2009 Prius: Tips for negotiating trade in value?

You have control after the sale of the car and it varies by state so check laws from your local DMV. Here in Missouri, you need to take off your plates and surrender it to DMV (never give the new owner your new plates) and then send the 'Transfer of Sale' form from the title (MO title has a detachable transfer of sale form) to the DMV or go to the DMV to file a transfer of sale. This transfer of sale will remove your name from the car you sold, so if they don't register it and park it illegally without plates then it can't be traced back to you as the owner. Also you need to have a bill of sale with "AS IS" signed on it. That bill of sale can be used as deduction for tax of the new car you're going to register in your state, that will save you at least some. If you sell your Prius for $2000 then the taxable amount will be the price of your new car minus the $2000. Your state's DMW website is also a good resource if it's a hassle going into their office and falling in line.

Dealers and CarMax usually don't re-sell old and high mileage cars on their lot, there are people who buy them wholesale (auction) and re-sell them. That's how people make profit from re-selling them.. it's a quick $500-$1000 minimum profit per car with no effort. Dealers don't mind because they already made a profit from the sale of the car, it's a given.

My friend traded his Honda minivan from a dealer and few months later he got a call from a towing company to claim his car because it was abandoned. It turned out dealer didn't process the sale completely and the buyer just abandoned the car when its engine seized on the highway..he just ignored the call since he got proof that he's no longer the owner.

 

I don’t like taking people for test drives either, that’s why I always trade in.
You do lose a few grand though.
First they want to rip the snot out of it to see if anything breaks, then they want to take it to a mechanic to have it looked over.
And you can go through this multiple times until you find a buyer.
It just depends on how much you need/want the extra money.

 

that's why you use Facebook Marketplace because you can see the profile of the person who is trying to buy your car. Craigslist is a thing of the past.. Select which one you feel you like based on his profile (judging the book by its cover) if the guy is a dealer (so many car being sold in his profile) then expect him to really test the car, but in my experience if you are in the passenger seat they are always respectful in test driving. There are some cars that I let them drive by themselves, I just take a pic of their driver license and usually they'll go back because their car is parked in my driveway. There are guys who wants pre-inspection and I usually decline because it's a hassle for me, I'm selling it cheap why the hassle. If it's a $10k-$20k then yeah better be safe as a buyer. Why would you be so concerned if they are trying to rip the hell out of your car? does it mean it's in a bad shape?

 

It’s one thing to do it as a business, and another to do it once

 

I am in the process of selling one of my 08's I have it listed on Car Gurus. II have a bill of sale paperwork form to fill out and the money will be exchanged at a bank. I have a friend in another car follow me to a common meeting area with someone looking to test drive. Try the parking lot of a Hoe Depot or Lowes. Or a Police station. I go with them for the test drive and hand them the paperwork with receipts for all the work I have had done. I also have an Air Tag hidden in the car. I take a picture of their driver's license and proof of insurance and immediately send it to my friend in the other car. I also have a Google Voice phone number which forwards to my actual cell phone to communicate with the buyer. All good so far.