It’s tough to navigate the car market, but Edmunds is here to lead you through every part of your search. Edmunds commands more than 50 years of history and millions of monthly unique visitors, making it a pioneering name in the auto dealer segment online. If you’re buying a car or selling your old one, they have the tools and expert advice to help.
Within a year, some 30 percent of all new cars will be sold through Internet departments at dealerships, and this may grow as consumers become more aware that innovation equals convenience and cost advantages.
Edmunds does this with reviews that are mile-long and detailed, near-infinite pricing information, and probably the most extensive vehicle database on Earth—including newer vehicles to help you find something current. However, what stands out about Edmunds is that it makes much of the information available to buyers and sellers.
This guide will walk you through the entire process of buying and selling cars on Edmunds. We will provide helpful tips and insights as you go through the steps, including setting up your account and closing the deal. This guide is for anyone who has ever invested in the car market, whether you’re new to owning or are an experienced dealer.
The Edmunds Difference
Edmunds can stand out from the competition in its attempt to build trust between businesses and consumers. It cultivates an ecosystem that encourages transparency, leading to informed judgment and happy customers. Edmunds also knows that finding the right car is more than just figuring out how it works. It considers factors like fuel efficiency, safety ratings, insurance costs, resale values, and environmental impact.
HOW TO BUY A CAR ON EDMUNDS
Edmunds’s car-buying procedures are faster and more precise. This guide will walk you through them from start to finish. Let’s get started!
STEP 1: BEGINNING AN ACCOUNT
If you want to buy on Edmunds, start by taking a look. Here’s how:
Visit the Edmunds Website: Open your browser and head to Edmunds.
Sign Up: Click on the “Sign In/Join” button at the upper right corner of the homepage. Then select “Create an Account.”
Enter Your Information: Fill in the necessary information, including your email address, a password (whose strength is shown via a point system), a birthdate and gender, and so on.
Check Your Email: Edmunds will send a confirmation link to your email account. Click on it, and your registration will be confirmed.
With an account, you can inform of a preliminary that has been established, sign up for reminders for new goods from vendors across the net yourself, and use various personalized features.
STEP 2: SEARCH FOR YOUR CAR
Edmunds has comprehensive search filters. Here are a few tips for using them:
Decide What You Need: Know what you want in a vehicle—make, model, price point, new or used status, and any features it must have.
Advanced Filters: Add your search criteria to the homepage. You can filter based on the make, model, and year range of the vehicle you’re looking for, as well as other filters like price or mileage!
Set Alerts: If you can wait, set alerts to be notified of new listings. That way, you’ll be alerted whenever a car fitting your criteria hits the listing.
STEP 3: EVALUATE LISTINGS
Once you’ve made a list of candidate cars, it’s time to get into specifics:
Listing Details Read: Each listing on Edmunds highlights thorough information about the vehicle, such as features, specs, and condition. Make sure to pay great attention to details such as mileage, car history, and any recorded accidents.
Maintain Vehicle Backgrounds: Seek out vehicles that include background records. This report provides information on the vehicle’s background, such as rental history (if any), prior owners, reported accidents and damage claims, and service records.
User Reviews: Edmunds offers user reviews and ratings for most vehicles. Read these reviews to learn about other buyers’ experiences and the reliability of the model you are interested in.
STEP 4: CONTACT SELLERS
One of the most critical stages in buying is contacting sellers. This is how you can do it:
Contacting Seller: You can communicate with the seller directly through the platform on Edmunds.
Ask Questions: Write a list of questions before contacting the seller. Inquire about the car’s maintenance history, any recent repairs made, why they are selling it, and if there is anything wrong with it.
Act politely and be professional: Be sure to start the conversation with courtesy. It creates an upbeat environment and increases the probability of receiving high-level, more truthful solutions.
STEP 5: ARRANGE A TEST DRIVE
Here are the steps to arrange a test drive before finalizing the car:
Book the Test Drive: Decide on a mutually convenient time and place for the test drive with your seller. Weekends are usually a great choice because they provide more freedom.
Take a Friend or Mechanic: Bring somebody who knows cars. They can be a second pair of eyes and ears during the test drive.
Test Drive the Car: Listen to how it rides during the test drive. Ensure you test all the features, like air conditioning, radio, and any advanced options.
STEP 6: NEGOTIATE AND FINALIZE THE DEAL
Now that you have found a vehicle that suits your interest and pocket capacity, it’s time to do a few more things!
Do Your Homework: There’s a possibility that a salesperson will use your unawareness to his advantage. Research the average market value of the car you have decided to buy. Edmunds’ True Market Value tool can help you with this work.
Start Negotiations: Start the negotiation with a price below the average market value. This will give you some space to negotiate in case the price is too high. However, be prepared to clarify why the market value should be lower than the dealership’s selling price.
Be Firm but Fair: While negotiating, don’t be too flexible to give in to whatever the dealer asks, but also don’t be like a rock with no fissures. The ideal negotiation will bring you to a handshake where a low price is accepted.
Once you are comfortable with the price offered and have finalized the negotiation, you can proceed with the following steps:
Review the Paperwork: Ensure you have all the necessary paperwork when buying the vehicle. This includes a bill of sale, the title transfer, and all warranty documents.
