How did you folks do it ?
#21
In some states, you can still take advantage of the tax break and still sell privately, if you have a notarized, bill-of-sale, dated within a certain time frame of purchasing your replacement vehicle.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#22
Melting Slicks
I sold my 2007 vert on the forum within a few days of listing it and ordered a new vert from Kerbeck. Timed the pickup of my new vert and the pickup from the buyer of my old vert within days of each other. Both transactions went smooth and didn't have to bother with tire kickers.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#23
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One thing you might want to check out before deciding whether a trade in or private sell is best is to check with your state DMV and see what the law says about private sales and the ability to claim a sales tax credit for it. I know in this state if you privately sell a car within a certain period of time of buying another car, you can claim the sales price against the new car price for sales tax purposes.
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#25
Sold my 2004 vette by listing on eBay. First time I listed did it as a buy it now option, bid to within $1500 of my reserve. Second time listed at $100 with a reserve, ended up getting $500 more than my reserve and a nice gentleman flew in to get her that weekend. I did lose sales tax credit but buying a new car without the trade makes the deal oh so sweet.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#26
Race Director
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#27
Le Mans Master
My local Carmax beat the big dealers I contacted by literally THOUSANDS of dollars on my C6 GS trade-in when I was looking for a C7. And that's not even considering shipping. I sold my GS to Carmax for cash and bought my C7 elsewhere.
Lots of people seem to have a problem with Carmax, but the check they gave me cashed and spent just fine...
+1, here.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#28
I'm now about to contact dealers to price out 2017 GS coupe and get trade in value for my 2004 coupe with 17,600 miles. If trade value is good I will order GS and get it the way I want. If not I will try to sell on my own and mostly miss the order cut off date and have to find one on lot, Which might be difficult being I want Spice Red interior with Blade silver as my #1 choice and haven't found one on a dealer inventory yet. Question is which worked out for you best selling out right or trade ? I know about not having to pay tax on value of trade when comparing to private sale. Thanks Dave
Shop around, get trade values from 3-4 dealers, understand that the realistic retail value is perhaps $3-$4K more, then TRADE THE CAR and move on. Bear in mind that you generally pay less sales tax than if you don't have a trade, so that will narrow the difference to maybe $2K. $2K to deal with all the idiot tire kickers on the used Corvette market? Not for me. My 2007 C6 Coupe, stick, 3LT, (no Z51, transparent roof) MINT condition, new-ish tires (5K miles) was worth $16K-$19K wholesale, depending on the dealer (32,500 miles). I think $19K was all the money (and then some) here in the NY area, my dealer went $20K, but it's all semantics, they just discounted the new car more.
I bought the car for $29K, drove it 12500 miles, traded it and lost $10K or so, that's not really so bad in my view based on how much it can cost you in depreciation to drive a fancy sports car for two years.
You current car is not some coveted rare Barrett Jackson auction find. It's an OLD CORVETTE. A nice, low mileage, well maintained cosmetically beautiful old Corvette, but many of them are like that.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#29
On my C7 Mike Furman gave me a "sight unseen" trade-in quote on my C6 that was reasonable. I drove the old car down to him, signed some papers, and was quickly on my way home with the new car. It really couldn't have been easier.
Last edited by Goaty; 02-23-2017 at 08:24 AM.
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#30
Melting Slicks
I sold my last two (C6) Vette's here on the Classified Forum. The transactions couldn't have gone any smoother. They were both a far better deal (for both of us) than going with a dealer.
It can be a little bit of a inconvenience, but it's worth it if you can save thousands $$
Good Luck
It can be a little bit of a inconvenience, but it's worth it if you can save thousands $$
Good Luck
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#31
Le Mans Master
All car owners are delusional about the value of their trades, when I was in the car business, retail and then wholesale for a nearly a decade c. 1983-1991 that was a constant. Corvette owners are the worst, they simply love their cars so much. Understandable, but ultimately self-defeating. The mileage on your car is typical: there are TONS of C5 and C6 cars with stupid low miles, so it confers far less added value vs. typical book (wholesale or retail) than it might on models where owners DRIVE the cars.
