Interior Photos of Your Car Recommended

One simple and overlooked step in listing a vehicle for sale online is including photos of the interior of your vehicle. Some people like to snap a photo of the dashboard, specifically the odometer. While a quality view of the dashboard console is nice, zoom out a bit and get the whole console. Also snap a pic of the driver's seat, back seats and trunk. The more photos you add, the better online experience you create for a potential buyer.

GOOD PHOTOS SELL A CAR!

Once Driven's Photo Recommendations:

• Front Corner
• Back Corner
• Front Seats from Passenger Side
• Back Seats from Passenger Side
• Engine
• Trunk
• Interior Detail Shot (Optional)

Here are a few good examples from one of our customers.

This vehicle can be viewed here if you are interested:
http://www.oncedriven.com/used-car/Ford-Focus/6353709966.aspx

Should I Hide My License Plate in Photos?

The short answer:  No

The practice of blocking, hiding or obscuring the license plate of a car in pictures isn't entirely new; however, it does seem to have grown in popularity in recent years. And to be honest, we aren't entirely certain why. It's clearly being done to protect personal identity, but there is little evidence to suggest your personal information is at risk simply by displaying your license plate. In fact, don't we drive around every day with our plates exposed to the general public?

Here's our lighthearted roundup of a few methods used to achieve this level of stealth.

Daylight Savings Equals A Time To Sell.

For many, daylight savings, or 'Springing Forward' is an unwelcome loss of sleep. For others, it marks another hour of much wanted daylight. Many see this as a time to begin spending more time outside working in the yard or exercising. Others see it as the mark of the warmer season soon to come.

Much like the real estate industry, car buying and selling trends change with the onset of warmer weather. Your certain to see more real estate 'For Sale' signs popping up AND there will also be an uptick in individuals looking to buy and sell vehicles. Family vacations, spring breaks, sunny skies, and increased desire for outdoor activities are all triggers for individuals and families to contemplate purchasing a new (or new/used) vehicle.

Our suggestion is to not drag your feet. If you are looking to get into a new vehicle or simply thinking of selling an old one, now is the time. Get it on the market before the market is saturated. Give the vehicle a good cleaning, throw a sign in the window and get it listed online. As always, give us a call if youre having difficulty getting it sold.

Happy Selling!
Mike
Once Driven
888-941-6515
www.oncedriven.com

Consider Having Your Car Detailed Before Selling.

If you are selling a used car, you might want to think about having it detailed prior to selling it. Many auto spas, car washes and car dealerships will offer a "Detailing Package". Depending on where you live, this may only cost around $100-$200 for a very thorough cleaning.

Why spend money like that on a car you are selling? If you're car is older it most likely has some stains and or smells that are difficult to remove. Some of the pros will steam clean stains making your upholstery look better than it has in years. They will clean all of the dust out of the tiny nooks and crannies and make the dash and console look like new.

Think about it this way. If you are selling a vehicle for $6,000, you could get $6,500 if the interior is showroom fresh. That $100 investment could yield a $400 return. Even if it doesn't drive up the sale price, it could mean the difference in a quick sale or a sale that takes months.

Another quick tip:  Have the car detailed BEFORE you take the pictures and put it online for the world to see.

Is your used vehicle priced competitively?

Ok, it's time to sell that vehicle that's been sitting in your driveway for the past few years. You've got it clean and shiny, with no toys or trash in the cup holder. Wow, it's almost making you second guess selling it, except for the fact that you have a new car sitting in the drive beside it. Now you ask yourself  "How much do I want to ask for it?" This is where many people get into trouble.

There are right ways and wrong ways to price a vehicle. Some of the wrong ways are:

- I want what I owe on the loan.  (WRONG)
- I want what that dealership is asking for one on their Used Car lot (WRONG)
- I want $10,000 because that's what it's worth to me. (WRONG)

In order to sell a vehicle (especially online), you need to price it so that it's competitive in your marketplace.  The best place to start is to price it with some of the nationally recognized services such as Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com) or NADA (nadaguides.com). They have pricing tools that allow you to enter mileage, condition, location and a myriad of other options your vehicle may have.

Secondly, you should search for vehicles similar to yours that are for sale in your area. If there are 5 other Honda Accords for sale in your town, you need to be priced competitively with those. Determine why your vehicle may be a better choice for a buyer. Is it clean, well-kept, low mileage, regularly serviced or is it a specialty package with leather, premium wheels, etc.  All of these little factors will stand out when shoppers look at your vehicle. If your price is higher than average, you have to be the one to help justify this in buyers minds.

Lastly, don't bank on pricing it high and negotiating down to the number you really want. It's easier to have someone call and justify what you are asking than having no one call at all.  THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES USED CAR SELLERS MAKE.

If you need any assistance selling or pricing, give Once Driven a call 888-941-6515. Our friendly representative will not only give you some great options for helping get it sold, but we perform a pricing analysis on all of our customer's vehicles.

Good luck and happy selling!

Legit buyer or not? Once Driven.

Once Driven - How do I know if a buyer is legit?

There are many people on the Internet trying to scam individuals out of their vehicle and/or money. So how can you tell if a buyer is legit? After years of selling vehicles online, we've heard of many schemes and scams. Since the late 1990's, most of them have been transacted via email due to the ease and anonymity of setting up email accounts.

The simplest way to determine if someone is legit is to have them call you. If you are selling a vehicle on Once Driven and someone suspicious emails you, ask them to call you to discuss the vehicle. Considering most scams originate from overseas or foreign countries, the vast majority of scammers will move on to their next target. Phone numbers are traceable and it's difficult to hide their true intentions via phone.

If someone does try to perpetuate a scam via phone, it is typically done by pretending to call from a company.  Over the years, our staff has been alerted to individuals calling on customers on behalf of Once Driven.  If you ever receive a call from Once Driven, please listen for a name and phone number. No representative from our company will call a buyer or seller without leaving proper credentials.

If you would like to learn more about common Internet car buying scams, visit this page:

http://www.oncedriven.blogspot.com/2013/07/beware-of-common-used-car-buying-scams.html

If you feel a Once Driven representative contacted you errantly OR if you simply wish not to have a representative contact you, please visit this page:

http://oncedriven.com/quality-assurance/

If you have additional questions, feel free to chat live with representative on our website or call our Customer Support Team at 888-941-6515.

Taking good photos of your used car is important to selling.

It is said "A picture is worth a thousand words.", or in the case of selling a vehicle, it could be worth thousands of dollars. When selling a used car, sellers should understand the importance good photos play in the process. Studies have shown that online listings with photos are viewed nearly twice as much as those without. Once Driven recommends having four photos (or more) that give buyers a good overall look at the vehicle.

Here are a few recommendations:

Wash the vehicle.

Clean cars photo well and suggest to buyers they have been maintained.

Take photos in a well-lit area.

Avoid distracting shadows from trees, etc. Choose a nice, sunny day.

Include an interior picture.
The driver's seat and dash area are good. Remove trash and personal belongings.

Omit people from the photo.
Including people in the photo may distract buyers and/or send the wrong message.

Include photos of what you want buyers to see.

If you have custom wheels, engine or an immaculately maintained interior, include a photo.

Here are a few examples of photos that need improvement:

Clean, decent lighting, the signs and shadows are a bit distracting.

Car has decent lighting, but it's filthy.

Trash in the floorboard is a no-no. Looks like a fresh spill.

Nice, clean interior. Should have captured more of the console.