---
title: "Where to Sell Your Car: 8 Routes Compared on Their Own Terms"
description: "CarMax, Carvana, KBB, Peddle, AutoNation, a private sale or a trade-in? Each route’s own terms on offer windows, fees, payment, loans and title, side by side."
url: "https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/where-to-sell-a-car/"
type: "article"
published: "2026-10-05"
modified: "2026-10-05"
site: "Baron Auto"
disclaimer: "This site is under new ownership and is not affiliated with Baron Auto Emporium dealership."
---

# Where to Sell Your Car: 8 Routes Compared on Their Own Terms

> CarMax, Carvana, KBB, Peddle, AutoNation, a private sale or a trade-in? Each route’s own terms on offer windows, fees, payment, loans and title, side by side.

*Selling & Trade-In · 21 min read · 4,827 words*

## The short version

- No buyer publishes what it pays compared with anyone else, so this page does not rank them. It compares 8 routes on the same 8 points, using each route’s own pages and terms as read on 5 October 2026.
- CarMax, Carvana, Kelley Blue Book’s Instant Cash Offer and AutoNation each print a 7-day offer window; AutoNation’s also ends at 500 miles. Peddle says “a week”, but its help centre says offers can change until you accept.
- CarMax, Carvana and AutoNation buy the car themselves. Kelley Blue Book’s terms say it does not: participating dealers, who pay it a monthly subscription, do. Peddle sometimes buys and sometimes passes your car to a commercial Buyer.
- Every instant offer depends on a check of the car. CarMax, Carvana, Kelley Blue Book’s dealers and Peddle can change or withdraw the figure if the car differs from what you described, and AutoNation redeems its offer only “if everything matches.”
- With a loan, CarMax, Carvana and Kelley Blue Book’s dealers pay the lender and want any shortfall from you first; AutoNation deducts the payoff from its offer. Peddle says all loans must be paid in full before it buys.
- A private sale has no offer window and no fee unless you advertise, and the FTC says you might get more than a dealer says the car is worth. The payment risk is yours: the FTC and Kelley Blue Book both warn about payments that prove fake.

Where to sell your car depends on the car and on what you need from the sale, not on a league table: no buyer publishes how its offers compare with anyone else’s, and we ran no car through any of their tools. What each one does publish is its terms. On 5 October 2026 we read CarMax’s [sell page](https://www.carmax.com/sell-my-car), selling article and Terms of Use; 17 Carvana help articles and its User Agreement; Kelley Blue Book’s Instant Cash Offer page and Terms of Service; Peddle’s terms, sell page and 16 help articles; AutoNation’s [sell page](https://www.autonation.com/sell-my-car); Autotrader’s [listing fees](https://www.autotrader.com/sell-my-car) and seller guide; and three FTC pages. Below, each route faces the same eight questions, answered in the company’s own words.

**Figure: Which route suits which car and seller**

A two-column table matching eight seller situations to what the selling routes’ own published terms say: owing more than the car is worth, needing same-day payment, wanting time to compare 7-day offers, a car that does not run or has no title, a car older than 24 model years or over 300,000 miles, buying the next car from the same dealer, having time for a private sale, and fearing payment fraud, with CarMax, Carvana, Kelley Blue Book, Peddle, AutoNation, Autotrader and FTC wording.

Read from each company’s own sell pages, help articles and terms on 5 October 2026 (Kelley Blue Book Terms of Service last updated 1 September 2026; Peddle terms 12 August 2026); the Carfax 3-day window from our 2 October 2026 reading. No VIN was entered and no offer requested. Cars.com and CarGurus could not be read. Not a ranking.

## Eight routes, and who actually buys the car

The eight routes are a private sale, a trade-in at the dealer selling you your next car, CarMax, Carvana, Kelley Blue Book’s Instant Cash Offer, Peddle, AutoNation, and a marketplace listing such as Autotrader or Facebook Marketplace. Cars.com and CarGurus refused every reading with a security check, so nothing here describes their terms.

