When you decide to put your car on the market, you have a few options. You can sell it privately, trade it in at a dealership, or go through an intermediary. Another increasingly popular option, however, is selling it to an online used car retailer. One woman claims that the last option may be the most lucrative of the bunch. According to her, a dealership salesman explained why that might be the case. What Did The Dealership Salesman Reveal? In her video, TikTok creator @needssalt describes what happened after she received quotes from three different dealerships for her 2021 Honda Pilot. "Volvo came in at $20,000, Ford at $22,000, Honda at $22,000," she says. Driveway, on the other hand, offered her $26,500, a whopping $4,500 more than the highest dealership quote. Driveway is an online platform for car buying and selling. "I brought the Driveway offer, which was for $26,500, to both Ford and Honda," she explains. "And ask if they could match." Both dealerships refused, so she decided to ask why. "The explanation that I got from both dealerships was that their range of customers is much smaller," she says. "They're looking at about a 60-mile customer base, whereas Carvana and Driveway have the whole country." She says the dealerships explained that this allows online platforms to offer more money and ship cars across the country. "I found that very interesting and eye-opening and thought I'd share that information with you guys," she concludes. Commenters Share Their Thoughts About Online Sellers "100% correct. For example, 2wd vehicle will be hard to sell in Oregon." one commenter pointed out. "But same vehicle would have no problem in a warm state like Texas. 4-5k difference in a two wheel drive Tacoma over a 4x4." Another commenter thought there was a missed opportunity. "So why didn't you just tell the local dealers to give you $25,500 then they could just sell it to Driveway and make a fast extra 1k for essentially doing nothing," they wrote. A third had another theory. "That reasoning sounds believable, but then you realize they'll list the car on sites like Autotrader.com or Cars.com, and anyone anywhere can buy it from the dealer and have it shipped," they stated. Do Online Platforms Really Offer More Than Dealerships? According to online reports from people who have either attempted or successfully sold a vehicle through online platforms, the results are mixed. One user on r/carbuying asked the community whether traditional dealerships or online marketplaces are more lucrative and received varied responses. "My dealership has beat Carmax and Carvana over the last 60 days," one claimed, advising that they get offers from both. Another user shared, "In my neck of the woods, most all franchise dealers will at the very least meet your Carmax appraisal." A third Redditor said that selling it directly to the consumer is even more profitable. "Sell it privately and make another $2-$3K," they wrote. "Get a detail and make her shine. Sold my 2016 Civic in a day." According to experts who spoke to USA Today, it helps to think less about which option pays the most and more about how much effort you want to put in. While selling it privately may earn you a few thousand more, it also requires time and effort on your part. When deciding between dealerships and online platforms, a good course of action is to consider your options and compare multiple offers before making a decision. Motor1 has reached out to Driveway via email and @needssalt via TikTok messages for comment. We’ll be sure to update this article if they respond. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team