WeBuyAnyCar is widely regarded as the UK's biggest car buying company. The UK online car market has rapidly grown in recent years and many car consumers are preferring to buy and sell their cars online opposed to the traditional methods of purchasing and selling vehicles.
In this guide, we'll review and compare the Top 10 UK online car buying companies and how they differ from the well known buyer We Buy Any Car. If you ever wondered who to sell my car to online, we have conducted a lengthy online search on how each company works, how much they charge, and much more.
It was founded in 2006 by Noel and Darren McKee. Since its launch the company has quickly become a household name, as they have frequently advertised on radio and television.
In the recent years, webuyanycar has shifted its advertising strategy away from having a single celebrity ambassador. Instead, the brand focuses on featuring ordinary people with a zest for life in their ads. These campaigns have effectively captured audience attention and built brand recognition. TikTok star Mufasa, whose real name is Jeff Obeng, is one of many such sensations that have been included in the WeBuyAnyCar's advertising campaigns.
There are more than 500 We Buy Any Car branches across the UK and they claim on average their customers are 15 minutes away from a branch. According to their website, they have bought over 4 million cars since their inception in 2006.
Like most online car buyers, it all starts with filling out your cars registration number, mileage, a few additional details. Within a minute, you receive an estimated valuation for your vehicle based on current market prices and condition details you provide.
But it's important to note that this initial valuation is not a firm offer to purchase your car. An actual offer is only made after an in-person inspection of your vehicle at their branch.
When you arrive for your appointment, the branch manager will need to see all the necessary paperwork for your car. They will then conduct a thorough inspection to assess its condition.
While you may have described your car in detail online, it's common for issues to be discovered only during a hands-on inspection.
If your car matches the description you provided, they can finalise the sale and pay you the agreed-upon price.
Tip: Keep in mind that you will not be able to get a final offer remotely so be prepared for potential changes to your vehicles valuation post inspection.
There is usually a cost for selling your vehicle to We Buy Any Car. The fee applicable will depend on the value of your vehicle. Heres what to expect:
Car value | Transaction fee |
---|---|
£99.99 | N/A |
£100 - £3,999.99 | £49.99 |
£4,000.00 - £4,999.99 | £59.99 |
£5000 or over | £74.99 |
Your offer is guaranteed for 4 days.
How convenient is it to sell your car to WeBuyAnyCar? Here are our observations:
Pros:
Cons:
When you sell a car to WeBuyAnyCar, you get paid via bank transfer. There are 3 different payment options available:
Standard: It takes 4 days after the day of sale for you to receive the money. There are no charges for this method.
Next day: You receive the money on the next working day after the sale. A fee of £24.75 applies.
Premier: The money is transferred to you within a short period after you sell your car to them. A fee of £29.75 applies.
To give a more well rounded view that is beyond our research, you may also want to check out real customer opinions: We Buy Any Car reviews.
Exchange My Car is a car selling comparison site that launched in June 2021. The company is based in Hertford UK and their innovative services are available nationwide.
They connect you with a network of reputable car-buying partners interested in purchasing your vehicle in just 30 seconds. Whats unique about them is that they give you multiple offers in one go, and work exclusively with buyers who offer instant payments and free home collection.
Plus, their algorithm is designed in such a way that it matches your car with buyers who specialise in buying that particular type of car, hence you stand a good chance at receiving top-tier offers.
Exchange My Car streamlines the car selling process with a simple three-step process. Users begin by receiving multiple offers from multiple buyers based on their car's details in just 30 seconds.
Once you accept an offer, the buyer arranges a convenient collection time and location.
Unlike We Buy Any Car, you wont need to take your car to them. Instead, a professional buyer will come to inspect and collect your vehicle.
Once the inspection is complete, your final offer will be confirmed and youll receive an instant payment via bank transfer.
None of Exchange My Cars buyers charge any fees for making instant payment.
Tip: Since all buyers of Exchange My Car offer free nationwide pickups and instant payments, you can decide which buyer to sell to simply by choosing the highest offer.
Unlike We Buy Any Car, selling your vehicle through Exchange My Car is totally free from beginning to end.
Your offer is guaranteed for 7 days.