Who the buyer is matters because that is who you deal with if something goes wrong. CarMax says “We’ll buy yours even if you don’t buy ours,” and that “our offer will be the same whether you’re buying from us or not.” Carvana says “You can absolutely sell us your car, even if you’re not purchasing a vehicle.” AutoNation lets you “accept payment, trade in, or consider the offer for up to 7 days.”

Kelley Blue Book does not buy the car under its Instant Cash Offer. Its Terms of Service (last updated 1 September 2026) say “Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader do not redeem Instant Cash Offers or purchase vehicles”; the offer is redeemed by dealers who “pay a monthly subscription to participate in and receive leads,” and Kelley Blue Book “may connect you with up to three” of them. A separate programme in the same terms, Kelley Buys Your Car, does buy directly, but only in “a participating, limited market.” Our guide to [the Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/kbb-instant-cash-offer/) covers both.

Peddle sits in between. Its terms (last updated 12 August 2026) say “Peddle does not always directly buy or sell cars”; sometimes it is “a digital venue and intermediary” for Buyers, “commercial users of Peddle who submit offer bids,” and sometimes it buys under its own dealer’s licence. The terms do not say how a seller can tell which. Our [Peddle review](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/peddle-review/) has the rest.

On a marketplace the buyer is a private person and the site is a venue: Kelley Blue Book’s terms say it “is not a party” to sales that start on KBB.com. Autotrader’s Private Seller Exchange is the exception, saying “We buy your vehicle and resell it to your buyer.” The distinction has teeth: Kelley Blue Book’s terms have you agree, in capital letters, “to look solely to your participating dealer for your remedy,” and Peddle’s ask you to release Peddle from disputes with “Sellers, Buyers or Carriers.”

## How long each offer lasts

Four routes print the same number. CarMax says its offers, “both online and in-store,” are “valid for 7 days”; Carvana, “Your offer from Carvana is valid for 7 days”; Kelley Blue Book, “valid at any Participating Dealer for seven (7) days after it was issued”; AutoNation, “7 days or 500 miles, whichever comes first.”

**Offer window, inspection and mismatch terms, in each route’s own words (read 5 October 2026)**

| Route | How long the offer lasts | Inspection | If the car does not match |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CarMax | “Valid for 7 days,” online or in-store; offers are “firm” | “Most qualify. Some we’ll ask to verify in-person” | Differences “may impact the offer” |
| Carvana | “Valid for 7 days”; you must accept to keep it | Automated checks, photo reviews and “a final confirmation at the pickup appointment” | “We’ll work with you to generate an updated offer” |
| Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer | “Seven (7) days after it was issued” | Mandatory and free, at the dealer | “May be adjusted up or down”; dealer’s view of condition “final” |
| AutoNation | “7 days or 500 miles, whichever comes first” | “A physical inspection” at a store | Not stated |
| Peddle | “A week to accept our offer and schedule pickup” | “No traditional appraisal or inspection”; checks at pickup | Updated offer, or it may “refuse pick up” |
| Dealer trade-in | Set by each dealer | The dealer’s appraisal | No standard term |
| Private sale | None: you set the price | Whatever the buyer asks for | The buyer can walk away |
| Marketplace listings | None: you set the price | Up to the buyer | Autotrader’s escrow holds funds until the buyer takes possession |

The same number hides different clocks. Carvana’s depends on you: “To ensure your 7-day offer doesn’t expire, you’ll need to accept the offer and follow the steps provided.” Kelley Blue Book’s has a shorter one inside it: after the inspection you hand the car over on the spot or return it “by the end of the next business day” with “no more than 50 additional miles on the odometer.” AutoNation’s counts distance; by our arithmetic, 500 miles over 7 days is about 71 miles a day, beyond which the mileage ends the offer before the date does. None of the four says whether its days are calendar or business days, so get the expiry written on the offer.

