Frequently asked questions
And our answers to the most important questions about selling your car.
Sales process
You start online with just a few details. After that, specialists inspect your vehicle, we jointly determine the best selling price, and we take care of the listing, inquiries, test drives, negotiations, and the entire process right through to payment.
That depends on the starting price. With a market-based price, the sale usually takes place within around 75 days. If you want to sell faster, you can choose a more active pricing strategy that generates more inquiries.
High starting price: maximizes target price, but takes longer.
Mid starting price: best balance of time and proceeds.
Fast sale: lower starting price, more inquiries, faster close.
We’ll recommend the right strategy for you.
After successful handover, you’ll receive your money directly from us – safe and reliable.
No. If your car is with Autobuster, we handle the test drives completely. This is more convenient, increases the closing rate, and often even the price. Alternatively, we can accompany you to appointments.
Only if you want to. Normally, we handle all communication. Direct contact would only happen during a test drive if you choose to be there.
At our partner locations or at TCS sites in German-speaking Switzerland. On site, we perform a quick intake check (about 15 minutes) and jointly decide on the best sales approach. We take care of the rest.
We’ll contact you about a possible price adjustment. If the sale still doesn’t go through, the sales order simply expires at no cost to you. Only additional services you specifically requested will be charged.
Car, both keys, vehicle registration, service book; if available, the additional set of wheels/tires. This lets us fully inspect your car and value it accurately.
An independent specialist (e.g., TCS) checks roadworthiness and records any defects. On site, we jointly decide what should be repaired for the sale. If the defects are too significant, you can withdraw at no cost.
Whether the car is still registered or has already been deregistered, it is insured in any case. Thanks to our comprehensive liability insurance, any damage that occurs to the vehicle while it is with us is fully covered.
You have two options:
Either you hand over the car to us including the license plate, and we take care of everything for you. This means we only deregister the vehicle once it has been successfully sold.
Alternatively, you can choose to deregister the car from the start. In this case, the license plate is deposited with the motor vehicle authority, and the vehicle is officially deregistered.
You can easily hand over your car to us—either at our headquarters in Liestal or at one of our other locations, for example in Affoltern am Albis, Winterthur, and many more places.
Alternatively, you can also hand over your vehicle directly to our staff at your TCS appointment. In any case, we ensure that the handover process is as simple and convenient as possible for you.
If you would like to continue using your car and a test drive is scheduled, we ensure that everything runs smoothly.
You can either use one of our partner garages in your region—including TCS service centers—or come directly to our headquarters in Liestal.
In any case, a qualified specialist will be on site to organize the entire process and accompany you during the test drive.
It may happen that we are unable to sell your car within the agreed timeframe. In this case, you have the option to withdraw from the contract. You can then decide whether to take back the vehicle or sell it independently.
Alternatively, you can give us another chance, and we will analyze together why the sale has not been successful so far. Often, it comes down to the chosen timeframe or the set price. In most cases, we can find a suitable solution for both.
The best part: you incur no costs as long as your car has not been successfully sold.
At Autobuster, it typically takes between 45 and 60 days to successfully sell a vehicle—in many cases, it can be even faster.
After the sale, we require an additional approximately 20 days for final preparation and handover. You will then receive the sale proceeds.
First, we get a clear overview of your vehicle’s condition and provide a realistic price estimate.
We then discuss together at what price you would like to sell your car and within what timeframe. Based on this, we define the next steps.
After that, we schedule an appointment at our location where you can hand over your vehicle—alternatively, we can also arrange a TCS inspection if you prefer.
You can define the timeframe in which your car should be sold. As a general rule: the more time we have, the higher the price we can usually achieve for you. However, if it needs to be sold quickly, we can also complete the sale in a shorter time.
In most cases, we recommend allowing around 60 to 90 days. This reflects the average timeframes in which vehicles are successfully sold.
Costs
Usually a 5% service fee of the sale price—charged only if the sale is successful. If desired, we offer value-adding extras (e.g., MFK preparation, warranty) that typically pay off through a higher price or a better chance of selling.
No—except if you explicitly order additional services in advance. For a withdrawal before the contract expires, a flat fee of CHF 500 applies
An initial cleaning is required for presenting your vehicle.
The reason for this is that we only present vehicles that are professionally cleaned and make an impeccable impression. High-quality preparation not only improves the appearance but also increases the perceived value of the car.
