If you’re wondering how to get a better car valuation from a car-buying website, you should ensure you do a few things.
Guide to Getting More for Your Car: Start with a Clean Slate
It may sound basic, but cleaning your car is the first and most crucial step on how to get a better car valuation
Dealers will pay more for a clean and shiny car.
Consider this: every car we purchase is cleaned before it’s handed off to a dealer, and those going to major auctions also receive a thorough cleaning. This underscores the importance of presentation.
We’re not suggesting elaborate detailing, but a simple wash and thorough vacuuming can make a significant difference. It shows potential buyers that you have maintained your car well. Even if regular cleanings haven’t been your practice, giving your car a good clean before selling can significantly enhance its appeal and increase its value.
Photographs
Take this onboard, and you will get a better car valuation
Dealers often offer more for cars that are presented with high-quality photographs. You don’t need to be a professional; simply using your phone to take photos will suffice.
Opt for either landscape or portrait orientation. Ensure your car is positioned far enough away so that you can capture the entire frame, including the front, side, rear, and interior.
This shows the model badge for clarity
This photo captures the car perfectly
Front seats
How to get a better car valuation 41
Clean your car boot
Show the current mileage
Point out any wheel scuffs
Painted wheels are cheapest to refurb
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How to get a better car valuation 43
If you don’t have tyre gauge us a £1 coin not a 20p piece
Showing the seats and the pan roof in one photo
Give a honest description
Point out any marks
Highlight a feature
Also, make sure to highlight any special features through your photos. Don’t assume dealers can get all the information they need from a data check. Often, these are incomplete or just plain wrong.
Choose the location
Choosing the right location for these photos can also make a significant difference. If your residence lacks a suitable backdrop, such as an estate with crowded parking, consider driving to a more scenic or quieter corner to improve the setting. This small effort can dramatically enhance the appeal of your photos and, thus, the perceived value of your car.
Maximise Value by Sharing Your Car’s Service History
A comprehensive service history can significantly boost your car’s value. Dealers are willing to give a better car valuation for vehicles with well-documented maintenance records. However, due to GDPR, many franchise dealers and businesses like Halfords might not share details of your car’s service history. Occasionally, records may not be logged online, or if serviced by an independent dealer, logging may not be possible.
It’s crucial to be ready to provide this information yourself. Dealers aren’t searching for reasons to lower their offers; they must remain competitive. They seek assurance that they can confidently bid to their maximum without fearing unexpected maintenance issues. Presenting a complete and transparent service history gives them the confidence to make a solid offer.
We can check online service records for the following car makes.
- Jaguar
- Land Rover
- BMW
- Mercedes-Benz
- Volkswagen
- Audi
- Range Rover
- Ford
But please always keep paperwork. This ensures you have the documentation to back up your car’s maintenance history, even if online logs are incorrect or incomplete.
Keep non-franchise invoices handy
If you don’t use a main dealer this is what we see
A good independent can log services with the manufacturer,
A reputable independent service centre can log your service history on the manufacturer’s website. It’s worth noting that places like Kwik Fit and Halfords do not have a strong reputation within the trade for servicing prestige cars.
When selecting a service provider for a high-end vehicle, choosing one that maintains proper records and understands the intricacies of prestige car maintenance is crucial.
You’re now ready to sell your prestige car. See if it’s in our car’s wanted list in the menu, or submit the details here.
Photos
You can Text, WhatsApp Or Email. No complicated app is needed.
The Auction
All offers are guaranteed, no third-party intro or price drop
The Handover
Only our staff attend, confirm payment, and handle the V5 transfer. That’s it—you’ve sold your car!
Very impressed, great service, really good communication, transparent and honest with eery step of the process. Managed to get a great price for the car and was flexible on arranging collection. Full end to end service, which I felt was much better than being passed from broker to dealer which is how some of the other services work. Would recommend and use again the in the future.
This is a different kind of review and is specifically for Phil Corker. In short, the man is a gent and scholar! I applied to WBS to get a price for my W205 C63s Edition 1 that I needed to sell – at least, what I thought was an Edition 1 – and Phil promptly got back to me to advise that my car was in fact an Edition 1 ‘lookalike’, and worse still, was actually a Cat D salvage in its early life!
At the time of repair, it had obviously then been turned into an Edition 1.
You can imagine my utter shock, bemusement and anger at receiving this bombshell. Phil forwarded me all of the online checks, including photos of the car at the time of salvage (you could clearly see it had no Edition 1 exterior or interior features at that point).
For some reason, the Cat D alert did not (and still doesn’t) come up on a regular HPI check, but does flash up on other checking systems.
Phil was very understanding and calmly offered me advice as to how best approach the situation and how it was more than likely the dealer who sold me the car were probably guilty of not performing enough due diligence (ie. going off of the HPI check and not digging any deeper), rather than knowingly selling me a Cat classified car.
I duly informed the dealer who sold me the car in 2021 and they’ve agreed to take it back (we’re still negotiating a final refund price…). They have admitted full liability.
Moreover, as of today Phil has also agreed to run a check on the new car I want to purchase once I hand back the C63s as a goodwill gesture.
So even though I haven’t had any financial dealings with WBS, I have been mega impressed with Phil and how he’s handled the whole affair! 🙂
Thanks Phil!
Took all the hassle out of it. Was quick, friendly, approachable and just came and picked it right up from my driveway. Paid the amount quoted. I would contact you again! Thank you
Great deal and great service. Really friendly and efficient too.
Was great selling the car via Phil and the team. They put in a lot of effort ringing around all the dealers on my behalf to get me a good price that beat all the other online brokers. Collected the car in person and transferred the funds prior to taking the car away.
From the minute I spoke to Phil to sell my Audi A5 I knew I was speaking to someone who had my interests at heart.
