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Are there any disadvantages with cheap car classifieds?

Selling a car online is a choice take takes ample research, deciding between costly subscription-based websites and those which offer to list vehicles for far lower costs — or for free. Each website has a number pros and cons; free or low-cost websites almost always have a series of catches, while their higher-priced competitors often overcharge and undersell used vehicles. With attention to detail and thorough research, customers will be able to choose the best-performing, least-annoying marketplace for their used vehicle.

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Keep Matters of Privacy at the Forefront

One of the main problems with lower-cost car classified websites and publications is that they often expose the seller to major invasions of privacy, or at least put their information at risk. This is because most cheap car classifieds encourage user-to-user interaction in pursuit of better deals and less overhead during the process. Because the website does not facilitate any kind of mediated or moderated communication between its users, their personal information is often displayed to buyers.

This means a user who has high hopes of making a sale may have to list their personal phone number, primary email address, and even a mailing address with a cheap car classified ad in order to get a response from a potential buyer. That information can be easily searched through major search engines, and it’s no surprise that this may cause issues of privacy, security, and even identity theft with some customers.

For a secure solution, look for cheap car classifieds that mask email addresses or encourage their visitors to contact sellers through a proprietary messaging system. Never use a classified ad as a means of display personal communication information unless that ad is placed in print, and there are no alternatives.

Cheap Car Classifieds May Attract Less Buyers

The major car marketplaces do charge a bit more for membership and listing fees, but these sites are frequented so often that customers are virtually guaranteed a sale on their used car. There is simply no way to downplay the key role that a large community of active users plays in making the sale of a used vehicle successful.

In stark contrast to the many users active on big-name, more expensive websites, cheap car classifieds draw comparably fewer users to their listings. That’s because most people assume that the best deals, the best cars, and the most options are available on the more mainstream, higher-priced vehicle listing sites. So, while cheap car classifieds may save the seller money, they are often no substitute for a well-liked and frequently-used marketplace.

Cheap Car Classifieds in Print

Of course, the internet isn’t the only place that vehicle sellers go to advertise their car to potential buyers. Long before nearly everything went electronic, the primary source of private vehicle sales was the print classified ad. These ads are typically maintained by local newspapers, which display ads daily and charge varying rates to consumers. Newspapers can be considered the “brand name” of the print classified business, and their rates are proof of this mentality.

Competing with conventional newspaper classified ads in print is the typical all-classified newspaper that gets distributed once per week in many media markets. These newspapers often charge far reduced listing fees, and many even give their space away for free and compensate for this by displaying ads alongside classifieds. Most sellers figure this is easily the best way to go, if they desire a print advertisement.

However, these papers are often given away for free and are valued just as much as any other flier that appears in the mail unsolicited. The average customer is quick to throw out the all-classified paper along with the weeks supermarket specials, deals on television service, and other similar solicitations. That means far less people are actually seeing these cheap car classifieds and — free or not — they’re just not very effective at selling things.

Always Compare Options When Looking for Cheap Car Classifieds

Selling a car should be approached in much the same way as buying one. Smart sellers should read reviews of websites and print sources that display used car advertisements and determine which one delivers the highest chances of success for the lowest overall cost. In this case, it is more about long-term value than short-term cost (in the form of listing fees).

Narrow the selection down to a few key options, and then choose one or two of the best sources for finding a used car classified ad. This will save time and money, and will ensure that each source used reaches the maximum number of consumers interested in a used car purchase.

Don’t Forget About Car Insurance

It may be helpful to think of this in a similar manner as shopping for car insurance: almost everyone who considered themselves a savvy shopper will seek out an online insurance comparison tool and compare features, rates, and policies. Only after they’ve found the best combination of these three things do they ever commit to an insurance company’s policy.

With cheap car classifieds, only commit to the source which offers the best combination of price, accessibility, and potential for sales success. Anything else is simply a waste of money — cheap or otherwise.

Be sure to enter your ZIP code into our FREE auto insurance comparison tool to find the best rates!