Shop around, get trade values from 3-4 dealers, understand that the realistic retail value is perhaps $3-$4K more, then TRADE THE CAR and move on. Bear in mind that you generally pay less sales tax than if you don't have a trade, so that will narrow the difference to maybe $2K. $2K to deal with all the idiot tire kickers on the used Corvette market? Not for me. My 2007 C6 Coupe, stick, 3LT, (no Z51, transparent roof) MINT condition, new-ish tires (5K miles) was worth $16K-$19K wholesale, depending on the dealer (32,500 miles). I think $19K was all the money (and then some) here in the NY area, my dealer went $20K, but it's all semantics, they just discounted the new car more.
I bought the car for $29K, drove it 12500 miles, traded it and lost $10K or so, that's not really so bad in my view based on how much it can cost you in depreciation to drive a fancy sports car for two years.
You current car is not some coveted rare Barrett Jackson auction find. It's an OLD CORVETTE. A nice, low mileage, well maintained cosmetically beautiful old Corvette, but many of them are like that.
Shop around, get trade values from 3-4 dealers, understand that the realistic retail value is perhaps $3-$4K more, then TRADE THE CAR and move on. Bear in mind that you generally pay less sales tax than if you don't have a trade, so that will narrow the difference to maybe $2K. $2K to deal with all the idiot tire kickers on the used Corvette market? Not for me. My 2007 C6 Coupe, stick, 3LT, (no Z51, transparent roof) MINT condition, new-ish tires (5K miles) was worth $16K-$19K wholesale, depending on the dealer (32,500 miles). I think $19K was all the money (and then some) here in the NY area, my dealer went $20K, but it's all semantics, they just discounted the new car more.
I bought the car for $29K, drove it 12500 miles, traded it and lost $10K or so, that's not really so bad in my view based on how much it can cost you in depreciation to drive a fancy sports car for two years.
You current car is not some coveted rare Barrett Jackson auction find. It's an OLD CORVETTE. A nice, low mileage, well maintained cosmetically beautiful old Corvette, but many of them are like that.
I do agree with you that a low mileage older Corvette (when there are lots of them out there) is not going to fetch top dollar on a trade-in and selling privately is probably best.
Last edited by thill444; 02-23-2017 at 08:24 AM.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#32
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Borntorun04,
I went through the same decision with a lower mileage 04 coupe a little over a year ago.
Patentcad's comment about being realistic with the value of your C5 is absolutely correct. When I sold my C5, I was VERY realistic. My C5 was loaded with options and had only 59K on the clock. I contacted MacMulkin (lowest offer), Criswell and Hendrick (tied for highest offer) and received trade-in offers from all three. I also brought the car to a local broker who promised I would pocket at least $2K more than the high trade-in value, but said he wanted to have it for at least 6 months if he listed it. Criswell had the C7 I wanted and Mike tied the highest trade-in offer, but had the best price on the C7 by far. At the end of the day, I realized by trading in, I was actually losing about $1K, but avoided all the hassels. It was worth it to me to trade with Criswell.
Your C5 has extremely low mileage. You might do better selling privately in a controlled environment. In your shoes, I would contact all three big Corvette dealers on the east coast to see what your trade will bring. Also get an offer from CarMax. Then I would consider listing it on Corvette Forums for $4K to $5K more than the average trade-in and insist on the buyer being over 25 years old, be a senior member and a member for at least 2 years. That ought to filter out the tire kickers and crazy drivers. If it didn't sell within 6 weeks, I'd trade. I wouldn't get anywhere near Craigslist with a beauty like that one. Hope it all works out for you.
I went through the same decision with a lower mileage 04 coupe a little over a year ago.
