Moving out of the country for work or personal reasons and can’t take your baby along? Or does the new job promotion mean that you want to treat yourself to an upgrade? Follow this comprehensive checklist by CarSwitch to make thousands more when you sell car in Dubai, UAE.
- Set your price: Do some research to figure out how much you should ask for. Typically, cars in Dubai depreciate at 15-25% per year, but you can also look at listing sites like Dubizzle to narrow that range. Build a bit of buffer for negotiation before advertising.
- Spread the word: The traditional European way of putting up a sign on your car is going to get you fined. Get the word out on the street through newspapers, online forums, notice boards at supermarkets and even magazines. You should also think about listing them on listing services but that will cost you AED 200. If you want to sell the car to a dealer or sellanycar, expect a large discount compared to what a customer might be willing to pay. Check out this comprehensive guide on how UAE residents can spin their second-hand wheels for cash.
- Weed out potential buyers: You might get a lot of useless calls, with some making ridiculous low-ball offers and others asking irrelevant questions before hanging up. Serious buyers would want to come see the car, so try to block out a day where you ask the buyers to show up. Some buyers would want to test drive the car. Stay with them throughout to avoid rash driving or, worse, your car being stolen. Learn some useful test drive etiquettes that might help you seal the deal.
- Lock-in the deal: People may commit to buying the car but don’t lock yourself in until someone pays a deposit – AED 2,000-3,000 should be sufficient.
- Before showing up at the RTA: Clear all outstanding loans, since the RTA won’t allow transfer of ownership to a buyer without this. Clear any pending fines against your vehicle – don’t let an outstanding fine result in a wasted day. You can check for any pending fines using the Dubai Police website.
- On the RTA day: On the actual day of the sale, you have to be present at the RTA along with the buyer. Make sure you and the buyer have your original Emirates ID, passport copy, visa copy and UAE driving license. You will need to get the RTA test done – if your car fails the test, expect the buyer to renegotiate. And finally, make sure that the buyer brings cash or a manager’s check to close the sale. Never sign the transfer without a check and don’t ever accept a personal check.
- Deal with your insurance policy: If your policy is still valid, you can get a refund or, in some cases, transfer it to the new owner if they meet the criteria set by the insurance company. However, all insurance companies do not offer this option. If so, simply cancel your insurance policy after providing the new registration card as proof that you no longer own the car.
If you want to skip the hassles involved in selling off your car, you can now make use of CarSwitch, for a hassle-free experience in finding a new home for your ride:
- We take care of the process: We’ll manage the calls, the scheduling, and haggling, and we’ll even take over the RTA process so it’s done right the first time!
- You get more: Skip the fancy showrooms and sketchy middlemen and sell directly to buyers!
- We inspect and warranty your car: We carry out a comprehensive 200-point inspection and slap on a 3-month warranty free of charge. This should help attract serious buyers.
Read for a switchin’ easy, hassle-free and transparent experience for selling off your car? Get in touch with CarSwitch, and we’ll make sure we find your baby a new loving home!
