Get car dealers to bid on your trade-in

Buying a new car is stressful enough.

Trying to get a fair value for your trade-in makes it even tougher.

So imagine if you walked into the dealership, knowing in advance what they would give you for your old car? It's now possible thanks to a number of websites.

No One Looks Forward to Haggling

If there's one part of the car buying process that many of us hate, it's asking the dealer how much he can give you on your old trade.

Dan Carr hates it. "They try to low ball you," he said.

So he was thrilled to learn of a new way to go into the dealership knowing exactly what they are going to pay for your trade, instead of that age old back office haggle.
    
Justin Bates is CEO of a new online company called "Max Trade-in," at www.maxtradein.com . It services several midwestern markets, including Cincinnati and Indianapolis, and is expanding to other cities.

Bates said he has seen many car buyers frustrated at trade-in time. "They are excited to buy their new vehicle, they negotiate a price on that," he said, "and then they have to go through another negotiation process on their trade-in value."

The premise of his website is simple:  You enter your car's model and condition and wait for offers.

Peyman Rashid, tech director of the site, explained "you can simply enter your VIN number and zip code, and we will identify what make and model your car is."

You then pick up to 5 or 6 local dealers you'd like a quote from, and wait for an offer.
    
Honda dealer Chris Heck, of Superior Honda, says it is already taking off at his dealership. "It takes the mystery out of it for our customers and makes for a more relaxing and fun event."

Other Sites Worth Considering

Max Trade-in is not the only site like this: Autotrader's Trade-in Marketplace has now  made 3 million offers since it started up 3 years ago.

And the CarMax chain of dealerships will also make you an offer on your trade before you come in, if you are considering buying a used car.

Of course you will almost always get more money for your car selling it yourself through Autotrader, CraigsList, or a local ad.

But that takes time and a lot of effort. So these new services may be worth considering, so you don't waste your money.
    
As always, don't waste your money.

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