Whether you have a classic, AMG or standard Mercedes, when it comes to selling it, you may be wondering what’s the best way of doing so. To help you create an effective listing and ensure your car is ready to leave your hands, below are our top tips to selling your Mercedes.
Our Top Tips To Selling Your Mercedes
1. Determine The Value
Research the current market value of your Mercedes’ model and compare it to similar models for sale. This’ll give you a vague idea of what price to list your Mercedes for. While you may be tempted to list your car at the highest price possible, it’s important to be realistic. A fairly priced car is more than likely to sell quickly but if you are willing to wait, you can always attempt to list it at a premium.
2. Clean & Tidy The Car
Even if you have the best-specced or the lowest mileage Mercedes on the market, if it’s dirty, it may make it less appealing to potential buyers.
Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you take your time to detail the exterior and interior of your car and address any visible defects or damages. Once complete, you can then move on to the next steps of taking high quality photos of your car.
3. Take High Quality Photos
Use a camera or smartphone to take clear, well-lit photos of your car from various angles. These photos will be used in your listing and will help potential buyers get a sense of what your car looks like. If possible, taking your car to a “nice” location rather than on the street is advised.
4. Gather All Necessary Documents
Any potential buyer will more than likely want to see proof of ownership and service history records of your Mercedes. Therefore, you’ll want to have these documents ready to hand ready to show any interested parties.
5. Create An Effective Listing
When creating your listing, you’ll want to ensure that you include all the relevant information about your car such as its make, model, year, mileage and any unique features or upgrades. It’s also highly recommended that you avoid “waffling on” about your Mercedes because most potential buyers will already know about its background.
6. Consider The Time Of Year
The time of year can have an impact on the demand for certain types of cars. For example, convertibles such as the SL, SLK, SLC, CLK and so on may be more in demand during the summer months.
7. Be Prepared To Negotiate
Most buyers will try to negotiate the price of your Merecedes. Therefore, be prepared to negotiate but also be firm on your bottom price.
8. Be Transparent About Any Issues
If your Mercedes has any issues, be upfront about them to avoid wasting any time (for both you and the buyer). This’ll help to build trust with potential buyers and avoid any surprises during the sale.
9. Use A Popular Platform
The days of posting your car for sale in the local newspaper are long gone. To have the best chance of selling your Mercedes, we would recommend that you list it upon one or multiple of the following:
- eBay
- GumTree
- AutoTrader
- Pistonheads
- Carsandclassics (if its a classic)
- Mercedes forums (Mercedes Owners Club, MB Club etc)
Sell Your Mercedes To A Dealer
If you want a quick method of selling your Mercedes, using a dealer (or even We Buy Any Car) to purchase your car may be a great option to consider. Although you won’t get as much money for your Mercedes, they’ll take the hassle of selling your car off your hands and more than likely pay you there and then.
We spoke with Jack from Motor Trade Link and he stated that their car buying service has exploded in popularity as of recent due to people wanting the “quick way out” of selling their car. Although We Buy Any Car are the most well-known, Jack stated that they are able to offer more without the fees. Therefore, it’s worth looking out for We Buy Any Car alternatives in your area and requesting a valuation of your Mercedes.
Selling via a “SOR” Agreement
Sale or Return (“SOR”) refers to an arrangement where a dealership agrees to sell a car on behalf of the owner. This is beneficial for both parties because the sale prices from the sale go to the owner, minus a commission fee for the dealer.
In terms of the pros and cons of this method, the dealership has the risk of not being able to sell the car whereas the owner is relieved of the burden of finding a buyer.
We would recommend this method of selling your Mercedes if the car in question is of high value or you simply don’t have the time to sell it.
Conclusion
Hopefully the tips above help you successfully sell your Mercedes with as little hassle as possible. However, if you are struggling to sell your Mercedes, feel free to get in touch and we will have a look to see if we can give you a helping hand.
Dan
Co-Founder & Director of Mercedes Enthusiasts. Current Mercedes: W124 300CE AMG, R129 30024V SL, W210 E55 AMG & W210 E320 CDI.
