I'm Trying to Sell My SUV. Why is it So Hard?

The time has come to sell your SUV, but you know, perhaps from experience, that it's not going to be easy. Dealing with non-serious buyers, potential scammers, and the overall effort to sell an SUV yourself can make it feel like you've been at it for a lifetime.

If you're having trouble selling your SUV, it could be for reasons like these.

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You're not using Kelley Blue Book as a ballpark value.

People really love to refer to Kelley Blue Book to get the asking price of their SUV, but in actuality, quotes don't reflect accurate values of the live market. While your SUV can be a popular model and have low mileage, that doesn't mean that the market ready to purchase it right then and there. If you hold onto that quote that Kelley Blue Book gave you, you might be holding onto an unrealistic expectation.

If you get an SUV value on KBB, remember that this Blue Book value is derived from how much a dealership would offer you for your SUV. Therefore, KBB vehicle values almost always have a dealer profit margin factored in. Dealerships will also provide different prices based on:

1. their location
2. their amount of customer traffic
3. the popularity of the SUV and its ability to sell in that area
4. how many units the dealership already has in its inventory

Take all of these variables into account when you place an asking price on the SUV you want to sell. Kelley Blue Book quotes aren't usually spot-on considering their data doesn't live market changes and is not updated in real-time. Important influences such as market saturation, demand, and brand popularity, KBB aren't factored into a KBB quote.

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Your expectations are pretty high.

High expectations result in high asking prices, and not everyone is willing to pay what you're asking. To set a realistic price, do some research and set aside sentimentality. As said above, Blue Books aren't entirely reliable in terms of live-market value. So, setting a firm asking price based on your expectations can have a variety of shortcomings.

Instead of researching on KBB, browse other true-blue local listings in classifieds, eBay, or other private party listing sites. Make a note of the prices asked by other private sellers for the same make and model. Remember, the more upfront, honest, and unbiased you are about your SUV, the easier your selling process will be.

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You have too much faith in potential buyers.

At the risk of sounding overly cynical, sometimes there are people out there who don't care about you, your time, or your efforts to sell your SUV. They are trying to save money.

While you might encounter some awesome potential buyers who respect your time, are patient, and polite, it's incredibly frustrating when you have to deal with the opposite. I don't need to remind you how scammers can be a nightmare. And sifting through the flood of leads to find one genuine buyer for your SUV can get annoying real quick.

The best advice for this?  Keep in mind who you are about to deal with. If you're trying to sell an SUV, set realistic expectations, and approach the situation with caution. That way, you can avoid disappointment.

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You aren't marketing to the right people.

In actuality, your super-centric advertising on Craigslist and those "sell an SUV" focused Facebook groups probably won't cut it. The reason your marketing isn't yielding results? With an overly-saturated seller's market, listing sites can be weighed down with an abundance of fellow sellers and dealers who are also trying to sell an SUV or other vehicle. Your own post could likely be getting buried before it gets any traffic.

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Small, heavily segmented local pages aren't usually the place to find the perfect potential buyer. Sometimes, even if a best-case scenario ends with an inquiry, haggling and your unwanted settling on a lower sale price can is likely in the cards. The best way to sell an SUV without any of this hassle is to find a different outlet that casts a broader net.

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