For decades, the price of a used car in India was determined by whoever spoke the loudest. Sellers often walked away from local dealerships with a nagging sense of regret, wondering if the “minor engine noise” or “suspension play” cited by the dealer was a genuine mechanical flaw or simply a tactic to drive the price down.
However, like everything that goes up eventually comes down, these fake flaw tactics are also fading away with the rise of the inspection-first pricing. Today, sellers are not accepting any quotes for their old cars based on a quick walk-around. Instead, they are opting for the platforms that provide a thorough professional inspection of their vehicle’s health.
Let’s get into more details of what’s and why’s of this new trend, and what benefits sellers are getting from it.
Moving Beyond Surface with Thorough Inspection
The sellers now want to know the truth about the real condition of their cars. In the olden days, a car was judged by its paint condition and a five-minute test drive. The Surface Logic always favoured the dealer or the buyer, who could claim invisible faults to devalue the car.
Various online used car platforms introduced inspection-driven pricing for used cars. CARS24, on the other hand, have flipped this power dynamic with used car inspection. By making a technical inspection the core of the price discovery process, the car’s technical reality becomes the seller’s strongest weapon.
The inspection report, which is provided after the inspection, acts as a shield of data. Hence, it is a seller’s defence and a buyer’s assurance. When every panel, sensor, paint thickness and suspension bush is accounted for, the price cannot be twisted.
300+ Points of Physical Evidence
The real breakthrough in winning the sellers’ trust has been the depth of the vehicle evaluation. CARS24’s 300+ point used car inspection is conducted by certified automotive engineers with the help of advanced diagnostic tools.
This rigorous technical diagnostic provides a level of certainty that boosts the seller’s confidence about the car’s true condition. The seller gets a digital health report for their car, which is then used to anchor the price, ensuring that the initial quote reflects the real-world condition of the vehicle rather than a dealer’s subjective guess.
A Case of the “Ghost Fault” Scam
The importance of a professional, third-party inspection is best illustrated by the story of a car owner in Bengaluru. He was about to sell his mid-sized sedan to a local dealer who, after a brief test drive, claimed the car had a “mounting issue”, a vague term used to imply expensive internal repairs, and offered a price 30% below the market average. Since the owner was an automotive enthusiast and had knowledge about his car’s engine, he sensed the ghost fault scam and turned down the deal.
The owner approached CARS24 for a complete inspection. A thorough inspection confirmed that the engine mountings were fine and there was no other fault in the engine, radiator, valve train, etc. Not only did the owner get clarity about his vehicle, but the transparent report allowed him to secure a price that was significantly higher than the dealer’s price.
Scaling Value Through the Live Auction
Once the inspection of an old car is complete, its report does the heavy lifting after that. This is where the model truly distances itself from traditional showrooms. The inspection report is presented to a network of 20,000+ verified dealers across 1,500+ cities.
This network of verified dealers trusts the accuracy of the inspection, which makes them bid aggressively in a Live Auction. There are also high chances that your car might be worth more in a city with higher demand for that specific model.
The Triple Layer of Seller Protection
- Fact-Based Pricing is driven by a massive, competitive auction network.
- Through a professional 300+ point audit that prevents “Ghost Fault” devaluations.
- Seller Kavach protects the seller from legal or financial liabilities (like challans or accidents) from the moment of handover until the final RC transfer is officially recorded.
Conclusion
The time of ghost faults is over as the new practice of inspection-driven pricing took its place. The demand is now for a process that is as technically accurate as it is fast. CARS24 has redefined the used car valuation with deep inspection and an accurate price through a pan-India live bidding model.
In today’s market, the “best price” is no longer something you have to argue for; it’s something the data proves for you. As a technical Truth is chosen over negotiation, sellers are finally walking away with the value they deserve and the peace of mind they need.