Patentcad's comment about being realistic with the value of your C5 is absolutely correct. When I sold my C5, I was VERY realistic. My C5 was loaded with options and had only 59K on the clock. I contacted MacMulkin (lowest offer), Criswell and Hendrick (tied for highest offer) and received trade-in offers from all three. I also brought the car to a local broker who promised I would pocket at least $2K more than the high trade-in value, but said he wanted to have it for at least 6 months if he listed it. Criswell had the C7 I wanted and Mike tied the highest trade-in offer, but had the best price on the C7 by far. At the end of the day, I realized by trading in, I was actually losing about $1K, but avoided all the hassels. It was worth it to me to trade with Criswell.
Your C5 has extremely low mileage. You might do better selling privately in a controlled environment. In your shoes, I would contact all three big Corvette dealers on the east coast to see what your trade will bring. Also get an offer from CarMax. Then I would consider listing it on Corvette Forums for $4K to $5K more than the average trade-in and insist on the buyer being over 25 years old, be a senior member and a member for at least 2 years. That ought to filter out the tire kickers and crazy drivers. If it didn't sell within 6 weeks, I'd trade. I wouldn't get anywhere near Craigslist with a beauty like that one. Hope it all works out for you.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#33
Le Mans Master
Sometimes I will pay for convenience and this is one of the times.
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#34
Le Mans Master
One thing some folks don't realize is the state sales tax involved when doing a private sale. In most states, when you trade in a car, they do not tax the entire cost of the new car, they prorate the sales tax of the traded in vehicle.
New car 80,000 X sales tax 7% = $5600, in tax.
cost = 85,600
sale of used car 42,000
New car 80,000 - trade in value of 40000= 40,000 X sales tax 7% =2800.
cost 82,800
sale of used car 40,000
You actually pay $800 less in this scenario just trading it in.
New car 80,000 X sales tax 7% = $5600, in tax.
cost = 85,600
sale of used car 42,000
New car 80,000 - trade in value of 40000= 40,000 X sales tax 7% =2800.
cost 82,800
sale of used car 40,000
You actually pay $800 less in this scenario just trading it in.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#35
Melting Slicks
I bought my 2017 from one of the biggest volume dealers in the country in October. The trade in they offered me for my 2002 was insulting to say the least.
I sold my car in early February locally for a fair price, actually $10,000 more than they offered. Don't think you're going to get anywhere near what you would want for your car on a trade. With spring approaching, you should have no problem selling your car.
I sold my car in early February locally for a fair price, actually $10,000 more than they offered. Don't think you're going to get anywhere near what you would want for your car on a trade. With spring approaching, you should have no problem selling your car.
Last edited by guido7834; 02-23-2017 at 10:17 AM.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#36
Le Mans Master
One thing some folks don't realize is the state sales tax involved when doing a private sale. In most states, when you trade in a car, they do not tax the entire cost of the new car, they prorate the sales tax of the traded in vehicle.
New car 80,000 X sales tax 7% = $5600, in tax.
cost = 85,600
sale of used car 42,000
New car 80,000 - trade in value of 40000= 40,000 X sales tax 7% =2800.
cost 82,800
sale of used car 40,000
You actually pay $800 less in this scenario just trading it in.
New car 80,000 X sales tax 7% = $5600, in tax.
cost = 85,600
sale of used car 42,000
New car 80,000 - trade in value of 40000= 40,000 X sales tax 7% =2800.
cost 82,800
sale of used car 40,000
You actually pay $800 less in this scenario just trading it in.
Other states do not give a "trade in offset" at all, and charge sales tax on the entire amount of the car purchased, regardless of trade in value.
Important to know the laws of your own state, as all are different.
Last edited by Kent1999; 02-23-2017 at 10:24 AM.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#37
Burning Brakes
I've always been a strong proponent of selling the car yourself, but in the past few years it's gotten more and more difficult, and many potential buyers are just dicks who waste your time. The secret to selling it is to take good pictures, write a good description and price it fairly. And by that, I mean don't try for retail, or even close to it.
