First and foremost, thank you for trusting Harwood Motors to help you make the transition as simple, quick, and profitable as possible. You may have questions about the process and how we work, so here are a few things that you can expect during the marketing process.
The first thing you can expect is for us to give you a realistic market value on your car. We study old cars the way an investment banker studies the stock market. We offer decades of experience, attend auctions year-round, and have access to sales databases and trade journals that keep us abreast of developments and trends. We also trust our instincts which have proven to be reliable time after time. Because of this, we can give you a very good idea of your car's market price based on your description and a few photos. Of course, once we've seen your car in person, we'll be better able to narrow it down, and we always welcome an owner's thoughts and input. If your pricing needs are appropriate to the market, we are confident that we can find your car a new home with our marketing system!
Two, you should get your car ready for sale. Fix those little things you've been meaning to get to but just never found the time. Every little thing that's wrong with the car gives a buyer a reason to say, "No." Let's eliminate as many of the easy ones as possible. Please give it a full-scale clean up inside and out to make it look its very best. We can have the car detailed at a very modest cost, and small repairs can be done after it arrives at our facility, but if you want to save some money, feel free to do it yourself. It matters. We will maintain the car in the condition in which it arrives at our shop, but anything you can do to enhance it will make it more marketable and help it sell quicker and for more money.
Three, expect to ship your car to our newly renovated facility just south of Cleveland, Ohio. It has been our experience that cars sell faster and for more money when they are in a showroom environment with other high-end vehicles. It is not uncommon for a buyer to make an appointment to inspect one vehicle, only to see another that he likes even more—that could be your car! In addition, some buyers like to browse, and having the ability to look at dozens of cars at the same time and in the same place encourages them to buy. Finally, by sending your car to our showroom, it allows us to spend time with potential buyers rather than you having to make yourself available at all times. We are, of course, always happy to help coordinate shipping to our facility.
Four, a week to ten days after your car's arrival at our facility, barring any unforeseen issues, you can expect it to appear online, both on our website and on the internet storefronts we use to market vehicles. You should expect more than 50 high-quality photos that show your car at its best and a detailed write-up that has set the standard for the rest of the industry. If you see that there are corrections to be made, simply give us a call or email us and we'll happily make the changes, as representing the car honestly and accurately is critical. Our only goal is to get it right from the start so that a buyer has no reason to say, "No."
Five, you should expect it to take several weeks to several months to sell your car. Quite honestly, it is rare for a car to sell in less than 90 days and depending on the time of year and the car itself, six months is not unusual. If the car sits in inventory for more than six months with no substantive inquiries, however, it may be a sign that the price is too high and we may contact you to discuss the price. Nevertheless, if your car does not sell immediately, don't worry! We'll monitor the market and let you know how to proceed. And as with everything we do, no price changes happen without your approval.
Six, when your car does sell, you should expect to get your title work in order as quickly as possible. We will have asked to examine the car's title as part of our initial marketing agreement and if there were problems they should have been corrected by this point. We will not begin marketing a car until we are certain it can be reliably transferred to a new owner, and the title is the most important aspect of that transaction.
Once the deal is done, you should expect to be paid in full for the car before it leaves our facility. Under no circumstances do we compromise on this, and no car leaves on a deposit with promises to pay the balance later. Most payments are received through wire transfer or bank draft, but even if we accept a personal check, the car does not leave until that check has cleared our bank. Harwood Motors acts as your escrow service, holding the money safely in order to satisfy both the buyer and the seller that the deal is a go. In very rare cases, a buyer may show up with a trailer and cash-in-hand, and we will work to accommodate him to close the deal, but at no point will we ever compromise your security.
Above all, don't forget that we work for YOU. It's our goal to make the entire process as smooth and simple as possible, eliminating all the usual headaches and giving you the peace of mind that comes with a full-time professional agent working on your behalf. You'll be treated fairly and with respect. That's just the way we like to do business, and we look forward to earning your trust as well as your friendship.