Ever been to a car dealer to trade in your car, and the price they give you is well below what you think it’s worth? Sure, we all know that the dealer has to resell your car for a little more than what they paid you for it – that part is expected. But when the price isn’t fair, that’s when we start to get ticked off and, frankly, insulted. So, what are the reasons for your trade-in value being so low? Let’s explore this, brought to you by the vehicle geniuses at Carbroker.com.au.

1. The dealers are being shady

Put quite simply, the dealer may be having you on. After all, it’s in their best interest, when trading in your vehicle, to give you the lowest possible price so they can then resell your vehicle for as big a profit as possible. If you’ve been low-balled on your trade-in and the dealer is refusing to budge, the first thing to do is walk away. The second thing to do is to consult one of the brokers at Carbroker.com.au, who’ll get you a better deal, guaranteed.

2. High kilometres

If your car has high kilometres, this is typically great ammo for car dealers to get the price down on your car when you trade it in. Car dealers use high kilometres to make your car seem less desirable and therefore pay less for it. While high kilometres aren’t ideal, the price they give you may still be suspiciously low for make and model of your car.

3. Scratches and dings

Scratches and dings are one of the main reasons why car dealers give you a low trade-in value. They’ll say that they’re going to need to spend thousands of dollars fixing it up and, at the price they’re offering you, they’ll barely make a cent! This is a lie, designed to devalue your car when trading it in. It might be worth repairing any significant scratches or dings before trading it in, or at least getting a quote for the job so you can refute the dealer’s claims with written proof.

4. Customisation

This one actually has some solid truth behind it. If your car is heavily modded or customised, it can devalue your car, even if you’ve spent a lot of money on it. This is because not everybody is going to have the same taste as you and people generally prefer original, unmodified vehicles. Consider reversing the mods you’ve made before heading to trade it in.

5. You haven’t got a professional in your corner

Looking to trade your car in, but fearing the lowballing ways of car dealers? Get in touch with Carbroker.com.au and chat with one of their expert brokers. They know all about the shady ways of car dealers and help you to avoid the bad eggs. They’ve got a database of over 2,000 dealerships nation-wide, so they’re bound to find you the best deal on your trade-in.