How convenient is it to sell your car to Exchange My Car? Here are our observations:
Pros:
Cons:
Exchange My Cars buyers process Faster Payment instant bank transfers before they take your car.
Contrary to WeBuyAnyCar, this premium payment method is completely free of charge.
If you are interested in what other customers have to say about Exchange My Car, why not take a look at: Exchange My Car Customer Reviews
You may also want to check out what independent bloggers have written about Exchange My Car.
We Want Any Car was founded in 2009 and it is a UK based car buying company owned by Cox Automotive Group. Similarly to We Buy Any Car, the company used to have multiple branches throughout the country, however its now switched to offering vehicle collection from your home or workplace.
The process of selling your car to We Want Any Car starts with filling out a brief form with your cars registration and mileage, then your personal details. At the end, youll be presented with an up to guide price.
If youre happy with the valuation youve received, a member of their team will get in touch with you to discuss and book your appointment.
Unlike WeBuyAnyCar, you wont need to drive to your nearest branch, as the company will send a representative to inspect your vehicle.
Similarly to most online car buyers, your initial valuation is subject to your car matching the companys assumptions, which you can find in their Terms & Conditions. Should your car not match these assumptions, your valuation may be inaccurate.
Once you have agreed with their final offer, youll receive the money via instant bank transfer and transfer ownership of the vehicle to the company.WeWantAnyCar will then arrange for the vehicle to be collected within the following 5 working days.
Tip: Clarifying any incorrect assumptions directly with the company might save you from unexpected readjustments to your offer after the inspection.
Previously, We Want Any Car was charging a fee of £58.75 for cars worth between £100 - £4,999.99 and £78.75 for cars priced over £5,000.
However, in their recently updated model, they have become a no-charge car-selling platform. Now you can sell any car thats running or not severely damaged to them without any fees.
The valuation which We Want Any Car offers lasts for up to 5 days.
Here are our views of the pros and cons of how convenient it is to sell your car to WeWantAnyCar:
Pros:
Cons:
With We Want Any Car, you will get paid upon collection, once you agree to your cars final valuation. They only have one standard payment method, which is via instant bank transfer and there are no extra charges incurred by this.
If you are interested in what other customers have to say about We Want Any Car, why not take a look at: We Want Any Car Reviews
Money 4 Your Motors is a UK based car purchasing company founded in 2010 by Patrick Mooney. They claim over 4 million people have used their services, making them another one of the best alternatives to We Buy Any Car.
The process to get your online valuation is yet again similar to WeBuyAnyCar and other online car buyers: Youll need to enter your cars REG and mileage, then some personal details and your valuation will be ready. It takes no longer than 1 minute.
Whats best about Money 4 Your Motors is that they offer convenient online inspection appointments. The process begins with a phone call from Money 4 Your Motors to schedule an online appointment at a time that suits you. You'll receive a secure link via text or email to initiate the online appraisal.
During the approximately 30-minute appointment, a Money 4 Your Motors representative will conduct a video appraisal of your car using your device's camera. The technology ensures that only the camera is accessed during the call.
After the appraisal, you'll receive an offer for your car. If you accept, Money 4 Your Motors will arrange to collect your vehicle within 48 hours (or up to 72 hours if demand is high) and pay you instantly via bank transfer upon collection.
Tip: Make sure you have your bank card, your driving licence and another ID to hand during your appointment as the company states if any of these are not presented, the appointment may be cancelled.
With their updated model, Money 4 Your Motors has become a no-charge platform to sell a car. Now you dont have to pay an admin fee with them.
The valuation price of the car is valid for up to 7 days.
Heres our take on what are the pros and cons of selling your car to Money4YourMotors:
Pros:
Innovative online appraisal appointment - With Money 4 Your Motors, you can schedule a convenient online car appraisal. A quick chat, a secure video call, and you'll have a valuation in no time.
Free collection - They come to collect your vehicle free of charge
Instant payment - You get paid straight after the inspection
Cons:
Not all cars are accepted - Money 4 Your Motors may not purchase older models, non-running vehicles, or heavily damaged cars.
Money 4 Your Motors offer instant same day payment during your inspection appointment.
