February 23, 2012

Using the Internet to Sell Your Car

The Internet is an incredible thing. While most people use this powerful tool for entertainment and information, a lot of people have wisely made use of it for such diverse things as dating and running businesses. The uses of the Internet are very versatile. However, one of the Net’s best uses comes in the form of selling your car.

When you want to you can use the Internet to get some pretty serious cash for cars. While you might not think just posting a few pictures on a website will allow you to do anything constructive with your car, you would be surprised at how many people may have an interest in your old car because of their mechanical skills. Someone might be looking for the kind of car you’re selling and they might think fixing it up is a fun little labor of love. You just never know what someone might end up paying for your car.

Of course, this is not a way to get rich. You might not even get an answer to your ad that says, “Buy my car.” So, unless you’ve got some really awesome wheels, you shouldn’t get too ambitious with the amount of money you expect. But when it comes to the Internet, it seems like everything has a buyer somewhere. They might not live in your state or even your country, but when does that stop anybody in this day and age? The time you spend posting some pics and a good description of your vehicle is time extremely well spent. After all, when you use the Internet to sell your car, you’ve got incredible options on who might buy it.

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Will the Internet Kill the Store Front?

A typical Wal-Mart discount department store i...

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As technology takes over of our lives, everything from the way we rent movies to the way we read has changed. Newspapers are going out of business. News magazines are dated by the time they hit the news stand. Movies are downloaded or streamed in a flash without ever leaving home, and smart phones do everything from communicate, to entertain, to direct, to take pictures. This week’s fall of book giant, Borders, can’t help but make people wonder if the Internet will kill the store front.

Even Wal-mart Has a New Threat

Wal-mart has long been the bad guy when it comes to killing businesses, but even the discount giant can’t compete with many online stores that sell refurbished products that are more progressive than anything you’ll find in the big chain’s technology department. Shipping is fast, and often free, so the streamlining of business via the Internet is great for the consumer, but not so great for the brick and mortar stores.

The People Experience

No matter how much technology drives up the cost of doing main street business, the human experience will always keep a few good companies around. For example, Wal-mart allows consumers to buy products online and then pick them up at the closest store front. If it has to be shipped there, an estimated delivery date is given, and consumer saves on shipping costs. Many clothing stores are using this marketing technique, too.

Many technical brands, like Dell, actually built their business on online sales. They allowed people to build their own computers, to suit, have them shipped, and then schedule a technician to visit their home and set it all up. The key is convenience and customer service. Marketing innovation will save the human experience.

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Refurbished Products Offer Great Savings

Logo of CNET.

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If you want the latest technology, but you are on a tight budget, check out refurbished products. There are some highly reputable websites that sell these products with limited warranties. Most of the time, they’ll gladly accept returns on problem gadgets and computers, but the probability of you having any problems at all are slim.

Start With Expert  Reviews

Websites, like CNET, offer excellent expert reviews on various new technology. The reviewers often recommend refurbished versions because they believe the product is that good. They’ll rank gadgets and products by brand, quality, price and user satisfaction. It’s always a good idea to visit this website before buying any new technology products.

Ask Your Tech Friends Where They Shop

Tech people are notoriously good at finding great bargains on great stuff. Ask your tech friends where you can find good refurbished products that are still leading technology. They’ll probably direct you to a couple of websites with great customer service and prices. Technology people know what things are worth, so they definitely won’t pay too much for a refurb.

Since techies tend to buy lots of stuff, they will also have a strong opinion on the best brands. Find out which products they recommend. Once you’ve shopped and found what you’re looking for, ask your friend to give his or her review before you buy.

Finally, know when to buy the latest gadget. If it’s a brand new concept, it will probably have some issues that won’t show themselves until consumers have put it through the paces. The best example of knowing when to buy something is the iPhone. It almost always has kinks in the first go-round.

 

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Know When To Buy At a Close-Out Sale

Logo of Circuit City, now-defunct US retail chain

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If you didn’t learn your lesson when Circuit City went out of business, here’s a reminder. When companies go out of business, they usually sell their remaining stock to an outside auction company. That company sets the sale prices. Don’t be fooled by 80% off advertisements. Wait a little longer before you go shopping for a great bargain.

80% Off Is a Great Deal

When you see a popular product marked at 80% off, you should immediately question that. Book lovers are getting the chance to raid the Borders inventory for great deals, but just like Circuit City, those drastic mark-downs probably won’t be as good as you think. When auction companies buy a failing business and begin to liquidate the stock, they look of the MSRP on each item. That price is always the highest price possible. In a competitive world, no one is selling for MSRP. Therefore, 80% off MSRP might not be any better than the sale price at another store.

If you want the kind of deal you can brag about, you have to know when to buy, and that’s about six weeks after the liquidation sale starts. In the meantime, you’ll do better just to shop elsewhere for normal sales or refurbished products.

Look for Company Liquidation Sales

If an office or organization goes out of business in your town, you may be able to find some great technology deals there. Once again, the prices will be high at first, and then they’ll go down. Also, companies that specialize in refurbished products may buy everything in bulk, refurbish it, and re-sell it at a great price.

Timing is everything, so be patient, and the deal will come to you.

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