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Borntorun04/17 (02-23-2017)
#38
Melting Slicks
I'm in the same quandary as the OP, but have been hassling with dealers now for six weeks. I could write a book. My current ride is a cherry 2015 3LT Stingray A8 that I want to sell/trade for a new 2017 GS M7, and getting rid of the trade is the big problem I'm having.
I've talked to four local dealers and three out-of-state mega-dealers in the NE U.S. The locals have given the highest offer on the trade, still not very high, but their deal on the new car was predictably far below the mega-dealers, the bottom line being in favor of the latter. The problem is that two of the three I contacted dropped the ball after about two emails. Two mega-dealers have promised to get back with me after just getting started with discussions but did not. Rather than chase them around I've decided to move on. That's unfortunate since both dealers had cars I might well have purchased given the right deal.
Kerbeck isn't one of them, so after all this I decided to try selling the car myself and buying a car from them. They've been been helpful in the brief phone discussions we've had, and once my 2015 is sold I can fly to Phlly, take the Kerbeck shuttle to Atlantic City, and drive the car back to LA. A trip will do me good. Kerbeck currently has three GSs in stock that are close to my needs, but have made no bones about preferring a no-trade deal. They'll trade, but won't discuss it over the phone or via email, and that scenario just won't work when you live 1300 mi. from the dealer. The problem with a private sale is that used car sales are apparently slow and I've gotten no bites except for low-ballers looking for a steal, which I won't give them. In this part of LA we have a 10% sales tax (total) and I need to get $4500 over the trade value offered to break even on the tax difference between a trade and no trade. Foosh mentioned that some states will allow credits for private sales, but unfortunately LA isn't one of them.
I've recently placed the car here, Cargurus, USAA Car Buying Service, AutoTrader, and (ugh!) even Craigs List. So I wait, wondering when the good deals on new Vettes will dry up.
I've talked to four local dealers and three out-of-state mega-dealers in the NE U.S. The locals have given the highest offer on the trade, still not very high, but their deal on the new car was predictably far below the mega-dealers, the bottom line being in favor of the latter. The problem is that two of the three I contacted dropped the ball after about two emails. Two mega-dealers have promised to get back with me after just getting started with discussions but did not. Rather than chase them around I've decided to move on. That's unfortunate since both dealers had cars I might well have purchased given the right deal.
Kerbeck isn't one of them, so after all this I decided to try selling the car myself and buying a car from them. They've been been helpful in the brief phone discussions we've had, and once my 2015 is sold I can fly to Phlly, take the Kerbeck shuttle to Atlantic City, and drive the car back to LA. A trip will do me good. Kerbeck currently has three GSs in stock that are close to my needs, but have made no bones about preferring a no-trade deal. They'll trade, but won't discuss it over the phone or via email, and that scenario just won't work when you live 1300 mi. from the dealer. The problem with a private sale is that used car sales are apparently slow and I've gotten no bites except for low-ballers looking for a steal, which I won't give them. In this part of LA we have a 10% sales tax (total) and I need to get $4500 over the trade value offered to break even on the tax difference between a trade and no trade. Foosh mentioned that some states will allow credits for private sales, but unfortunately LA isn't one of them.
I've recently placed the car here, Cargurus, USAA Car Buying Service, AutoTrader, and (ugh!) even Craigs List. So I wait, wondering when the good deals on new Vettes will dry up.
Last edited by iclick; 02-23-2017 at 02:55 PM.
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#39
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Mike Furman offered me a fair trade in price for my 2014 C7 Convertible. The actual trade price wouldn't be accomplished until the day of the transaction. The car had to be actually seen to firm the price.
Unfortunately - Criswell Chevrolet is a few hours distance from home.
Unfortunately - Criswell Chevrolet is a few hours distance from home.
I guess it all depends on "What's in your wallet?"