Peddle’s window is the loosest. Its sell page says “You have a week to accept our offer,” but its help centre says “Our offers are subject to change until accepted because our buyers have the ability to change or retract their offers at any time prior to acceptance.” The week is time to act, not a price guarantee. The shortest window on file is a Carfax Sell My Car dealer’s “Cash offer good for 3 days” (read 2 October 2026), 4 days shorter by our arithmetic; collect the 7-day offers first, as our guide to [the Carfax 3-day clock](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/carfax-sell-my-car/#three-days) explains.

## The inspection, and what happens when the car does not match

An online offer is priced on what you type in, and each buyer says so. CarMax’s footnote says its offer “is contingent on your providing accurate information” and that “any differences” in the car’s “actual condition, use, and history may impact the offer.” It looks at “your VIN, odometer reading, vehicle history, and overall condition”; our guide to [the CarMax appraisal](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/carmax-appraisal/) covers the rest. Carvana says verification of your documents “can take 24-48 business hours,” that “If we identify a mismatch, we’ll work with you to generate an updated offer,” and that “We do not price match or negotiate our offers.” Our guide to [the check at a Carvana handover](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/how-to-sell-a-car-to-carvana/#handover) covers what usually moves the number.

Kelley Blue Book’s terms describe the most detailed check: a free, mandatory dealer inspection that “may include, for example, paint thickness measurements, a road test, a mechanical inspection, and a review of vehicle history reports.” Afterwards “we may raise or lower the dollar amount,” and “all decisions of the Participating Dealer regarding the condition of your vehicle will be final,” though you are “welcome to try to negotiate.” Our [Kelley Blue Book value guide](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/kbb-car-value/#condition-lever) explains why the condition grade you pick online moves most at inspection.

Peddle’s help centre says “There’s no traditional appraisal or inspection,” yet its terms list 13 conditions, by our count, “verified at the time the vehicle is picked up,” from tires and battery to whether it starts and drives, body damage and water or fire damage. If anything proves inaccurate, or a major component is “missing or removed, even if not specifically mentioned or asked about,” Peddle may “invalidate the transaction, recalculate the Offer or refuse pick up.” AutoNation says only that “A physical inspection is conducted at one of our stores” and “If everything matches, you can redeem your offer.”

**No instant offer we read is unconditional.** Each depends on the car matching your description, and the buyer decides whether it does: Kelley Blue Book’s terms make the dealer’s view of condition final, and Peddle’s let it recalculate at the kerb. Describe the car as a stranger would, photograph it before the handover, and keep the offer email. If the figure drops, ask what moved it; our guide to [the figure that shrinks after inspection](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/sell-car-to-dealer/#revision) covers how to answer.

**Figure: Annotated photograph**

Three numbered callouts over the photograph mark the door panel, the sponge and the door mirror, with what the selling routes' terms say about inspection, AutoNation's offer window and a clear title.

Read on 5 October 2026: CarMax says some offers are adjusted after its verification process, Kelley Blue Book’s terms say a dealer’s inspection can move the Instant Cash Offer up or down, and Peddle’s terms let it recalculate the offer at pickup (callout 1). AutoNation’s FAQ gives its offer 7 days or 500 miles (callout 2), and KBB’s terms say the dealer pays once any lien is released and it holds a clear title (callout 3). The photograph is illustrative.

## Fees, pickup and drop-off

None of the instant-offer pages we read prints a charge for the offer itself. The costs that appear are for collecting the car, and only Peddle says it always covers the cost of pickup. Its help centre says “Selling your car with Peddle is completely free; there are no fees, hidden charges, or deductions,” then lists three costs it does not cover: impound or storage fees before pickup, notary fees where your state requires a notarised title, and third-party check-cashing fees. Your carrier “will call you within 1 business day,” and “pickups typically happen within 24 to 48 hours of scheduling.”