Honest & fair we had a good chat around the car market and my requirements and was able to go out and find a solution that exceeded my expectations.
I would highly recommend WeBuySupercars.com and will be ringing Phil for my next sale.
Having used WeBuySupercars I can confirm that the 5 star reviews are all thoroughly justified.
I was considering Mortorway or CarWow but came across WeBuySupercars as an alternative. I decided to take the plunge and was not disappointed. I followed the advice and was honest about the condition of my car and WeBuySupercars took care of the rest. The valuation was honored and the collection process was straightforward with Alexandra guiding the process throughout. The finance was settled and ownership transferred all while my car was sitting on my drive before the driver drove car away.
Selling a car is always a nerve-wracking process but WeBuySupercars made the process starightforward.
Phil and Alex were absolutely fantastic to work with selling my BMW M340i. Nothing was a bother – communication and service were excellent throughout the entire process, all this on top of getting a very strong offer. Will definitely call them again when I need to buy or sell the next time. Thanks Phil!
Would definitely recommend them. Made selling my car so easy. Friendly and trustworthy and gave me the price they quoted based on my photos
Completely happy with the process and service from WeBuySupercars. Best price I could find, great communication, very easy process and money arrived in my account as the handover was taking place.
Didn’t have to leave the house! Much better price than Porsche centre was offering. Second time I’ve used them.
Very happy and will definitely use again. THANKS!
See All Our Reviews
Other FAQ about our car buying service.
Why Should I Use Your Service?
There’s no risk when dealing with us. Accept a dealer’s offer, and we pay you, settle your finances, and handle the car collection ourselves. Unlike competitors like Motorway or Carwow, we don’t hand you off to a third party. We’re with you from start to finish, whether you’re selling a Fiat or a Ferrari.
Why Dont You Automate Your Prices
I appreciate your patience! Accurately valuing a car requires a personal touch, not automated estimates. Many companies inflate offers to grab attention, but we prioritize honesty. We hope this explains why we do things our way: to provide a fair offer based on a thorough assessment of your vehicle.
Who’s buying my car?
When you sell your car to us, we buy it on behalf of the dealer who places the highest bid in our auction. Since we handle the payment and collection, your contract is directly with us, not the dealer. This means that even if the dealer decides to withdraw or cannot complete the sale, your agreement with us remains unaffected. We take care of any issues on our end, so you can rest assured that your sale is secure. That’s why so many of our customers are happy—they know we never disappoint them.
What happens once you’ve agreed to the price?
We will send you a purchase agreement showing the agreed-upon price, any money owed to your finance company, and a car description.
How Do I Get Paid?
Our driver will call as soon as he is with the car. We transfer funds electronically to both you and the finance company. We expect you to hand over the keys and documentation once you have the funds.
When will my car be collected?
We always collect as soon as possible, but usually within 36 hours of you agreeing to sell. This can be flexible if you still need the car’s use, and on a case-by-case basis, we may be able to hold off collection for a maximum of 7 days.
What paperwork do I need to provide?
Please send us a copy of the current V5 registration document and an official finance company settlement letter. We will also need proof of service history.
What if I have a private plate?
As soon as you agree to sell the car, we ask you to remove your private plate online; we can do this for you if you like.
What will you be looking for when you collect? What will make you lower the price?
By the time we collect, we will already have asked all the questions we need, so please look at your car carefully and describe it fairly. We always pay what we quote as long as you accurately describe your vehicle.
Deductions for Kerbed Alloys
If you’ve previously informed us about kerbed alloys, there will be no additional deductions since we’ve already accounted for them in our valuation. However, we’ll overlook the first instance ( one wheel) if this wasn’t disclosed beforehand. After that, deductions are applied as follows: £60 for single-colour painted wheels and between £80-£120 for diamond-cut or uniquely finished wheels.
What Happens If I Chip My Windscreen?
It depends on the location of the chip. If they are minor, out of the driver’s zone, and not likely to cause cracks, then it costs us £70 to professionally repair a chip. If the windscreen is cracked or has a bullseye, the fairest way to deal with it is to put a glass claim on your insurance. We can still pay for and collect your car and deal with Autoglass for you.
What’s Classed As A Bald Tyre?
The minimum acceptable tread depth for a dealer to sell a car is 4mm across the tread. The recommendation is that tyres be replaced at 3mm of tread depth, ensuring the car remains safe for the new owner. The 4mm rule allows the dealer to provide a fair and reliable vehicle, giving peace of mind to the buyer regarding tyre safety.
How Do You Sell My Car?
Our platform employs a competitive bidding system where dealers vie to offer the highest price for your car, similar to what you might find on Carwow and Motorway. However, the key difference is that we manage the entire process internally without involving third parties. We present your car directly to a vast network of dealers, encouraging them to submit competitive bids. This approach guarantees a more personalized and dedicated experience throughout the selling process while avoiding the drawbacks commonly associated with other platforms.
What Do You Knock off For Tyres Under 4mm?
We work with the dealer to determine the most affordable tyre replacement that meets their standards. For most cars, this means using the lowest-cost mainstream brands, but for performance and specialist vehicles, we price according to the recommended tyre type. We base our tyre prices on the rates provided by Blackcircles.
What About Chips And Scrapes?
We work with the dealer to find the lowest-cost solution, often a compromise based on trade-price body shop and, where acceptable, smart repairs.
What Happens If You Reject My Car?
We will only reject your car if you have misdescribed its condition or there’s some undisclosed mechanical issue. In the last eight years, we’ve only turned down two cars. One was for £30k worth of accident repairs, and another was an unrecorded write-off.
See our full reviews page here. Why This Car Buying Service Gets The Best Reviews | WeBuySuperCars.Com