Do you have a car in your driveway that has been sitting there and collecting dust? Or maybe you’d like to upgrade to a newer vehicle but don’t want to get ripped off by trading it in at a dealership for way less than its worth? You’re not alone; many other car owners in Illinois have realized that selling their vehicle privately is the best way to get their vehicle’s true value. The private car sale market can be intimidating. There are many people who have been taken advantage of due to low ball offers, strangers coming to their place of residence and navigating the complex of Illinois DMV related paperwork, so they choose to sell their vehicle at a dealership and settle for the trade in value.

Introducing KarKiosk. We are providing a new way for car sellers in Illinois to be able to sell their vehicles. Imagine an online platform that combines the power and reach of major online marketplaces with the administrative support and piece of mind of a concierge service. If you live in Chicago, Peoria or Springfield you can successfully sell your vehicle privately without it being a stressful and costly endeavor. In fact, with the tools that we’ll provide you in this guide you will be able to sell your vehicle privately, making it one of the most profitable financial decisions you make this year. This guide will serve as your roadmap from taking the perfect picture of your vehicle (so it attracts potential buyers) to signing your title over to the buyer. You will be able to sell your vehicle privately in Illinois by combining proper resources and the tools provided in this guide. Why Sell Privately in Illinois?

Before beginning the "how," it's important to first discuss the "why," which is primarily financially motivated for both you and the dealer. By trading in your car, dealers must acquire the vehicle in a price range that gives them room to recondition/market/resell it and have a profit margin that is deducted from your purchase price (Amount received for the trade-in is less than the invoice amount on your new vehicle).

A more favorable private party market exists in the State of Illinois, whereby individuals are constantly looking to purchase quality vehicles and save the added cost associated with purchasing from a dealership. By eliminating the dealer as an intermediary from the transaction, you can typically receive thousands of dollars more than your vehicle's trade-in value, and you hold the reins of the transaction. You decide how much to sell the car for, who your buyer is going to be, and at what point the buyer will be able to pick the vehicle up after you hand over the keys.

Step-by-Step Guide: Selling with KarKiosk

The purpose of this Step-by-Step Guide is to show you how to go from "I am thinking about selling my car" to the point where you have sold your vehicle using the KarKiosk platform.

Step 1 – Create Your KarKiosk Account

The first step is becoming a part of the KarKiosk family. You can register online in only a few minutes. Registering does not mean you have signed up for a membership; it means you have created a login and can access your own dashboard used to manage offers and messages relating to the sale of your vehicle safely and securely.

Step 2 – Listing Your Vehicle: The Details

After you've logged in to your account, you will see "sell your car" button appear in the menu bar, which you will click on. This will require you to enter either your VIN number or license plate number as the KarKiosk system will pull your vehicle's basic specs (make, model, year, trim level, etc.) automatically to save you time and ensure accurate specifications.

Take lots of pictures (up to 25 high definition pictures will be accepted). Pictures should be taken after washing and vacuuming the vehicle so that the buyer gets a good first picture of the car.

Use your KarStudio credits to enhance the pictures of your car with the use of (AI) tools to remove clutter from the background and, if necessary, to adjust the lighting of your pictures to make your car appear to be showroom quality.

You can also add a 30-second video (optional) of yourself walking around the car, starting the vehicle to show that it is running smoothly, and/or highlighting any of your vehicle's unique features.

Step 3 – Determine a Selling Price

Overpricing your vehicle is the quickest way to kill your chance of making a private party sale. On the opposite end of the spectrum, pricing your vehicle too low will result in you losing money on the sale. The tools available at KarKiosk will provide you with market information regarding sales of similar vehicles in your area so that you may determine a competitive selling price based upon these statistics.

Using your zip code, KarKiosk will provide current market information that will assist you in finding the "sweet spot" for pricing (selling price) your vehicle.

Step 4 – Increase Visibility of Your Listing

When you list your vehicle on KarKiosk, your listing is not just displayed on the KarKiosk website. Your listing (advertisement) will be distributed to multiple websites, including social media platforms, where your potential buyers might be visiting, both looking for used cars, and perusing their Facebook or Instagram feeds.

Step 5 – Manage Your Offers

There is no need to provide your personal cell phone number to strangers. Instead, you will utilize the KarKiosk Message Center to manage communications about your vehicle. You can both chat and/or make voice calls using the Message Center, which allows you to keep your personal information private while allowing you to filter your communications through the use of this tool.

Private Sale vs. Dealership – Pros and Cons

Is the added effort required to sell your vehicle through a private sale versus selling it to a dealership(s) worth it? In the following section, we will examine the comparison.

Illinois Seller Safety Tips

When selling privately, you need to have a plan for your safety as any seller's main concern should be their own safety and security when meeting buyers. While you will deal with most genuine people, there are always unscrupulous people who want to scam you or steal from you and having a safety plan will help you to avoid these issues.

Buyer Vetting

Before agreeing to meet with any potential buyer, you should vet them using the KarKiosk Message Center. You can do this by asking questions like:

• Do you have financing arranged?
  
  

• Are you buying for yourself?
  
  

• Do you have a current driver's license so you can drive my car during the test drive?
  

Meeting Place

Whenever possible, do not invite a stranger to your home, meet them at a neutral, public location.

• Safe Exchange Zones: Several police stations have Safe Exchange Zones specifically for local online sales; these areas are monitored by security cameras.
  
  

• Busy Parking Lots: The parking lots of large shopping centers during the day are also good alternatives.
  

Test Drives

Always accompany the buyer on the test drive; do not allow the buyer to take your car out without your being there. Before the buyer starts moving, ask for a copy of their driver's license and take a picture with your phone. If they refuse, your transaction is canceled.