Payment Methods: When buying a second-hand car, choose a safe payment method. Most people pay cash through a bank, but other methods are available, such as digital options (PayPal, Venmo) or a money order.
Complete the Transaction: Sign all the necessary paperwork, pay what you owe, and take the car. Be sure to transfer the vehicle’s title to your name.
SELLING A CAR ONLINE
Many of the same steps you take for buying a car involve selling a car, including communicating with potential buyers, scheduling a possible test drive, and negotiating prices and details. The difference comes in with the first part, in which you will list your vehicle to sell. You will need to provide as many details as you know about your car, including make, model, mileage, features, repairs, and any background documents to ensure peace of mind for the buyer.
If you want to sell your car on Edmunds, it has teamed up with CarMax for lightning-quick appraisals via an “Edmunds sell my car” feature. You just enter your VIN or license plate, answer a few quick questions about your car and its condition, and quickly get an instant cash offer.
SELLING A CAR AND USHIP
Sell a vehicle to someone in another state? uShip offers an efficient way of moving goods for both buyers and sellers.
How uShip Assists Sellers
How do you coordinate the delivery of a car when selling it, especially if your pool of interest buyers is not in the same state as your residence? Here’s how uShip helps:
Inform the Buyer: Once the sale is confirmed, inform the buyer about uShip and its services. This ensures they are aware of the transportation options available to them.
Create a Listing: The seller or the buyer can create a shipment listing on uShip. Providing accurate pickup details will help you get precise quotes as a seller.
Get Quotes: Transporters will bid on your car shipment listing, similar to the buying process. You can then review and compare their quotes, ratings, and reviews.
Choose and Coordinate: Select a transporter and coordinate the pickup details. Clear communication about the car’s condition and special instructions will help ensure smooth transportation.
Hand Over the Car: Give the car to the selected transporter at the arranged pickup time. Conduct a thorough inspection and photograph the car’s condition before shipping.
Delivery and Confirmation: Once the car is delivered to the buyer, they should inspect it and confirm the delivery on the uShip platform. This ensures both parties are satisfied with the transaction.
Advantages of Using uShip
Several benefits make uShip the preferred choice for car shipping.
Convenience: uShip’s user interface is so simple that you can find and book a transporter for your vehicle in minutes. You can do it all from the same site, from quotes to communicating with transporters.
Cost: It’s very cost-effective to deliver large items through uShip. The transparent quotation process on uShip lets you choose the best of several affordable options within your budget.
Reliability: On uShip, you can see detailed profiles, ratings, and reviews of each transporter. Using this information, you can make a smart choice based on their reputation and track record.
Protection and Security: Many carriers on uShip carry insurance for your car while it is in transit. The service also ensures that your payments are transferred securely and that communication is clear.
Flexibility: No matter what you want to move—be it a regular sedan, an SUV, or even something as specialized and precious as a vintage automobile—uShip has multiple options for differing needs. Customers can choose either open transport or enclosed carriage depending upon their requirements.
HOW USHIP CAN HELP
uShip is a shipping marketplace that connects those who need to ship big, unwieldy things like cars, boats, and furniture with trusted transporters. Founded in 2004, uShip revolutionized the shipping industry with its marketplace format: customers can post their shipping needs and receive competitive bids from its network of professional transporters. From full-service household moves to single-item shipments, services are available for all budgets and timelines.
Shipping Your Car
One of the most popular services offered by uShip is car shipping. Maybe you purchased a car online from Edmunds, or you’re moving and need to get your vehicle to your new location. Whatever the case, uShip makes things easy:
Seamless Transport: uShip helps buyers transport their newly purchased car from the seller’s location directly to their home.
User-Friendly Platform: Start with an ad on uShip’s website, specifying what kind of car, where to pick up, and where to deliver.
Get Quotes: Once the listing is posted, you will get several bids from transporters. The competition ensures you get a reasonable rate.
Pick Your Transporter: Every transporter has a profile outlining reviews from previous customers and their personal ratings—what you need to choose a reliable provider at your price and quality requirements.
Safe Transactions: uShip ensures that transactions are safe by providing options for secure payment and the ability to track a car throughout its journey.
How to Arrange Car Transport on uShip
Create a Listing: Provide the details about your car shipment, including make, model, pickup, and delivery dates.
Get Quotes: Transporters bid on your listing with competitive quotes and details of their service.
View Profiles: Compare transporters by looking at their profiles, customer feedback, and insurance coverage provided.
Choose and Book: Browse through and select your transporter according to your needs and budget; confirm the booking, pickup, and delivery arrangements.
Track Your Shipment: Track your car shipment from pickup to delivery using uShip’s tracking system.
CONCLUSION
Edmunds provides a lot of information and tools for guidance on buying or selling cars. It’s a convenient online place to not only search for a car to buy but to offload a car you have been meaning to sell. There are simple steps for setting up an account on Edmunds, and then either creating a search to find the perfect vehicle for you at a reasonable price or listing your car to sell and getting the best deal for what your car is worth.
If you buy or sell a car through Edmunds, rest assured that through reliable vehicle shipping services from uShip, you can deliver or receive your car without breaking the bank. See the latest car shipping offers for you with our easy-to-use search feature and get options to transport your next vehicle easily.
