The 10-Step Plan To Selling Your Car Online

Looking to sell your car online in the UAE? To ensure a quick sale, you will need to gather some necessary documentation, upload your listing, and negotiate with some potential buyers. But don’t worry – selling a car in Dubai or anywhere in the UAE is easy. Below, we are listing the steps you need to take to ensure a good sale.

Step 1: Pay Your Fines & Loans

If you have parking tickets, speeding fines or anything else, you need to cover the costs before you sell the car to the next owner. Similarly, if your car has been purchased through a loan, you need to clear it out at least a couple of days before transferring the plates. Note that in some cases, car loans can be transferred, but you will need to discuss this with an official agent.

Step 2: Take Good Photos Of Your Car

Good photos are very important when selling a car online in the UAE. They are what catches the eye of the potential buyer, and what reassures them that your car is a good deal. You should make sure that your car is clean and get a car wash if needed. Then, photograph your car parked in a nice location – the timing for this can be early in the morning or just after sunset, when there is ideal lighting. Make sure to take photos of each side of your car, as well as the driver’s seat, the back seat, and the trunk. Experienced sellers know that shots of the odometer, service books, engine, tyres, and other details are also important for selling a car quickly.

Step 3: Advertise Your Car On An Online Marketplace

There are many car marketplaces in the UAE – you can take your chances and advertise your car on some, or all of them. The most popular include dubizzle.com, DubiCars.com, CarSwitch.com, UAE.YallaMotor.com, and DubaiMotors.com. Note that with all car marketplaces, there are fees for advertising a vehicle which go anywhere between 50 and 150 AED based on the options you select.

Step 4: Add A Solid Description Of Your Car

Most of the car marketplaces have previously-set filters that you can fulfil to submit information about your car. However, the body of the ad is where you can put additional information about it. Don’t repeat the details you have already submitted (for instance, the make, model, year, mileage, and price) – instead, provide additional information about your car such as the additional equipment, any add-ons, options, and special details about your vehicle that are not that obvious.

Step 5: Screen Your Callers Carefully

Selling a used car in the UAE is easy, but negotiating with callers is not always the most pleasant task. You can save time and headaches by screening callers before you even begin interacting with them. If you have listed a low price and your car is popular, you can expect lots of phone calls, so make sure to highlight a time when you are open for discussions about your car. Otherwise, you might get calls at unpleasant times.

Step 6: Arrange A Test Drive (And An Optional Check At The Mechanic)

If there is a caller who is serious about buying your car, let them test drive the car – but go along with them. On the test drive, don’t try to “hard sell” them your used car. Let them enjoy the ride and simply respond to any of their questions. If they want to have a mechanical inspection of the car, they should pay for it, but you should always be open and transparent about it.

Step 7: Close The Deal

Once the test drive is done and the potential buyer is (hopefully) satisfied with the car, they will begin negotiating to buy your used car. Let them make the opening offer there. If they ask something like “What is your best price?” you can answer “I think my asking price is fair, but you can make an offer.” The goal is to negotiate slowly and repeat the numbers so that there is no misunderstanding. Before you agree to a deal, make sure that they are serious and ready to buy your car.

Step 8: Remove The Salik Tag

Salik tags are not carried over to the next owner of your car – instead, they are registered in the person’s name. This means that you need to remove the tag before selling your car. If the tag is not removed, you may end up paying for the trips of the future car owner. However, you need to do this only when the car is officially sold.

Step 9: Collect The Documents

In case the buyer is unaware of the buying process, you need to know it. These are the documents needed to complete the process:

• Valid insurance for the vehicle
• Passport with residence visa (must be original)
• Emirates ID
• Valid UAE driving licence

Note: If the buyer has a visa in another Emirate, they will have to provide information that they live in that Emirate. This can be either a tenancy contract with a (electricity) bill in their name, or any other proof of property ownership.

Step 10: Cancel Your Insurance When Transferring The Car

Once you complete all of the steps from above, the only thing left is to cancel your insurance. However, it can be transferred. Not that if your vehicle has at least seven months or more remaining on your insurance plan, you can transfer the policy to the buyer. The best way to make sure that you are eligible for this is by checking with your insurance agent or calling the insurance company directly.

We hope this guide will help you sell your car in the UAE!