FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Whether buying or selling, we’ve got you covered below.
Seller FAQs
If you have a vehicle to sell, you’ve traditionally had two choices: (1) sell to a dealer, which can be convenient but generally leads to a low price; or (2) sell it yourself, which can generate a higher price than trading-in but is a time-consuming hassle that involves dealing with strangers. At CarLotz, you get the best of both worlds: more money for your vehicle than trade-in without the hassle of selling it yourself. Our sellers make more than wholesale trade-in value, and we do all the work.
Just bring us your vehicle, and we’ll help you pick the selling price. We inspect, detail, and photograph your vehicle so it looks its best for potential buyers. We then list it for sale on our website and major vehicle buying websites like AutoTrader, Cars.com, and CarGurus. In addition, we stage it for sale at our facility, which is located in high-traffic retail areas. We manage buyer inquires 24×7, conduct test drives, collect payment safely from the buyer when we sell it, and do all the DMV paperwork. Once we sell your vehicle, we cut you a check.
Every situation is different, as pricing, condition, and supply of similar vehicles all impact the sales process, but the typical CarLotz vehicle sells in about 30 days. We promote all vehicles aggressively nationwide, follow up on buyer questions 24×7, and offer easy financing options, ensuring we sell your vehicle as quickly as possible.
We are experts at pricing vehicles. We’ll price based on real-time sales listings for similar vehicles, auction sales data, and trusted vehicle pricing sources like NADA and KBB.
Of course! Many of our sellers’ lease or have outstanding loans on their vehicles, which is one of the reasons they are drawn to us. We obtain more value for the vehicle to pay off loans or leases and hopefully a little leftover. Once we sell your vehicle, we will pay the lease or lien off directly and write you a check for any difference.
Yes, we ask that you leave your vehicle with us because it meaningfully increases the chances of a successful sale. Our online marketing efforts will drive nationwide exposure, but our retail locations are in high traffic areas that receive a significant number of local walk-in customers. Having the vehicle available for sale on the lot makes it easy for prospects to view and test drive, maximizing sale opportunities.
We take an up-front listing fee of $299, which covers the work we do to prepare and market the vehicle for sale, including a 133-point inspection, complete interior and exterior detail, a vehicle history report, professional photographs, ad copywriting, and various online classified listings. After we sell your vehicle, we take a $799 success fee directly from the sales proceeds. Our incentives are completely aligned.
A flat-fee drives two important behaviors: (1) it ensures that CarLotz is equally motivated to sell ANY of our vehicles regardless of price so that all are treated equally; and (2) it ensures a positive buying experience since we have no incentive to push a certain vehicle on a buyer.
To get started, we will need a copy of driver’s license for all registered owners, current registration, proof of insurance, title (or lienholder information, if applicable), all keys/fobs, and any available service records.
Buyer FAQs
CarLotz is not your traditional dealership! We offer vehicles priced fairly and below retail price for any budget. Additionally, we put every vehicle through a 133-point inspection, making sure it meets our standards of quality. Whether you are buying a Ford Focus or a Ferrari, our only goal is to provide you a world-class buying experience, in addition, our sales coaches are non-commissioned, so you can shop comfortably knowing our incentives are aligned with yours.
We provide customers with transparent upfront & haggle-free below retail pricing. We ensure we are competitively priced compared to market conditions for like vehicles. Plus, we review similar vehicles for sale on major vehicle buying sites nationwide and review trusted auto resources like NADA and KBB. As a result, our prices are typically below retail. Of course, you probably saw this when you were searching for vehicles online, right?
CarLotz vehicles are sourced from private owners and businesses who would like us to sell their vehicle without the hassle, time commitment, and risk of doing it themselves. Most vehicles are sourced from consumers, businesses, credit unions, fleet management companies, and non-profits in the local community, but the company also supplements inventory with trade-ins and owned units in response to buyer needs. By removing traditional middlemen from the process, CarLotz helps everyone save money…a true win-win.
Absolutely! CarLotz partners with several banks and credit unions that can help with any purchase in any credit situation. You can learn more by asking one of our sales coaches, or if you’re ready to move forward, just fill out our short credit profile, and a member of our lending team will contact you with the next steps.
yes! In fact, if you have a vehicle to trade-in, CarLotz gives you two options. We’ll give you a competitive cash offer to trade-in your vehicle as part of the purchase transaction, or if you prefer, you can use our car selling service for the opportunity to make more. Just tell us about your trade-in, and we’ll provide an appraisal for both options so you can make the best decision for your needs.
You bet! We want you to be confident with your purchase. All qualifying Prime vehicles sold by CarLotz include a 30-day / 1,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and all qualifying Select vehicles include a 30-day/1,000-mile powertrain warranty ($750 limit). For buyers that want to extend protection, CarLotz works with trusted service contract providers that offer competitive rates on coverage ranging from a basic 3-month plan to a comprehensive 5-year plan. This is a great way to protect against repair costs that may arise from unforeseen vehicle issues down the road. We will review available options at the time of purchase. Plus we offer an exchange policy. We want you to be thrilled with your new vehicle. Within the first three business days or 500 miles (whichever comes first), you may return an eligible vehicle to the selling CarLotz location for an exchange of another vehicle.
Buyers at CarLotz will pay a processing fee which varies by state: ($699 in Virginia, North Carolina, & Florida; $150 in Texas & Washington; $300 in Illinois), DMV license and registration fees, and sales tax for the registered state that is passed directly through to the relevant authorities.
We know buying a car can be a hassle, but when properly prepared, we aim to have you in and out of our stores within 30 minutes. Please bring your driver’s license, proof of insurance (your insurance company can quickly add the new vehicle to your existing policy), and, if you’re not financing through us, your payment (we accept cash, cashier’s checks, or loan checks from your bank). Anyone who will appear on the title and registration should be present to sign the paperwork.
