Not getting burned

Most bad experiences selling a car for cash follow the same few patterns. The most common one is a strong number on the phone that shrinks in your driveway, after the buyer "finds" something that justifies a recalculation. Others include towing fees quietly taken out of the payment, pressure to hand over the keys and title before you are paid, and buyers who ask you for money to buy your car.

None of these needs a special warning sign to spot. Judge any buyer by the mechanics, not the marketing. Does the money move before the car does? Is the paperwork real, and made out to the name you chose? Can you find out who they actually are, with an address and a phone number that a person answers?

These articles walk through the red flags in plain language, so you can protect yourself whoever you sell to, including us. Our own rules are simple and published: if the car matches your description, the price doesn't drop; towing is free and never deducted; you are paid by check in your hand before the car moves; and there are no fees of any kind.