Considering the amount of cars produced, and the amount of low mileage competition.
My time is worth more then having to deal with the tire kickers, and lowballers, who can't afford the car in the first place.
Much less having to go to the DMV, and the bank to make sure everything is copisthetic, and transferred out of my name, if you're fortunate enough to find the right buyer.
Otherwise you can have a few surprises you weren't expecting down the line.
My local Carmax beat the big dealers I contacted by literally THOUSANDS of dollars on my C6 GS trade-in when I was looking for a C7. And that's not even considering shipping. I sold my GS to Carmax for cash and bought my C7 elsewhere.
Lots of people seem to have a problem with Carmax, but the check they gave me cashed and spent just fine...
If you want the best price for your car, sell it privately. It may take a few months....or not.....but you will always get screwed by a dealer, especially if they're offering a deep discount on the new one. I usually list on cars.com and "usedcorvetteforsale.com" I sold my 2010 GS last may for $100 more than I paid for it three years earlier....which ended up being $12K more than any dealer offered me in trade. You need to be patient and hold out for your price. It will come. You can only negotiate from position of strength when you do not have a trade. Otherwise, your big discount just went out the window.
I rarely sold locally. All the cars I've sold were usually to an out-of-state buyer who sent a truck to pick it up. No hassle at all. Good luck!
I rarely sold locally. All the cars I've sold were usually to an out-of-state buyer who sent a truck to pick it up. No hassle at all. Good luck!
I sold my 2007 vert on the forum within a few days of listing it and ordered a new vert from Kerbeck. Timed the pickup of my new vert and the pickup from the buyer of my old vert within days of each other. Both transactions went smooth and didn't have to bother with tire kickers.
#40
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
I sold my 2007 vert on the forum within a few days of listing it and ordered a new vert from Kerbeck. Timed the pickup of my new vert and the pickup from the buyer of my old vert within days of each other. Both transactions went smooth and didn't have to bother with tire kickers.
One thing you might want to check out before deciding whether a trade in or private sell is best is to check with your state DMV and see what the law says about private sales and the ability to claim a sales tax credit for it. I know in this state if you privately sell a car within a certain period of time of buying another car, you can claim the sales price against the new car price for sales tax purposes.
All car owners are delusional about the value of their trades, when I was in the car business, retail and then wholesale for a nearly a decade c. 1983-1991 that was a constant. Corvette owners are the worst, they simply love their cars so much. Understandable, but ultimately self-defeating. The mileage on your car is typical: there are TONS of C5 and C6 cars with stupid low miles, so it confers far less added value vs. typical book (wholesale or retail) than it might on models where owners DRIVE the cars.
Shop around, get trade values from 3-4 dealers, understand that the realistic retail value is perhaps $3-$4K more, then TRADE THE CAR and move on. Bear in mind that you generally pay less sales tax than if you don't have a trade, so that will narrow the difference to maybe $2K. $2K to deal with all the idiot tire kickers on the used Corvette market? Not for me. My 2007 C6 Coupe, stick, 3LT, (no Z51, transparent roof) MINT condition, new-ish tires (5K miles) was worth $16K-$19K wholesale, depending on the dealer (32,500 miles). I think $19K was all the money (and then some) here in the NY area, my dealer went $20K, but it's all semantics, they just discounted the new car more.
I bought the car for $29K, drove it 12500 miles, traded it and lost $10K or so, that's not really so bad in my view based on how much it can cost you in depreciation to drive a fancy sports car for two years.
You current car is not some coveted rare Barrett Jackson auction find. It's an OLD CORVETTE. A nice, low mileage, well maintained cosmetically beautiful old Corvette, but many of them are like that.