CarMax offers a store appointment or home pickup, with a footnote: “At-home pickup not available in all locations. Distance restrictions and fee may apply.” Carvana may collect the car, meet you somewhere agreed, or take it at a hub or vending machine; “if we pick up the vehicle from you, there may be a fee, which you’ll see before scheduling,” and it offers “a drop-off location to avoid this fee when that option is available.” Neither prints the amount. Kelley Blue Book’s inspection is “free of charge”, and in that programme it is the dealers who pay; you take the car to them. AutoNation prints no seller fee and says appointments at its “250+ locations” are “not required.”

The one route with a printed price list is a marketplace. Autotrader charges “as low as $9 (up to $49), based on the asking price,” with $29 between. A sale through its Private Seller Exchange adds “a seller protection fee of just 0.99% (as little as $99) of the vehicle’s final selling price,” which is “in addition to the cost of purchasing the ad.” By our arithmetic, 0.99% reaches $99 at a price of $10,000: below that the minimum applies. A private sale with no paid listing costs nothing to arrange.

## When the money arrives, and in what form

The routes that buy the car themselves pay the same day, but the form of the money decides how soon you can use it.

**How each route says it pays the seller (read 5 October 2026)**

| Route | Form of payment | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CarMax | “A bank draft” | “On the spot”; “in 30 minutes or less” with the online steps done |
| Carvana | Printed check (“must be deposited with a physical teller”) or ACH | At the pickup or drop-off appointment; ACH then takes business days |
| Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer | A dealer check, or a trade-in credit | After liens are released and the dealer receives a clear title |
| Peddle | A company check; cash only at the carrier’s discretion | At pickup; mailed check 7 to 10 business days if arranged |
| AutoNation | “A check or Zelle payment” | “On the spot after completing the sale” |
| Dealer trade-in | A credit against the next car | At the time of the trade |
| Private sale | Whatever you and the buyer agree | When the buyer pays; the risk is yours |
| Autotrader Private Seller Exchange | To your bank account | After the buyer confirms possession; “within 1 business day” depending on your bank |

Kelley Blue Book’s dealer check waits for a clear title, and “all checks will be made payable to the vehicle owner(s) named on the vehicle title.” Peddle’s check is drawn on “a Positive Pay account with Frost Bank,” ready “within 30 minutes of your pickup being confirmed,” but “some banks may place temporary holds on funds” that Peddle cannot release. Carvana lists ACH direct deposit at “one to two business days” and, on the next line, ACH at “two to five business days”; plan on the longer. AutoNation’s FAQ says “check or Zelle” while its banner says “check, or direct deposit”, so ask the store before the day.

## Selling a car you still owe money on

Most routes take a financed car and pay the lender themselves. CarMax, Carvana and Kelley Blue Book’s dealers say that if the loan exceeds the offer, you pay the difference first; AutoNation says only that it deducts the payoff from the offer. Peddle is the exception: “No, all liens and loans must be paid in full before we can buy your vehicle.”

**What each route says about a car with a loan**

| Route | What happens to the loan | If you owe more than the offer | How long the payoff takes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CarMax | “We’ll contact your lender or lien holder to facilitate a payoff” | If not buying from CarMax, “you can pay us directly”; a personal check only under $250 | Not stated |
| Carvana | “After selling your vehicle, we’ll pay off your loan” | Paid to Carvana; a photo of a certified check for the amount | “It may take your lienholder several days” |
| Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer | The dealer helps settle the loan or lease | You pay the difference “by certified check or other form of payment acceptable” first | “Typically takes 30 to 45 business days” |
| AutoNation | “We will calculate the payoff amount and deduct it from your Offer” | Not stated | “Processing times may vary” |
| Peddle | Not accepted | Not applicable | Pay the loan off first |
| Autotrader Private Seller Exchange | It calls your lienholder to confirm the payoff | “We’ll simply collect that from you directly” | Check to the lender within 2 business days; the bank then takes 3-7+ |

Carvana wants “a picture of your vehicle’s 10-day payoff statement” and tells you to keep paying until the payoff completes; “you’ll be reimbursed for any overpayment.” Autotrader says its sellers “see the loan account open for a full week on average.” CarMax’s article asks for “your lien account number and lien holder(s)’s Social Security number”; a lender has none, so that reads like a drafting slip worth querying with the store.

