How to sell a car without the owner present

Life is busy. We get it. And there are a bazillion reasons why selling an old car can end up at the bottom of your to-do-list.

At Peddle, our mission is to make it as quick and easy as possible to sell a car. You tell us about your car (make, model, condition, that kinda thing), we give you an instant offer, then a tow truck comes to collect it in exchange for a check. Simple.

But could it be any simpler!? We actually get a lot of people asking us if they actually need to be there when the tow truck arrives. And there are plenty of reasons to need this—maybe you, like many of us, have a job that keeps you away from where your broken-down car resides, or perhaps you’re helping to offload a car for a friend or family member who isn’t around.

So if you’re thinking: can I sell a car without the owner present? The short answer is: we can probably make it work. But here’s a few details to make sure things go smoothly.

So what if I can’t be there for pickup?

If you can’t be present at the pickup, just get in touch with our tow partner directly to coordinate (we’ll share their contact info after we’ve paired you up with a driver, after accepting our offer).

We can have your payment sent to you after the sale, but if you want to receive your check on the spot at pickup, you’ll need to arrange for someone else to be there on your behalf. Again, we recommend getting in touch with your driver to discuss options.

As always, if you need a hand or want some extra advice, give our customer support team a call (they’re really awesome).

What about the title? do I have to hand it to the tow driver?

You’ll need to hand off the title to receive payment for your vehicle. If you’re unable to do this at the time of pick up, make sure to let the driver know in advance so you can discuss your options with them and avoid any surprises on the day. We’ve got a ton of information in our help center related to questions about documentation. Click on the links below for answers to some of our customers’ common queries

• Peddle Help Center: General FAQ Title Q
• Peddle Help Center: Title by State Guide
• Peddle Help Center: Documentation FAQ
• Peddle Help Center: How to transfer a title to my name

I’m handling the sale for someone else—do they need to be there for the pickup?

This could be totally OK, as long as the title has been signed in advance.

When our tow partner gets in touch to schedule, let them know the situation and discuss your options. If they are unable to accommodate, give us a call and our all-star team will do everything they can to help (as usual).

What if the title holder is deceased?

You may be able to move forward with the sale using additional documentation which allows you to use the title as is. So once you’ve accepted an offer, discuss with your tow partner to figure out if this will be possible.

If not, you’ll likely need to transfer the title into your name—your local DMV will be the ones to help you get this sorted.

We know that selling a car can feel complicated, but here at Peddle, we really do want to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible for you—whether you’re there to hand over the keys yourself or kicking back at a beach bar while your big bro does the leg work for you.

However you get it done, Peddle makes selling a car the easiest task on your to-do list.