From online offer to the check in your hand: an Atlanta seller's walkthrough

Step one: describe the car and read the offer

It starts with the description you type in. You enter the year, make and model, then answer questions about the car's condition. In the buyer's words, "Our system generates a free, no-obligation cash offer based on your vehicle's condition and market data." Free and no obligation means you can look at the number and walk away owing nothing.

The condition answers are what the number rests on, so give the ones that fit the car parked outside now, not the car it was five years ago. If the engine will not turn over, say so. If a part is gone, say so. The buyer publishes that cars which do not run or are missing parts can still receive an offer, so an honest answer does not shut you out.

Once you have the number, you are not rushed: the buyer's home page gives you a week to accept the offer and book the pickup. Use it to check the paperwork on the Georgia seller paperwork page before you commit.

Source: The buyer: selling and free pickup; The buyer: home page.

Booking the pickup time and place

After you accept, the buyer arranges the tow and covers its cost, at a time that suits you. Its help article on scheduling describes two routes, and which one you get depends on your area.

1. Self-scheduling, where it is offered. Log in to your account, open the menu, select My offers, pick the offer, then Choose pickup window. Set the date and time you want and send it with Request this pickup window.
2. No pickup window on the screen. That means self-scheduling is not available where you are. The article says the carrier assigned to your car will contact you within one business day to set the time with you directly.

The carrier is the company assigned to pick up your car. Its name and contact details appear in your account and in the buyer's texts and emails. When it calls, mention anything that affects the tow: a locked gate, a parking deck, flat tires, or a car that will not roll.

Source: The buyer's help: scheduling pickup; The buyer: selling and free pickup.

What the driver checks when the truck arrives

Pickup is where your description meets the car. The buyer's three-step summary puts it this way: "At pickup, the driver verifies your vehicle and completes the title transfer paperwork." The driver confirms the car matches what you reported, and the title-transfer paperwork gets filled in at pickup.

The same page says the online offer is the amount paid at pickup, with no price changes or haggling. That holds on one condition: the car has to match its description, so get the description right. If something changes after you accept, such as fresh damage, a battery problem that turned into an engine problem, or a part you sold off, tell the buyer before pickup day instead of letting the driver find it.

The forms the driver completes are the buyer's. Your own Georgia steps are separate.

Source: The buyer: selling and free pickup.

The check: how and when you are paid

Payment is a check, handed to you at pickup. The buyer's payment article says "Payment is made on the spot at pickup in exchange for your signed title and keys" and adds that the carrier gives you the check once the car is secured and all documents are exchanged. The home page agrees: the pickup partner hands over a check once it has inspected the car.

If you cannot be home, plan ahead. The article tells you to contact your carrier in advance to confirm it can handle an unattended pickup, and to chat with the buyer's support team to arrange payment by mail. Its stated timings run from the moment pickup is confirmed: allow 7 to 10 business days for a check by mail to arrive, while an ACH bank transfer, if you chose one, typically processes within 1 to 3 business days.

Across the whole sale, the buyer says the process usually takes a few days, from the first offer through scheduling the pickup and receiving payment.

Source: The buyer's help: when you get paid; The buyer: home page; The buyer: selling and free pickup.

No title in hand, or a loan still on the car

A missing title does not end the offer. The buyer's help article on titles says it has many buyers that buy cars without a title. When the offer form asks about the title, the article's instruction is to pick the answer Not sure, I can't find my title, and the system works out a new offer for that case. The sales page adds that in many states, cars with salvage, rebuilt or missing titles may still qualify. If you would rather get a replacement Georgia title first, the title problems page covers that route.

A loan is a different matter. The help article on liens is one sentence long and leaves no room: every lien and loan has to be paid in full before the buyer can purchase the car. If a lender still holds the title, pay off the loan and get the lien released before pickup day. The Georgia side of a lender on the title is on the title problems page too.

Source: The buyer's help: selling without a title; The buyer's help: liens and loans; The buyer: selling and free pickup.

The Georgia jobs that stay with you

Georgia's Department of Revenue puts two duties on every seller: transfer ownership on the title, and cancel the vehicle's registration. For the first, DOR says to complete the assignment form on the back of the original title, which then goes to the driver at pickup. The second is a step you take yourself, online or at the tag office.

Start with the plate. DOR's page for sellers puts the license plates on the list of things you keep, so take yours off before the truck pulls away. The same page tells you to keep a copy of the transfer of ownership, including the title and any bill of sale, for your records, and to complete a Bill of Sale, Form T-7.

Then cancel the registration, online through DRIVES e-Services or in person with Form MV-18J at the County Tag Office for the county you live in; for most Atlanta addresses that office is the Fulton County or DeKalb County Tax Commissioner. DOR wants the registration cancelled before the insurance, to avoid penalties. What each route asks for, and the rest of the list from insurance to a toll transponder, is on the after-you-sell page.

Source: Georgia DOR: I sold my car, what do I do now?; Georgia DOR: responsibilities of sellers and buyers; Georgia DOR: cancelling a registration; Georgia DOR: county tag offices; DeKalb County Tax Commissioner: vehicle registration; Fulton County: Tax Commissioner.

Pickup day: what to have ready

Set these out the night before.

• The Georgia title and every key. The payment article ties the check to your signed title and keys. Never hand over a title with the buyer's name left empty: DOR quotes Georgia law making delivery of a title assigned in blank a misdemeanor.
• No open loan. Any lien is paid in full and released before the day.
• A screwdriver for the plate. The plate stays with you under DOR's rule.
• Copies for your records. A photo of the signed title and a completed Form T-7 bill of sale.
• An empty car. Glove box, trunk, under the seats, the garage door opener and any toll transponder.
• The carrier's contact details, from your account or the buyer's texts.
• A plan if you will be out. An unattended pickup confirmed with the carrier and payment by mail arranged with the buyer's support, both in advance.

Source: The buyer's help: when you get paid; The buyer's help: liens and loans; The buyer's help: scheduling pickup; Georgia DOR: I sold my car, what do I do now?; Georgia DOR: responsibilities of sellers and buyers.

Before you accept the offer

If the title is the sticking point, read fixing a Georgia title problem first. Once the car is gone, the after-sale checklist covers the plate, the registration and your insurance. Questions about any step? Call (943) 230-8677.