Kelley Blue Book’s is the figure to plan around: settling the loan “typically takes 30 to 45 business days following delivery of a vehicle to a Participating Dealer, but it could take longer,” which is 6 to 9 working weeks by our arithmetic, and the dealer’s check is tied to a clear title. Get a written payoff quote before you go anywhere; our guide to [getting the right payoff quote](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/trading-in-a-financed-car/#payoff-quote) explains which figure to ask for, and [selling to a dealer with money owing](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/sell-car-to-dealer/#payoff) covers the dealer side.

## Title, registration and the notices you file yourself

CarMax wants “your car’s title or payoff information,” every titleholder present, registration, photo ID and “all keys and remotes”; if a paid-off lien is still printed on the title, “you’ll need both the title and the lien release.” AutoNation’s list is photo ID, title, payoff details, registration, every key and the offer. Kelley Blue Book’s terms want the registered owner, who “must have the legal authority to transfer title,” photo ID, a valid registration and a clear title or lien documents, delivered within 7 days.

Carvana works from uploads: odometer photos, licences for everyone on the title, and the title front and back. It “will accept your vehicle if it is newer than 1992, the odometer is in working condition and we are able to safely drive the vehicle.” Its two articles on electronic titles disagree, one naming “Florida, Arizona and Ohio,” the other adding Michigan; Michigan owners should ask first. Peddle says the title must be signed “by the titled owner before pickup” and that “We have many buyers that buy cars without a title”; our guide to [selling a car without a title](https://baronauto1.com/guides/junk-car-without-title/) explains what such buyers accept instead. Autotrader’s exchange reverses the order: “You will send the title to us after you receive payment from us.”

One job stays with you whatever the route. Carvana says that if the DMV writes to you about a car you sold it, “you will need to report that your vehicle has been sold to the DMV. Carvana isn’t able to report this on your behalf.” Our guides to [the release of liability](https://baronauto1.com/guides/release-of-liability/#private-vs-dealer), [signing the title over](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/car-title-transfer/#signing) and [the odometer disclosure](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/car-title-transfer/#odometer) cover those steps, and a [bill of sale](https://baronauto1.com/buying-guides/bill-of-sale-for-a-car/) records the price and date.

## Selling privately: no offer window, and the payment risk is yours

The case for a private sale comes from the FTC, whose trade-in guide (September 2023) lists: “Sell your car yourself. You might get more for it than what a dealer says it’s worth.” CarMax agrees that “You could potentially get more money through a private sale,” adding that it “can take weeks or even months longer.” Neither puts a number on the difference, and neither will we.

The cost is that nobody stands between you and the buyer’s money. The FTC’s alert of 27 February 2025 on fake checks aimed at online car sellers describes a “buyer” who says “they aren’t local and can’t look at it in person,” then overpays by check and asks for the difference back; “it can take the bank weeks to figure out that the check was fake.” Its advice: “Don’t accept a check for more than the selling price,” and “Consider using an escrow or online payment service.” Kelley Blue Book’s terms say of its own listings: “Nor can we assure the seller of a vehicle that the payment he or she receives from the buyer is legitimate.”

Autotrader’s Private Seller Exchange sells the answer. Its [seller guide](https://www.autotrader.com/marketplace/seller-guide) says buyers pay by wire, ACH or card, “just not physical cash or personal checks,” and that you are paid once the buyer confirms possession; it urges “extreme caution if a buyer asks to pay you with cash or a check directly.” The 0.99% seller protection fee, its sell page says, “allows us to verify the buyer’s identity and broker your sale.” Our guide to [getting paid in a private sale](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/how-to-sell-a-car-privately/#payment) covers the other safe methods.

