MultiPurpose

Car Care

What Is an Ownersite Window Sticker...and How Can It Increase the Value of My Used Vehicle?

When it comes time to sell or trade in your vehicle, you obviously want to get the greatest amount possible so that you can apply it to your new dream machine. You have gone on Kelly Blue Book and typed in all the accessories, the miles, and overall condition of your vehicle and, in return, you get back different value measurements based on these conditions so you can see about how much you could get at a dealer versus through a private-party sale.

While you might be stuck on getting a higher price because you have added special rims and an incredible sound system to your vehicle, you may not realize that something that would seem really minimal actually could provide you with more value than aftermarket upgrades.

Maintenance Reveals the True Value

According to industry experts, one of the best ways to increase the value of your vehicle is to keep an up-to-date, fully documented maintenance history that you can share with a potential buyer so that they see valid proof that the vehicle has optimum safety and reliability and is worth the sticker price you have put on it.

Two well-known auto industry publications agree. Kelley Blue Book states in their section, entitled, Prepping Your Car for Sale: “If you have detailed inspection records, prepare itemized copies (with service receipts) for the prospective buyer. This suggests you're selling a reliable vehicle.”

In AutoTrader.com's website section, entitled, Tips on How to Sell Your Car, it states: “Smart car shoppers want to know how well maintained your vehicle is and will ask for maintenance records. A presentable maintenance log with all of your receipts, especially oil changes, can be a powerful selling tool.”

Technology Lends a Helping Hand

It may seem like a cumbersome task to maintain or recreate a maintenance record just to sell a vehicle, but there is a tremendous pay-off for making the effort. There are companies out there that have made it their business to assist vehicle buyers by making this task a whole lot easier.

Ownersite Technologies has created a web-based tool that allows drivers to easily track every expense related to owning a vehicle, from gas purchases to warranty work to out-of-pocket maintenance and repairs, while doing away with having huge file folders for paperwork and cumbersome spreadsheets. Owners can also create reports that show everything from fuel consumption to details on valuable tax write-offs, making it easier when it comes time to sell the vehicle or file a tax return.

New Marketing Mechanisms

In addition to this assistance from Ownersite, the whole means of selling a vehicle has become so much easier thanks to the Internet. As little as ten years ago, there were very few options for selling your used vehicle outside of putting an ad in the local newspaper or hanging a sign on it and parking it on the corner.

Now, there are websites, such as eBay Motors, AutoTrader.com, and Cars.com to name a few, which market your vehicle for you to an audience that reaches far beyond a newspaper's limited circulation and two blocks down the street. The interactive nature of the Internet also enables you to provide so much more information to the potential buyer beyond what could be squeezed in the newspaper where it might have just given the make, model, brief description, and price.

The Window Sticker Solution

Despite improving the chances of you selling the vehicle with the new marketing mechanisms on the Internet, it is still difficult to share that folder full of receipts with the potential buyer who lives 100 miles away so you can prove that the maintenance on the vehicle is up-to-date. They may not want to travel all that distance to see all your service orders and receipts.

Once again, Ownersite Technologies has stepped up to the plate to help the used vehicle owner in need. To simplify how you share your vehicle's maintenance history simple, the company has developed the Ownersite Window Sticker. The Window Sticker, just one of the many powerful features under the Ownersite suite of solutions, is a public page that originates from your Ownersite account. It provides an effective means of sharing information about your vehicle's maintenance history within your used car advertisement or e-mail communications with potential buyers.

It is up to you on just how much or how little information you want to provide potential buyers, including pictures and files with actual receipts. Information cannot be tampered with because your account has password protection for sensitive data, such as digitized receipts. Ownersite even generates the link code so all you have to do is copy and paste a simple link into your ads for potential buyers. They can instantly view your vehicle's maintenance history. Do you want to know if buyers are reviewing your vehicle's maintenance history? That is no problem because we even log that for you, including tracking the traffic and listing the websites where your potential buyer is visiting from.

A Valuable Return

One Ownersite client had incredible results after using the Window Sticker solution. In talking about working with the buyer, he said: “She told me that she looked at several more expensive 2002 Nissan Altima's from private sellers. But, when it came down to it, my Ownersite Window Sticker and documented service history convinced her that I took great care of my car and it was worth the full asking price...$1200.00 more than a cheaper alternative without service records!” This is just one of many examples where vehicle owners that have used Ownersite’s Window Sticker solution have reaped increased value from their used cars and trucks.

Comprehensively documenting your vehicle's maintenance history by using Ownersite takes just few minutes, costs only $14.95 per year for a single vehicle, and potentially increases the likelihood of selling your vehicle faster and at a higher price. To take a test drive of the Ownersite Window Sticker solution as well as sample the dozens of other features designed to increase the safety, reliability, and value of your fleet of vehicle—even those you are not planning on selling—visit www.ownersite.com and receive a 30-day trial.