Shop around, get trade values from 3-4 dealers, understand that the realistic retail value is perhaps $3-$4K more, then TRADE THE CAR and move on. Bear in mind that you generally pay less sales tax than if you don't have a trade, so that will narrow the difference to maybe $2K. $2K to deal with all the idiot tire kickers on the used Corvette market? Not for me. My 2007 C6 Coupe, stick, 3LT, (no Z51, transparent roof) MINT condition, new-ish tires (5K miles) was worth $16K-$19K wholesale, depending on the dealer (32,500 miles). I think $19K was all the money (and then some) here in the NY area, my dealer went $20K, but it's all semantics, they just discounted the new car more.
I bought the car for $29K, drove it 12500 miles, traded it and lost $10K or so, that's not really so bad in my view based on how much it can cost you in depreciation to drive a fancy sports car for two years.
You current car is not some coveted rare Barrett Jackson auction find. It's an OLD CORVETTE. A nice, low mileage, well maintained cosmetically beautiful old Corvette, but many of them are like that.
I sold my last two (C6) Vette's here on the Classified Forum. The transactions couldn't have gone any smoother. They were both a far better deal (for both of us) than going with a dealer.
It can be a little bit of a inconvenience, but it's worth it if you can save thousands $$
Good Luck
It can be a little bit of a inconvenience, but it's worth it if you can save thousands $$
Good Luck
Borntorun04,
I went through the same decision with a lower mileage 04 coupe a little over a year ago.
Patentcad's comment about being realistic with the value of your C5 is absolutely correct. When I sold my C5, I was VERY realistic. My C5 was loaded with options and had only 59K on the clock. I contacted MacMulkin (lowest offer), Criswell and Hendrick (tied for highest offer) and received trade-in offers from all three. I also brought the car to a local broker who promised I would pocket at least $2K more than the high trade-in value, but said he wanted to have it for at least 6 months if he listed it. Criswell had the C7 I wanted and Mike tied the highest trade-in offer, but had the best price on the C7 by far. At the end of the day, I realized by trading in, I was actually losing about $1K, but avoided all the hassels. It was worth it to me to trade with Criswell.
Your C5 has extremely low mileage. You might do better selling privately in a controlled environment. In your shoes, I would contact all three big Corvette dealers on the east coast to see what your trade will bring. Also get an offer from CarMax. Then I would consider listing it on Corvette Forums for $4K to $5K more than the average trade-in and insist on the buyer being over 25 years old, be a senior member and a member for at least 2 years. That ought to filter out the tire kickers and crazy drivers. If it didn't sell within 6 weeks, I'd trade. I wouldn't get anywhere near Craigslist with a beauty like that one. Hope it all works out for you.
I went through the same decision with a lower mileage 04 coupe a little over a year ago.
Patentcad's comment about being realistic with the value of your C5 is absolutely correct. When I sold my C5, I was VERY realistic. My C5 was loaded with options and had only 59K on the clock. I contacted MacMulkin (lowest offer), Criswell and Hendrick (tied for highest offer) and received trade-in offers from all three. I also brought the car to a local broker who promised I would pocket at least $2K more than the high trade-in value, but said he wanted to have it for at least 6 months if he listed it. Criswell had the C7 I wanted and Mike tied the highest trade-in offer, but had the best price on the C7 by far. At the end of the day, I realized by trading in, I was actually losing about $1K, but avoided all the hassels. It was worth it to me to trade with Criswell.
Your C5 has extremely low mileage. You might do better selling privately in a controlled environment. In your shoes, I would contact all three big Corvette dealers on the east coast to see what your trade will bring. Also get an offer from CarMax. Then I would consider listing it on Corvette Forums for $4K to $5K more than the average trade-in and insist on the buyer being over 25 years old, be a senior member and a member for at least 2 years. That ought to filter out the tire kickers and crazy drivers. If it didn't sell within 6 weeks, I'd trade. I wouldn't get anywhere near Craigslist with a beauty like that one. Hope it all works out for you.
I bought my 2017 from one of the biggest volume dealers in the country in October. The trade in they offered me for my 2002 was insulting to say the least.