If you would like to see what customers have to say about selling their car with Money 4 Your Motors, please visit: Money 4 Your Motors Reviews
Jamjar is another UK car buyer thats been around for nearly 27 years. Classed as a car selling comparison site, the company prides itself on giving you multiple instant offers from their car buying partners for you to choose from, rather than a single set valuation. Although, unlike Exchange My Car, all cars get offers from the same set of buyers without vehicle based customisation.
They also give you the option to set up your own advert and wait to be contacted by potential buyers.
To get your offers from Jamjar, users can obtain an instant and free valuation of their vehicle by entering basic information. This process takes around 30 seconds.
To improve the accuracy of valuations, Jamjar encourages users to build a detailed profile of their vehicle. This includes uploading photographs and providing comprehensive descriptions of the car's condition.
Once the vehicle profile is complete, Jamjar compares the seller's car against offers from various online car buyers. Sellers can view multiple offers, allowing them to see a comprehensive range of potential selling prices.
Sellers can review the offers and choose to accept one that meets their expectations. If the initial offers are not satisfactory, sellers have the option to improve their offers by providing more information or additional photos.
After accepting an offer, the seller can arrange for the vehicle to be collected. Jamjar provides a free nationwide collection service, making it convenient for sellers to complete the transaction without needing to deliver the car themselves.
Payment is typically processed electronically and can be received within four working days after the sale. For those needing quicker access to funds, Jamjar offers options for next-day payment or immediate payment for an additional fee.
Alternatively you could set up your own advert with a full vehicle description and images and wait for a buyer to show interest in purchasing it. This way, you could potentially get more money than accepting the instant offers, but its not guaranteed and its likely to take longer to sell.
Tip: The highest offer may not always be the best, you may also want to compare payment speed and method, and collection/drop-off ease of Jamjar with other platforms before making a decision.
Jamjar is a free platform to sell your car. They generate revenue through fees charged to the car dealers who purchase cars through their platform.
As a seller, you don't incur any costs for using the Jamjar website apart from potential fees from the buyer you choose to go with.
Jamjar's offer typically expires within 7 days. But since they work with multiple partners their offers may have different expiry dates.
Here are our views on the pros and cons of selling your car through Jamjar:
Pros:
Cons:
Unfiltered offers - Customers might receive quotes from buyers who don't specialise in the type of vehicle they're selling
Little support - The company will present you with multiple offers, but wont get involved in the process of helping you sell your vehicle
Jamjar does not get involved in the transaction to sell your car. Payment speed will vary depending on who ends up buying your car.
For more information on how Jamjar operates please visit their customer reviews: Jamjar Reviews
Motorway launched in 2017 in London, UK, by multiple founders: Tom Leathes, Alex Buttle and Harry Jones. The company is a two-sided online auction platform for private car sellers and verified dealers who purchase their stock from Motorway.
Unlike WeBuyAnyCar, Motorway does not give you an instant offer. Instead, theyll ask you a few of your cars details, and your personal information to present you with an estimated price that you can use as a guide to how much you should try to sell it for.
To find out how much dealers want to buy your vehicle for, youll need to continue with the process and fill out further information about your car regarding its features, equipment and ownership.
They will then send you a text message with a link where you will need to take around 16 photos of your vehicle. If the vehicle has any damage, youll need to supply detailed images of those as well. Motorway will also ask you to upload an image of your cars service history if applicable.
We estimate this entire process is likely to take you 30-60 minutes, assuming you have all your cars information to hand and youre able to go outside to get some pictures taken. Otherwise, you may need a day or two to gather everything you need to set up your own auction advert.
Once your advert is all set up and youve submitted your reserve price, you can start receiving bids from dealers.
Provided that you accept one of the bids, the dealer will get in touch with you within two working days to agree a date and time for inspection and collection of your car directly from your workplace or from your home.
Tip: It is important to notice that the price youll receive initially is just a guide valuation, not an offer. Youll only receive real offers from dealers once youve fully set up your advert with information and pictures of the car.
There are no fees for selling your car through Motorways platform.
Motorway does not have a price guarantee period, differently to We Buy Any Car and other companies. Your final offer may be subject to change even on the day of sale.
