How to find the best car appraisal service in 2023?
Appraising a car is a tough job and involves various factors like age, demand, classic, market frequency, mileage, and market value of the vehicle. If you are buying or selling a used car then it is better to have the best car appraisal servicein hand to ensure that you land in the perfect deal and fetch profitable outcomes. It is also equally essential to hire the right appraiser who is well-experienced at the job and can provide you with the right price for the vehicle.
Further, the car appraisal will also offer room for negotiation where you impress the buyers and they can also pay more than the expected market price of the vehicle. If you are looking for a car appraisal near me then here are some of the best types of appraisal services you can get in 2023. You can also refer to the below-mentioned options if you cannot hunt for the best car appraisal service in your region.
What are the different types of car appraisal services available in the market?
1. Always prefer auto dealers for dealership appraisals
One of the simplest, easiest, and safest ways of fetching a vehicle appraisal is from a certified automobile dealer. In most cases, the dealership appraisals get a chance when the sellers want to buy a new vehicle by exchanging the old vehicle which forms the trade-in deal. The dealership appraisal is safe and it generally gets completed within 30 minutes to 1 hour.
One thing we would like to suggest to all the car owners who are looking forward to a dealership appraisal is the dealers would love to devalue your vehicle. You have to ensure that dealers don’t devalue your vehicle quickly. You have to ensure that your car is free from previous accidental damage and there is not a single dent or imperfection which can give a chance to the dealers to devalue your vehicle. We know that you might be an automobile wizard but you have to create a rough price for your vehicle and have to stick around it while closing the deal.
To be honest, the dealers can also reduce the discount on the new vehicle if you negotiate more while exchanging your old car. It is better to take quotations from as many dealers as you can and to check the pre-discounted rates of the vehicle to end on a profitable side. Knowing small details about the car can really help you to save money.
2. Online vehicle appraisal
If you are an honest person and you can provide genuine details about the vehicle then you can create your own appraisal online. If you can tell the truth about the vehicle then you can easily fill the online appraisal form to fetch your online appraisal certificate. Although an online appraisal looks pretty much cool and convenient but still a lot of buyers and dealers don’t trust it is because it isn’t the official way of getting an appraisal certificate.
If we go through the buyer’s persona then they will surely think that the seller would uplift or over-estimate their old vehicle. Hence they can hire their own appraiser to inspect and provide the right estimate of the vehicle. You cannot totally depend on the online appraisal but it can be a great way to know about the rough price of the vehicle before you are applying for a dealership appraisal.
What is KBB or Kelly Blue Book? How can it help you in online appraisal?
KBB or Kelly Blue Book is an online automobile manual where you can find accurate data like demand and price of various cars of the last twenty years. You have to provide information like VIN or vehicle identification number, pin code, mileage vehicle, model, and location of the vehicle. One of the best features of the KBB or Kelly Blue Book is you will price in three different categories which include private buyer price, dealership price, and an average estimate of the vehicle.
3. Professional auto appraisers
Apart from the dealership appraisals and online appraisals, you can also take help from professional appraisals who charge a bit more but you will get expertise inspection. You can get appraisers who can either charge you on an hourly basis and they can also charge additional fees like travel allowance. You have to pay them a travel allowance if you cannot take the car to their place. Professional auto appraiserscan charge somewhere between 100-500 US Dollars.
One of the best advantages of getting an appraisal from a professional appraiser is you will get depth in the inspection and a detailed appraisal report. You can also check the qualifications of the appraiser to ensure that you don’t get cheated. A professional appraiser will not hesitate in showing their valid documents but they will use them to show off and for marketing purposes to attract clients.
The complete guide on the best car appraisal service process under the dealership
The appraisal process of a used vehicle can be quite similar to online and professional appraisals but the same step may get varied while applying for a dealership appraisal. As discussed early, the dealership appraisal can quickly get completed within half an hour. Some dealers will simply view the car from the windows while others will consider a test drive. One thing you must understand is every dealer has a different way of appraising and inspecting the vehicle. Also, one thing you have to understand is appraisal is an expert opinion and not scientific proof of the worth of your vehicle.
Most of the certified dealers take two appraisals of the vehicle taken by two different people designated by the dealer. Well, both the appraisals are similar and the only thing differentiating is the time of the appraisal and final report suggesting the estimate of the vehicle. Here is the breakdown of the dealership appraisal process which can help you in understanding the process.
1. Giving your car keys to the appraiser
Once you drive your vehicle to the dealer the salesperson from their end would ask for the keys of the vehicle for the general inspection of the vehicle. We suggest all car owners make spare keys of the vehicle while driving to the dealer. The sales representatives from the dealer’s end would pen down essential information like condition, run, and mileage, and they can also ask you some questions like “miles on tires” and previous insurance claim records for accidental damage to the vehicle.
2. What is silent- walk around and how to battle it?
There is nothing to worry about the silent walk around as you have to show your mental strength to tackle and win the battle. Let us find out what goes in the silent walk around. The sales representative from the appraiser’s end will walk around your car and point out every single dent and scratch on the vehicle.
During the silent walk around most of the owners get tensed and start making excuses which help the appraisers to devalue the vehicle. You can better be silent and let them take the inspection which will make them understand that you are a confident owner and it will make it difficult for them to devalue the vehicle. You can remember one thing which is you have to not give a chance to win.
3. Sales reps will submit the collected data to a professional appraiser
The salesperson from the dealer’s end will submit the data to their lead or the professional appraiser who will next come into the scenario. Now, if you come across a professional and expert appraiser then he will never trust the written records as professionals love perfection and they would again walk around the car to find inspect the paint, body, dents, and hardware of the car including the windshields and seats.
The appraiser will also ask for official documents like registration and all other documents related to the vehicle. He will later open the hood of the vehicle to check the fluid levels of your vehicle and to inspect any mechanical fault within the vehicle. If your car is not too old then the professional appraiser will also check the navigation system, odometer, DVD player, and speakers of the vehicle.
The appraiser will also verify the authenticity of the VIN or Vehicle Identification Number. The appraiser will always look for “red flags” which will help the dealers to devalue the vehicle. The appraiser will then take your vehicle for a test drive to check the on-road experience. They will later submit the ACV or Actual Cash Value to the manager along with the details like whether the car will get into a retail or wholesale market. The manager will confirm and provide a detailed report of inspection and value of the vehicle to the owner of the vehicle.
Looking for a trusted and experienced auto appraiser in California and Utah, Benchmark Auto-Appraisers LLC is the leading appraisal service extending its service in major cities across the country. Daniel Jendrowski founded an organization that believes in focusing on best practices to ensure that there is a fair deal between the buyers and sellers and no one approaching them is disappointed with their service. You can book your free consultation at 1-877-888-6113 or click here to get connected.
Daniel “Dan” Jendrowski
Certified Public Auto Appraiser Diminish Value Experts B.C.A.A. & I.A.C.P.
