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Tesla Model S for Sale through a private party
Armen Hareyan's picture
By Armen Hareyan Apr 5 2018 - 9:16am

The best way to sell your Tesla Model S private party and where to list

Yesterday a Tesla Model S owner, who was getting ready to sell his early model, was asking about the best ways to sell Tesla Model S private party and where to list your car for sale for the best results.
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"Who has sold their Tesla in Private Sale? What did you do, where did you list, is there anything you need to notify Tesla about? I have an early enough model that has free charge for life and quite a bit of life on original warranties," asked David Hudon in Tesla Model S Owners Club on Facebook.

Here are some useful replies from the Model S owners about selling your Tesla private party, the best ways to sell your Tesla without too much hassle and where to list it to get the best results.

Communicate With Tesla So The App May Work Properly

I got the best results from Autotrader and Cars.com. Definitely not Craigslist. Only thing I needed to have Tesla do was remove the old car from my account which they still haven’t done after a month, so it still appears on my app and in mytesla account. If the new buyer wants the extended warranty then you have to do it before it changes hands. - Tim Martin

I sold my Tesla Model S through a private party sale. I posted on TMC. Went through escrow.com for payment. Then I provided a bill of sale, title, and warranty docs. The new owners have to email Tesla to activate their account. - Ten Nguyen

I sold my first Tesla Model S on eBay Motors and just happen to get a local buyer so all went well. I went to his bank and watched him get a cashiers check and then I notified Tesla. - Susan Sautman

The Buying Side

I bought mine private party through the TMC forum. I met with the seller and created a Tesla online account. After I registered there Tesla needed a copy to transfer to my account. The seller’s account no longer has the car in his app. - Al Hibpshman

I purchased my Tesla Model S on a private sale. After the state sales documents and registration I had to send a picture copy of my new registration to Tesla to verify I was the new owner so I could get the app to work. That’s all we did. - Darryl Bosshartd

As someone who just recently bought a 4 yr old P85 directly from Tesla my advice is to advertise and highlight the warranty coverage that is remaining. I passed on a few cheaper Tesla Model S vehicles out of their warranty. - Mat Brady

There are 5 reasons why people sell their Tesla cars through a private sale. First is the exposure. Although someone here said to avoid Craigslist, it is still the "go-to place for private sales. Second reason is that there is no overhead and no listing fees. The 3rd reason is that you ca sell regionally. The 4th reason is that you can sell through multiple channels and cross-advertise. The 5th reason is that it's simple.

If you have bought or sold a Tesla through a private sale, please share with us your experience in the comments section below for discussion. What are the best ways to buy and sell Teslas hassle free?

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Comments

Annabelle wrote on June 5, 2018 - 12:25pm
Still trying to sell my pristine low mileage 2015 Model S 85D with warranty, but about to sell back to Tesla as I have had no luck. I tried Craiglist and Cars.com. Got MANY texts from the scam outfit that tries to get you to log onto a variety of VIN checking sites - all of which cost about $19. Every message was the same: "Is your Model S still for sale? Call me." If you do, they follow with texts expressing keen interest to buy as soon as you have sent them the VIN report from THEIR site - they all have Yahoo type emails with a name in them. ALSO, I tried Vehicle Selling Solutions who use eBay and that was a big scam too. They swear they just sold one like yours for {what you are asking} - you pay them about 500 to list and take care of the auction, etc. THEN when it doesn't sell, they call and say they had some buyers pretty close, and although they have been paid to sell and will continue to work at it, they recommend you leave it on eBay (for $450) and they will sell it non-auction. Then nothing happens.
Ravi. Isaiah wrote on April 5, 2021 - 2:01pm
Can I post my Tesla for sale on your Website?
Find My Electric wrote on April 8, 2021 - 3:48am
Just wanted to mention--if anyone's looking for a place to sell their Tesla, check out Find My Electric (FindMyElectric.com). We built the most technologically advanced used Tesla marketplace on the web! Upgraded listings include a complimentary AutoCheck report, and tons of other cool features. You can create an ad in minutes, and best of all? It's FREE to list! :)
George Spells wrote on April 21, 2021 - 1:51pm
I'll second this—sold my '19 Model 3 SR+ on FindMyElectric.com in less than a week! Def worth checking out if you're looking to sell your Tesla private party.