after actually having the vehicle seen at home, the final appraisal amount changed as follows.

A difference of up to 650,000 yen! The key point for the appraisal was here

1st place: Company B 2.75 million yen (final)
2nd place: Company A 2.64 million yen (final)
3rd place: Company C 2.4902 million yen (final)

Surprisingly, the company that was initially in 2nd place rose to 1st place after the actual vehicle inspection. I feel that using the vehicle carefully on a daily basis, washing it on the day of the inspection, and having the maintenance record book greatly influenced the appraisal results.

Insights for a satisfactory car sale

This time, by thoroughly comparing dealer appraisals and purchase companies when letting go of the car, I was able to create a difference of up to 650,000 yen. By utilizing car purchase sites and having three companies compete against each other, I achieved a sale that was more satisfactory than I had imagined. For those who are planning to let go of their treasured vehicle, comparing multiple appraisals may yield good results.

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