I sold my car in early February locally for a fair price, actually $10,000 more than they offered. Don't think you're going to get anywhere near what you would want for your car on a trade. With spring approaching, you should have no problem selling your car.
I sold my car in early February locally for a fair price, actually $10,000 more than they offered. Don't think you're going to get anywhere near what you would want for your car on a trade. With spring approaching, you should have no problem selling your car.
I've always been a strong proponent of selling the car yourself, but in the past few years it's gotten more and more difficult, and many potential buyers are just dicks who waste your time. The secret to selling it is to take good pictures, write a good description and price it fairly. And by that, I mean don't try for retail, or even close to it.
I'm in the same quandary as the OP, but have been hassling with dealers now for six weeks. I could write a book. My current ride is a cherry 2015 3LT Stingray A8 that I want to sell/trade for a new 2017 GS M7, and getting rid of the trade is the big problem I'm having.
I've talked to four local dealers and three out-of-state mega-dealers in the NE U.S. The locals have given the highest offer on the trade, still not very high, but their deal on the new car was predictably far below the mega-dealers, the bottom line being in favor of the latter. The problem is that two of the three I contacted dropped the ball after about two emails. Two mega-dealers have promised to get back with me after just getting started with discussions but did not. Rather than chase them around I've decided to move on. That's unfortunate since both dealers had cars I might well have purchased given the right deal.
Kerbeck isn't one of them, so after all this I decided to try selling the car myself and buying a car from them. They've been been helpful in the brief phone discussions we've had, and once my 2015 is sold I can fly to Phlly, take the Kerbeck shuttle to Atlantic City, and drive the car back to LA. A trip will do me good. Kerbeck currently has three GSs in stock that are close to my needs, but have made no bones about preferring a no-trade deal. They'll trade, but won't discuss it over the phone or via email, and that scenario just won't work when you live 1300 mi. from the dealer. The problem with a private sale is that used car sales are apparently slow and I've gotten no bites except for low-ballers looking for a steal, which I won't give them. In this part of LA we have a 10% sales tax (total) and I need to get $4500 over the trade value offered to break even on the tax difference between a trade and no trade. Foosh mentioned that some states will allow credits for private sales, but unfortunately LA isn't one of them.
I've recently placed the car here, Cargurus, USAA Car Buying Service, AutoTrader, and (ugh!) even Craigs List. So I wait, wondering when the good deals on new Vettes will dry up.
I've talked to four local dealers and three out-of-state mega-dealers in the NE U.S. The locals have given the highest offer on the trade, still not very high, but their deal on the new car was predictably far below the mega-dealers, the bottom line being in favor of the latter. The problem is that two of the three I contacted dropped the ball after about two emails. Two mega-dealers have promised to get back with me after just getting started with discussions but did not. Rather than chase them around I've decided to move on. That's unfortunate since both dealers had cars I might well have purchased given the right deal.
Kerbeck isn't one of them, so after all this I decided to try selling the car myself and buying a car from them. They've been been helpful in the brief phone discussions we've had, and once my 2015 is sold I can fly to Phlly, take the Kerbeck shuttle to Atlantic City, and drive the car back to LA. A trip will do me good. Kerbeck currently has three GSs in stock that are close to my needs, but have made no bones about preferring a no-trade deal. They'll trade, but won't discuss it over the phone or via email, and that scenario just won't work when you live 1300 mi. from the dealer. The problem with a private sale is that used car sales are apparently slow and I've gotten no bites except for low-ballers looking for a steal, which I won't give them. In this part of LA we have a 10% sales tax (total) and I need to get $4500 over the trade value offered to break even on the tax difference between a trade and no trade. Foosh mentioned that some states will allow credits for private sales, but unfortunately LA isn't one of them.
I've recently placed the car here, Cargurus, USAA Car Buying Service, AutoTrader, and (ugh!) even Craigs List. So I wait, wondering when the good deals on new Vettes will dry up.