carfax bring-a-trailer

Selling a car on Bring-a-Trailer, part 4 – CarFax

There are a number of things you need to in order to have a successful sale of your vehicle on Bring-a-trailer dot com. We discussed that your vehicle should be clean, or better yet, professionally detailed. Since a picture is worth a 1000 words, it’s a good idea to hire a professional photographer. While beauty shots are great, no old car is perfect, so up-close pictures of all the imperfections will further ensure a successful sale.

With the above, I reached out to Bring-a-Trailer. The asked if I had a recent CarFax report on the car and if the timing belt was changed. I did not have a CarFax report, so I simply got one. It’s $39.99 that’s well spent. A Carfax report adds to the potential buyer’s confidence that the vehicle was not broken in half at some point. It takes less than five minutes to get.

Having detailed service records of the vehicle you’re selling is important. One of the reasons why I originally purchased this car was because the original owner kept meticulous records. He even had a notebook in which he jotted down every gasoline fill-up. It took me all of three minutes to find the receipt for the timing belt change that BaT asked for. Service records are another thing that gives the potential buyer more confidence.

Like with any sale, it’s best to answer any of buyer’s potential questions before they get a chance to ask them. In an auction such as Bring-a-Trailer, it is in everyone’s interest to have a complete and successful sale. A clean car, good pictures, records, and a history report certainty help that.

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9 responses to “Selling a car on Bring-a-Trailer, part 4 – CarFax”

  1. alex Avatar
    alex

    I’ve been a regular watcher of BAT since maybe 2014. It’s become highly trusted and very serious vehicles cross the block everyday. There’s an auto museum in Newport, RI. (not the one in Portsmouth). I ventured down there to see what was a wonderful display. Place was empty but for me and a couple of staff members. I mentioned BAT to a early-30-ish guy, and he replied that watching BAT was their favorite pastime when things were slow. The advice here is good. The site gets lots of traffic. Great advice here. Great place to buy or sell.

    1. Kamil K Avatar

      I’ve been meaning to go to that museum for what seems like ever…

      1. alex Avatar
        alex

        check their website for the current display. Their display area is small. The display I saw was themed old and new. Older and newer offerings from 8 legendary brands. They had a stunning SL300 along with the latest Mercedes hotcar. A Buggati Chiron alongside a 1930 something Buggati sedan. Lambo had a hurrican and a Miura to die for. Ferrari, Porsche, Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger. The 17th car was a early Michael Shumacher championship winning car.

    2. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      Just had to check, my first BaT comment is from march 2011, after a while of just reading. Can’t believe time is passing by this fast. To my mind, sites like BaT have been vital to create a modern car community. I have learned a lot of car trivia there, the kind of stuff that makes my wife go: “You remember that but not…”

  2. Wayne Moyer Avatar
    Wayne Moyer

    I can’t imagine selling a used car without Carfax but really can’t imagine buying one without it. If a person doesn’t have one or isn’t willing to get one than you know things are shady. They really have changed the game. Think about how much more boring Used Cars would be in a world with Carfax?

    1. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      I don’t know that Carfax necessarily includes any more information than other reports issued by companies that are not as known.

      I think that I had Carfaxes on two of the last nine vehicles I acquired, though I did have a deposit on a car that I ended up stopping the sale on because of a Carfax.

  3. 0A5599 Avatar
    0A5599

    Question for Kamil: Why obscure the VIN on the Carfax of a vehicle you are actively wanting to sell?

    1. Kamil K Avatar

      Because one day it will be sold but this article/pics will remain up on this site. That was my thinking, no real other reason.

      1. 0A5599 Avatar
        0A5599

        Apparently your office is in a different part of the Hooniverse headquarters from wherever Hoonibbles lurks. Pics tend not to stay up for long here.

        But either way, they will live on at BAT (with full VIN) for a while after the day you hand over the keys.