This makes your vehicle more attractive to potential buyers and helps it sell at a better price.
We do everything we can to achieve the best possible selling price for you.
You receive the net sale proceeds, minus a 5% service fee for our service.
Additional costs may only arise if, for example, a service or roadworthiness inspection (MFK) is required. You can choose to have this work carried out with us or by a garage of your choice.
See for yourself what our service can do—we look forward to hearing from you!
Added Value & Comparison
Because it simply couldn’t be easier: you have no hassle, no annoying phone calls, and you usually get more than with a garage trade-in. We handle the entire process—free of charge until the sale is successful.
Because Autobuster waives its own margin and transparently brokers your vehicle—professionally prepared, marketed, and managed. The full market price stays with you rather than with middlemen.
Eurotax/auto-i provide statistical dealer values. Autobuster shows you the real market value for a private sale—based on actual listings, demand trends, and real achieved prices—and turns that into a successful sale for you.
We draw on the expertise of independent specialists while also bringing extensive experience in direct customer interaction, and we work with selected partners in the sales process. This ensures that the best expertise is applied at every step of the process.
On AutoScout24, the valuation is manual and sales usually go to dealers. Autobuster, on the other hand, waives any margin and brokers directly at market price. At the same time, we use AutoScout as an additional sales channel—a strong platform that perfectly complements our process.
Because we combine digital data with personal experience. Thanks to numerous customer interactions and inquiries, we know the market in detail, can realistically assess prices, and sell your car securely—simple and transparent.
We cover the cost of the TCS inspection at Autobuster because we want to ensure that every car sold by a private individual is thoroughly checked.
A TCS inspection also increases the value of your car: vehicles that have been thoroughly and professionally checked before the sale appear more trustworthy and are significantly more attractive to buyers.
To sell your car in the best possible way, it should first be thoroughly cleaned and professionally prepared—ideally by experts like us.
It is equally important that all relevant documents are complete. This includes an up-to-date service and a valid roadworthiness inspection (MFK).
Another important factor is a warranty: if desired, we can arrange an extended warranty for you. This increases buyers’ trust and further enhances the value of your vehicle.
Technology & Vehicle
Our valuation uses a proprietary algorithm with market data from the past 12 months plus our expertise. That already delivers a very accurate online price estimate in over 95% of cases. Before the sale, an additional independent inspection is carried out.
The forecast is usually very accurate. Uncertainties can occur with very new models, large supply, or rapid market shifts (e.g., in parts of the EV segment). If needed, we’ll discuss adjustments with you directly.
Model year, make/model, mileage, equipment, and condition. Positive factors: complete service history, accident-free status, and sought-after extras. Supply, demand, and market trends also matter.
A well-maintained condition, recent service or MFK boosts price and demand. Damage/defects reduce value or deter buyers. We know what really matters and build trust through transparent presentation—which has a positive effect.
As long as it’s roadworthy, the sale is possible. We document any defects and jointly decide whether a price reduction makes more sense than a repair. Often, that’s the more efficient solution.
We assess these individually—the key is legality and roadworthiness. Properly documented, such extras can positively influence the price or demand.
We only sell roadworthy cars. Every vehicle is inspected, defects are documented with photos, and everything is communicated transparently. The better the condition, the faster and more successful the sale.
Everything from a single source: service/repairs, detailing/cleaning, bodywork/paint, and glass repairs or replacement. We’ll arrange it for you—only when it makes sense and by prior agreement.
That rarely happens and isn’t a problem. We’ll carefully inspect your car and discuss what truly makes sense for the sale—without unnecessary repairs.
Only vehicle data—no personal data. The lookup returns no customer data, and we’re not allowed to link anything to the registered keeper.
Our selling prices on the website are based on current market data and are therefore very realistic.
However, what cannot be assessed online is the exact condition of the vehicle. That’s why, as a next step, we carry out a technical inspection—either at our location or at the TCS.
Your vehicle is inspected in detail so that we can provide a precise valuation. Based on this, we then determine the optimal selling price together.
First, we assess your car together and then define three price levels.
There is a higher price at which we aim to achieve the maximum possible return for you. Then we define a mid-range price—this is a realistic market price at which the car can typically be sold within 60 to 90 days. Finally, we set a minimum price, which is the amount below which you do not want to sell your car.
With this strategy, we are ideally positioned: we can first aim to achieve the maximum, while also having realistic pricing options to ensure a successful sale.