## Trading in at a dealer

A trade-in has no common published terms; each dealer sets its own window, inspection and paperwork. CarMax’s comparison table, its own view of a competitor, gives the trade-in offer window as “Varies.” AutoNation, a dealer group, says “we’ll take the total price of your vehicle and apply it to your new one,” and a Kelley Blue Book offer can be taken as a trade-in credit.

The FTC’s warning is about loans: “some dealers just roll over the negative equity into your new car loan, so you still end up paying it,” and “If a car dealer told you they would pay off your car themselves, but they really rolled the cost into a loan, that’s illegal.” Ask how they will handle it before you agree; our guide to [trading in a financed car](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/trading-in-a-financed-car/) shows where to look on the contract. Whether a trade-in cuts the sales tax on your next car is a state rule; our guide to [how a trade-in works](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/how-does-a-car-trade-in-work/#the-tax-offset) explains it and lists [where the credit exists](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/how-does-a-car-trade-in-work/#state-table). Either way, keep the trade figure and the price apart, as [selling to a dealer separately](https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/sell-car-to-dealer/#separate) explains.

## Where the companies’ own pages disagree

Read side by side, several companies’ documents disagree with themselves. Each is a question to settle in writing before the handover.

- **Kelley Blue Book, which way the offer moves.** Its offer page says the amount “may be decreased”; its terms say “adjusted up or down.”
- **Kelley Blue Book, whether it buys cars.** The page says it does not “purchase vehicles”; section 7 of its terms has it buying “directly as the licensed dealer” in limited markets.
- **Peddle, whether the price can change.** The sell page says the online offer “is the amount paid at pickup, eliminating price changes”; its terms allow it to “recalculate the Offer.”
- **Peddle, whether there is an inspection.** “No traditional appraisal or inspection,” says the help centre; the sell page says you are paid “once they inspect the car.”
- **Carvana, electronic titles.** Three states in one article, four in another.
- **Carvana and Peddle, ACH timing.** Carvana prints one to two and two to five business days on consecutive lines; Peddle prints 3 business days in one article and 1 to 3 in another.
- **AutoNation, window and payment.** “good for 7 days” in one answer, “7 days or 500 miles” in another; Zelle in the FAQ, direct deposit in the banner.
- **CarMax, firm or adjusted.** “all of our offers are firm,” yet “Some offers are adjusted after the verification process.” Firm against haggling, it seems, not against a failed check.

## Which route suits which car and seller

Set against the seller’s situation, the published terms do most of the sorting. This is our reading of them, not a ranking.

**If you owe more than the car is worth,** CarMax, Carvana and Kelley Blue Book’s dealers want the shortfall first, and Peddle is out until the loan is paid; a trade-in is where the shortfall can vanish into a new loan, which the FTC warns about. **If you need the money today,** CarMax’s bank draft, AutoNation’s check or Zelle and Peddle’s check at pickup are all described as same-day. **If the car does not run or the title is lost,** Peddle says it buys cars “in any condition” and many of its buyers buy without a title, while Carvana takes only cars it can “safely drive.” **If the car is old or high-mileage,** Kelley Blue Book’s offer excludes cars “older than 24 model years” or with “over 300,000 miles,” among 13 excluded categories that also cover salvage titles and cars it would value under $1,000.

**If you want time to compare,** collect the 7-day offers first and remember AutoNation’s also counts miles. **If you are buying from the same dealer,** a trade-in is the convenient route, and your state’s tax rule may tilt it further. **If you can spend time on buyers,** a private sale is the route the FTC mentions for getting more, and Kelley Blue Book’s terms concede its offer “may not be the highest sale price” available. **If payment risk puts you off,** a service that holds the buyer’s money costs 0.99% of the price at Autotrader, at least $99, plus the ad.

