Ten Rules of Online Used Car Sales Etiquette (Especially For Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace)

Selling and buying cars online from private sellers can be an amazing opportunity for all parties involved, but there are some rules of etiquette that need to be followed for the system to work. Most of thee rules will be just common sense, but you would be surprised at how many people lack common sense on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and the internet in general. So let’s address ten key rules to follow for selling your car online in order to not look like an imbecile.

#1. Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

If a car listing has no picture or no full exterior photo, I never even bother asking to check out your car. Posting no picture is tantamount to putting up a blank billboard with just a product name. Ideally, you should have one good full shot, a front shot, rear shot, multiple inside shots, and a shot with the hood up. Also, make sure you don’t take blurry photos or crop out the edges of the car, and absolutely never take your primary pictures in the dark. I will inspect the car further before pulling the trigger, but good pictures only make prospective buyers, like me, more interested. If it has a big rust spot, I will find out, so no sense trying to hide it and wasting my time. Bad, few, or no pictures at all are the biggest problem on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and other private online car sales platforms.

#2. Always List Whether Your Car Is Manual or Automatic Transmission

I think it goes without saying here, but a little common sense would go a long way. Many people are searching for rare manual models of commonly automatic cars, and when you don’t put whether your car has a manual or automatic transmission and then provide no interior picture showing the shifter, you waste peoples time. Don’t tell me you thought all cars are automatic either because then you are just stupid and incapable of maintaining a car.

#3. Don't Overprice Your Car and Say "No Low-ball Offers" or "Firm"

Too often, people online will discover there is a decent amount of demand for their particular car, and then take this to mean,”Hey buddy, this car is now worth double what you think it is”. To sell a car online, you need to be able to take in offers as they come, and know that a starting offer of $2k on a car you priced at 5.5k which is really worth 2.5-3k is not a lowball offer. Lowballing is offering 2k for a car that is worth above 7k. Also, saying that your car is priced “firm” just means people will have to wait until you finally crack and lower the price.

#4. Include Specs and Important Information in the Car's Bio

You don’t need to be a specs sheet god and master appraiser, but some facts people would like available are mileage, transmission type, engine liters, year, model name (seriously, some people forget), optional extras, service information, aftermarket parts, drivetrain configuration (awd, fwd, rwd, or 4wd), and the rust condition. The more information the better, and two lines is not enough. Also, try to write it in English if you’re trying to sell the car in America, because trust me, it’ll reach more people that way (generally, try and sell the car using the native language, unless you are trying to sell the car to someone outside of your country).

#5. If a Car Does Not Run Make Sure to Put That in the Title If It's Not Obvious

There’s nothing worse than thinking you have found the perfect deal only to read the dreaded words “blown head gasket” at the bottom of the bio. This one has gotten my hopes up multiple times, just to send them crashing down. Have some sense people, and don’t try being a trickster.

#6. Only Sell Cars in the Cars Section

Basically, just don’t sell parts or anything that’s not a car or parts car in the car section (there’s a place for that stuff). Also, don’t post that you are looking for a certain car in a non-trade offer (there’s also a proper section for that).

#7. Don't Give TMI

By “to much information” I mean personal information that’s not about the car. There’s no reason to know exactly why the seller needs to sell the car, and it only puts the seller in a worse place in negotiations if I know how much he or she need to sell the car. Nobody is going to give you more money for the car because it’s your grandad’s old Cadillac who has cancer and has to go into hospice care, and nobody cares that you need to sell the car due to your wife cheating and leaving you for some alpha male bodybuilding millionaire stockbroker named Chad, thus making it so you have to sell your 1997 Toyota Corolla Wagon to pay for child support (which exists only to destroy society and steal your money). I’m trying to buy a car, if you have personal issues go somewhere else with that. Information is good, but only when it is about the car and helpful to a prospective buyer.

#8. Avoid Being Super Picky About Trades

It’s ok to be open for trades, but some trade offers are just plain stupid. If you’re looking for a specific car or other items, it’s best just to ask for cash and then buy that car or other items with the money. Generally, it’s smarter to be open to cash offers even if you would be willing to do a trade.

#9. Don't Post the Same Car Multiple Times on the Same Platform

Generally, you should only post the car up for sale with one post at a time. If for some reason you need to redo the posting, please don’t leave the old one up, it really confuses people, and gets the buyers hopes up that they are looking at a new car when they have looked at it already. People also do this thinking they are just expanding the reach by posting, but that’s just not how it works and even if it did, that’s called spamming, which most sites frown against and have policies against.

#10. Don't Provide False Information or Try To Be Deceptive

Providing false information either through deception or incompetence does not bode well for selling your car. Too often I see people using the wrong car name, putting the wrong type of transmission (CVT with paddles is still automatic), using a picture of the same model of car that’s not of your particular car, and/or leaving out major mechanical or body rust issues. Generally, people can tell when a seller is trying to be deceptive, and that’s not someone most people are willing to buy from. Also, if you provide false information through incompetence, why should I believe you were competent enough to take care of the car? Nobody likes false information out there, and generally you will be better off telling nothing but the whole truth.

Other info

There’s much more to consider besides these ten rules, which includes allowing for a test drive, meeting somewhere close to the seller but not their house if it runs, not agreeing to or requiring an offer until after a test drive, being generally polite, understanding people’s tight schedules, and some things which are just general common sense (not that most of these rules aren’t just common sense). If both parties act appropriately and with intelligence, buying a on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or anywhere else online can be a positive experience. Even with all the mistakes people make in listing their cars for sale online, I still believe that online car sales present a great opportunity for people to find the exact car that they are looking for at a reasonable price. That’s all Car Throttle, comment down below your own experiences, positive or negative, with online private car sales on Craigslist or any other platform. Also, mention any rules I may have glossed over. #blogpost #craigslist #facebookmarketplace #carsales #cybermonday