Secure Payment

While cash is king, carrying a large amount of cash can be dangerous when selling your vehicle in a private sale.

• Recommended: Cashier's checks (Verify that the title is being issued to the same person who is making the payment) or electronic transfer.
  
  

• Not Recommended: Personal checks (they can bounce several days later) or complicated payment plans.

  
  

Documentation Requirements for Illinois Private Car Sales

Documentation requirements for car sales are very important in Illinois. Failure to have the required documentation before completing the sale could cause delays in transferring ownership and may ultimately result in you being liable for the car after it has been sold. Below is a summary of the required documentation for a private sale of a vehicle in Illinois:

1. Certificate of Title: This is by far the most important document because without it, you cannot transfer ownership of the vehicle to the buyer. You need to sign the “Assignment of Title” on the back of the Illinois Certificate of Title.
   
   

• Seller’s Signature: Sign your name exactly as it appears on the front of the certificate.
  
  

• Odometer Reading: Please provide the exact mileage that the car has on its odometer. Do not include any tenths or partial miles in your response.
  
  

• Date of Sale: This must be the correct date.
  
  

• No Corrections: Do not use white-out, correction tape, or cross through any of the information on the title. If you make a mistake, the title is void and you will need to request a duplicate title (Form VSD 190) from the Secretary of State’s office before you can transfer ownership of this vehicle.
  
  

2. Bill of Sale: While the title will technically transfer ownership of the car to the buyer, Illinois law requires you to complete a bill of sale for the purposes of documenting the purchase price for state sales tax purposes. The bill of sale will also act as a receipt for the transaction.
   
   Contents of a Bill of Sale include:
   
   

• Make, Model, and VIN Number of Vehicle
  
  

• Date of Sale
  
  

• Amount of Purchase Price
  
  

• Buyer’s Name and Address
  
  

• Seller’s Name and Address

  
  

  Both the buyer and seller should sign and retain a copy of the Bill of Sale for their records.

  
  

3. Odometer Disclosure Statement: If the vehicle is less than 10 years old (check the model year), you are required to complete an Odometer Disclosure Statement as required by federal and state statute if there is insufficient space to report the odometer on the front of the title.

   
   

4. Seller’s Report of Sale: The seller's report of sale is an important form that is usually overlooked. You must submit a Seller's Report of Sale to the Illinois Secretary of State. The Seller’s Report of Sale is to notify the Secretary of State that you no longer own this vehicle.
   
   Why is submitting the Seller’s Report of Sale so important? If the buyer speeds, uses a toll road, or abandons the vehicle prior to completing the title transfer, you could potentially be responsible for any tickets or violations that happen after the sale if the Secretary of State believes that you still own the vehicle. Therefore, if you submit a Seller’s Report of Sale, you will be released from liability for any violations.
   
   

5. License Plates: License plates remain with the seller in Illinois, therefore, if the buyer decides to drive away with your license plates, you will be unable to give them license plates and you will need to either transfer the plates to your next vehicle or return them to the DMV.
   
   

Checklist for Required Documentation

KarKiosk Provides Illinois Sellers with the Ultimate Resource for Selling Their Cars

You may wonder why you shouldn’t simply put a sign in the window to sell your vehicle; however, such practices limit the potential buyer to an immediate neighbourhood area only for viewing your vehicle. In contrast, KarKiosk’s ability to create technological advantages over sell-throughs on the listed vehicles is unmatched.

My new KarKiosk - FREE Vehicle History Report

The Trust is the currency of the private market, KarKiosk provides its Marketplace sellers with Free KarReport Vehicle History Reports for their vehicle listings. By providing this brochure to vehicle buyers, you as the seller are demonstrating your level of honesty pertaining to any Accident and/or Title issues related to your vehicle. The transparency provided to vehicle buyers will help to sell quicker than without.

Secure Messenger: Sending/Receiving Messages Securely

As previously discussed, my KarKiosk provides its Marketplace sellers with their Sell-through Messaging Centre, which provides sellers with added protection from having their contact information made public on the Internet so that they can continue to negotiate price, haggling, and schedule test drives without having to disclose their private cell phone number.

Featured Listings

If you would like to expedite your staffing for an automobile purchase listed on your vehicle in a timely manner, you can opt to "Feature" on KarKiosk to draw additional attention to your marketplace vehicle listing. Listing your featured, would provide as much as 55% more viewership from standard listings during/for the sales process. This provides you, the seller, with additional opportunities to reach your target market.

Instant Offers

There are times when you just need to get rid of the automobile today. KarKiosk has a Volume Buying Program through partnering with a network of buyers who can acquire your vehicle for cash on the spot, through cash sales or in a very short time frame. When there is a lack of activity in the private marketplace to satisfy your need to sell your vehicle, you can utilise the immediately available offer feature and receive an offer for your vehicle by using the KarKiosk application.

Final Thoughts

Selling your vehicle privately in Illinois does not have to create undue stress, but should be viewed as an opportunity for you to realize more money on your investment, and ensure the new owner cares for your vehicle.

You can legally protect yourself by correctly completing the title transfer, removing the license plates, and submitting the Seller's Report of Sale. You will also physically and digitally protect yourself by utilizing KarKiosk to ensure you vehicle is visually appealing as possible and reaches the maximum amount of potential buyers.

Don't allow trade-in offers by car dealerships to undervalue your asset. Empower yourself by taking control of how to sell your car—clean up your vehicle and use your phone to create a listing on KarKiosk now. The perfect buyer for your vehicle could be waiting when you post it.

Are you ready to sell? Go to KarKiosk and list your vehicle in just a few minutes!