- **Get a payoff quote first** if there is a loan, so you know whether you will receive money or owe it.
- **Collect the 7-day offers before shorter ones,** and note each expiry, asking whether it counts calendar or business days.
- **Describe the car as a stranger would** and photograph it; every instant offer is conditional on that description.
- **Ask who the buyer is,** especially with Kelley Blue Book (a participating dealer) and Peddle (Peddle or a commercial Buyer).
- **Ask how you will be paid and when the money is usable:** a bank draft, a teller-only check, ACH in days, or a check only after the title clears.
- **Check any pickup fee before booking** with CarMax or Carvana; neither prints the amount.
- **Bring every titleholder, every key and the registration,** plus a lien release if an old loan is still on the title.
- **In a private sale, never accept a check for more than the price,** and keep the car and title until the money has truly arrived.
- **File your own release of liability** and deal with the plates, whichever route you used.

## Common questions

### Where can I sell my car for the most money?

No company publishes how its offers compare with anyone else’s, so nobody can say for a given car without quotes. The published terms point one way: the FTC says you “might get more” selling yourself than a dealer says the car is worth, CarMax says the same of a private sale, and Kelley Blue Book’s terms say its offer “may not be the highest sale price or trade-in amount” available. Collect several written offers inside their windows and weigh them against what a private sale involves.

### Which car buyers pay on the spot?

CarMax says it issues “a bank draft on the spot,” AutoNation “a check or Zelle payment on the spot,” and Peddle’s carrier a company check at pickup. Carvana pays at the appointment by printed check or ACH. A Kelley Blue Book participating dealer pays after liens are released and it has a clear title.

### Can I sell my car online and have it picked up?

Peddle collects every car and says towing is free. Carvana picks up in some locations and says a fee may apply, shown before you book. CarMax offers home pickup where available, with “distance restrictions and fee” possible. Kelley Buys Your Car schedules pickup, but only in limited markets; the Instant Cash Offer and AutoNation need you to bring the car in.

### Can I sell a car that still has a loan on it?

To CarMax, Carvana, AutoNation and Kelley Blue Book’s dealers, yes: they pay the lender. CarMax, Carvana and the Kelley Blue Book dealers want any shortfall from you first, and Carvana and the Kelley Blue Book dealers say any surplus comes back to you. Peddle says all loans must be paid in full before it buys. Privately, the lien must be cleared before the buyer gets a clean title; Autotrader’s Private Seller Exchange handles that for its fee.

### Do I have to buy a car to sell to CarMax or Carvana?

No. CarMax says “We’ll buy yours even if you don’t buy ours,” with the same offer either way, and Carvana says you can sell “even if you’re not purchasing a vehicle.” AutoNation also lets you take payment instead of a trade-in.

### Can an instant cash offer go down at inspection?

Yes, at each route that publishes its terms on the point, if the car differs from your description. CarMax says differences “may impact the offer,” Carvana will “generate an updated offer,” Kelley Blue Book’s dealer may adjust it “up or down,” and Peddle may recalculate or refuse pickup. If the car matches, Carvana says the offer “will not change at your appointment.”

## Sources and further reading

- [FTC: auto trade-ins and negative equity](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/auto-trade-ins-and-negative-equity-when-you-owe-more-your-car-worth)
- [49 CFR Part 580 (odometer disclosure requirements)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-V/part-580)
- [California DMV, notice of transfer and release of liability](https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/notice-of-transfer-and-release-of-liability/)
- [TxDMV, buying or selling a vehicle](https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle)
- [Kelley Blue Book, how used-car values are calculated and the trade-in, private-party and retail views](https://www.kbb.com/whats-my-car-worth/)

Recall, complaint and safety-rating figures on this page were retrieved from the federal databases above on August 19, 2026. Federal data changes — re-check any VIN before you rely on it.

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*This site is under new ownership and is not affiliated with Baron Auto Emporium dealership.*

Canonical source: https://baronauto1.com/trade-your-car/where-to-sell-a-car/