In summary, heres how convenient it may be to sell your car with Motorway:
Pros:
Its free to use - You wont need to pay any administrative or transactional fees
Same day payments - Customers usually get the money on the same day as the car gets collected
Free vehicle collection - Your car gets collected from your home or workplace
Wide network of dealers - The company has over 4,000 potential buyers for your vehicle
No obligation to sell - You can approve or decline your highest offer, its at your discretion whether you proceed with the sale or not
Cons:
No instant offers - You wont get an instant offer after entering your information, you will need to wait for the end of the auction
Lengthy process - Selling your car via Motorway requires you to invest some time setting up your advert, awaiting for bids and then liaising with the winning bidder
Price is not guaranteed - The company says your final sale price is dictated by the dealer demand for your vehicle on the day of sale, meaning your final offer could be very different from the estimated valuation they initially give you
Various images required - Youll need to take at least 16 images of your car following Motorways specifications and requirements. You also wont be able to simply upload images you already have, as they will only accept ones taken while using their mobile app clip
Not all cars are accepted - Not all cars can participate in their online auction, some cars get rejected
With Motorway, youll get paid by bank transfer, usually on the same day you sell your car. The time it takes may vary depending on what dealer is buying your car.
Here is what Motorways customers have to say about their experiences with selling their car to the company, you can view it here: Motorway Reviews
The Car Buying Group is a UK based car buying company owned by auction specialists Aston Barclay. It has operated since 2014 and served over 50,000 customers, making it one of We Buy Any Cars top competitors.
With The Car Buying Group, youll need to enter your cars registration number, mileage and answer a few quick questions about its history. Some personal details are also required to be able to get a valuation, with this process taking no more than one minute.
Youll then be able to select a suitable date for the collection of your vehicle from your preferred location. Shortly after, their support team will get in touch with you to discuss further details about the car and its ownership, as well as request you to upload some images and documents. Once youve gone through this process, theyll be able to confirm your collection appointments details.
On the day of sale, they will carry out an inspection and collection of your vehicle on the same day, and quickly transfer you the money before your car gets taken away.
Tip: Make sure you describe the condition of your car to their team over the phone in order to receive an adjusted yet accurate valuation so you know what youll get paid upfront, avoiding last minute price deductions.
The Car Buying Group says their services are free of any charges.
The Car Buying Groups instant valuation is valid for 7 days.
Heres what we think of how convenient it is to sell your car to The Car Buying Group:
Pros:
Cons:
As mentioned previously, The Car Buying Group processes payments via instant bank transfer during the collection appointment at no extra fee.
For information on customers opinions on the way The Car Buying Group operates, please visit: The Car Buying Group Reviews
After reviewing these companies and reading hundreds of customer testimonials, weve observed that there are 5 mains aspects customers really care about when they are selling their car online:
Getting instant offers
Comparing the market
Whether the vehicle will be collected free of charge
Whether there are any charges for selling the vehicle (admin fee, transaction fee, etc)
Whether their payment is processed immediately
So heres a brief summary of what you can expect when you sell your car to WeBuyAnyCar or alternative websites:
We Buy Any Car Alternatives |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
WeBuyAnyCar | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Exchange My Car | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
WeWantAnyCar | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Money4YourMotors | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Jamjar | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Motorway | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
The Car Buying Group | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Disclaimers
This guide is for general information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Its content is not intended to malign any party listed and the statements, information and ratings contained in any content are solely the opinion of the authors or bloggers and do not reflect the opinion of Exchange My Car Limited and/or any of its associated companies, partners, affiliates, respective owners, managers or agents.
Although the authors make strong efforts in the production of their content, they cannot guarantee that all the information on this page is factual, complete or up to date. Exchange My Car Limited does not verify for accuracy any of the content contained in this page. The content within this guide must not be relied upon by and we accept no liability to any third parties.
We welcome suggestions to improve or add to this content, as well as to replace information which has become outdated since this guides latest publication date - Subject to the authors review and approval. Contact support@exchangemycar.co.uk for any queries.
Exchange My Car is not a commercial partner of: WeBuyAnyCar; WeWantAnyCar; Jamjar; Motorway.
Exchange My Car is a commercial partner of: Money4YourMotors; The Car Buying Group.