First off, yes, the very author of this article about selling your car actually buys cars, and would likely buy yours. However, we might not be the right fit for you and with decades in the local Pinellas automotive industry, we have some insights to share (even if that means you sell your car elsewhere).

In this article we will start with the fasted yet lowest offer option in the start, ending with the most tedious and highest value option. Depending on your own personal and/or financial situation you may choose which is best for you.

Selling your vehicle in Pinellas, the top 7 list

Cash For Junk Cars

Offer Value: $
Quick Sell: 9/10

As simple as sending a selfie to your girlfriend, Cash For Junk Cars features a system where after making contact, they will request you send a photo of the car. They will then come to you with a tow truck (in the event the car does not run) and make you an offer on the spot. We’ve heard mixed reviews on whether actually pay cash or check, and the Google listing they have in St. Petersburg has had rather poor reviews in the recent year. They appear to also operate as a salvage yard, so if your car is running and has a good title, I’d highly suggest utilizing a different option for the sell of your car, truck or SUV.

Cash Auto Salvage

Offer Value: $$
Quick Sell: 8/10
Basically they appear to operate much like Cash For Junk Cars, however the purchase process may be a bit more in depth. On the plus side they do appear to have a much better online reputation. Again though, this is a salvage company, hence consider selling your running car elsewhere.

We Buy Any Car

Offer Value: $$
Quick Sell: 7/10
With a national level corporate system, this company is able to feature an in-depth online appraisal system to give you a digital offer, contingent on the car living up to your answers. We Buy Any Car will then have you bring the car to them to be inspected. Your car will then be sold by them (as with any reseller or wholesale buyer) and thus they can only offer you a viable amount given their time vested in the process and the resell value. As a large cooperation they will only have a small amount of wiggle room in the negotiation process.

Trade it in

Offer Value: $$
Quick Sell: 8/10
If you are looking to buy a new car, you may choose to simply trade your old car in at a local dealership. Dealerships however will offer you far less then the value of the car or use the tactic of offering the blue book value (generally only obtained when selling private party) however not budge an inch on the retail price of the car you are buying. Their markup is generally high enough on all vehicles on the lot to allow for some negotiation. Instead they often employ the tactic of making the buyer (also seller of their used vehicle) feel they are getting a great deal with the illusion of ‘over paying’ for the trade in.

CarMax

Offer Value: $$$
Quick Sell: 7/10
With a solid team and often overstaffed dealerships, simply take your car to CarMax, they will evaluate it and make you an offer. Corporate structure may dictate a lower rate then what other car buying specialists may be able to offer.

OfferMORE

Offer Value: $$$$
Quick Sell: 6/10
OfferMORE requires an additional step beyond the CarMax system, but you may find it worth it. Simply get an appraisal from a certified dealership and OfferMORE does just what their business name states… offers you MORE for your car then that appraisal amount. OfferMORE is able to to do this as they are not a large corporation but instead a small, Pinellas local family owned company. If you don’t want to spend the countless hours and risk selling your vehicle on the private party marketplace, car buying specialists like OfferMORE are a great solution when it comes time to sell your car, truck or SUV in the St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Pinellas County area.

For more information on selling to OfferMORE, click here.

Private Party

Offer Value: $$$$$
Quick Sell: 2/10
If you have the time to spend and the resources to sell your car on the private party marketplace, this option will yield the highest return. ‘Private Party’ refers to selling your car direct to the individual who will likely be driving your car for the coming years. However, when you list your car on any private party marketplace, such as Facebook Marketplace, you will also be inundated with used car buyers who want to pay you half what your car is worth. Some of the more determined resellers will even want to meet with you, test drive the car, kick the tires and once they feel you’ve vested some time into their purchase process, offer you half followed by a rigorous negotiation.

Recently a friend of ours went through this process and estimated he wasted about twelve hours of his time dealing with negotiations via text, phone, and in person meetings with potential buyers. He finally got what we wanted for the vehicle, but at $3,800 he could have just as well sold the car for a few hundred less and saved himself the time and aggravation of those lost hours.

More tips on selling your car on the private party marketplace.