Bring A Trailer vs PrivateAuto Selling My Car?

If you want to sell your used vehicle, you may be debating between two or more online vehicle selling platforms. Here are the pros and cons of Bring a Trailer and PrivateAuto to help you decide on the best option for you.

Bring a Trailer is a vehicle auction website, similar to RM Sotheby’s, Avantgarde Collection, and Mecum Auction. It specializes in the sale of classic cars, collector cars, hot rods, and custom vehicles (such as Factory Five cars). A Bring a Trailer auction typically lasts for 7 days.

PrivateAuto is an end-to-end platform for individuals to buy and sell vehicles of all types. The PrivateAuto app includes vehicle listings, an integrated payment gateway, vehicle financing, in-app messaging, a scheduling feature for arranging test drives, and e-signing of documentation.

PrivateAuto and Bring a Trailer have very different features and business models. Bring a Trailer is an auction website, while PrivateAuto is a technology platform that includes used car listings, instantaneous payments, and other integrated features.

Bring a Trailer has an intuitive website that’s simple enough to navigate. Their seller fees are fairly reasonable, while their buyer fees are on the higher end. While they offer helpful services, such as having professional photos of your vehicle taken, these come at an additional cost.

Bring a Trailer’s biggest issue is their lack of payment and transaction infrastructure. Buyers and sellers are left to navigate transactional logistics, including transfer of funds, on their own.

- Easy-to-use website
  • Vehicle advertising available
  • Vehicle history report available
  • Reasonable seller fees
  • Bidding on classic cars and collector cars
  • Good inventory of classic and collector vehicles

- High buyer fees
  • No mobile app
  • No live chat
  • No payment support
  • No transaction support
  • No way to verify buyers and sellers
  • No in-app buyer financing

PrivateAuto is a vehicle marketplace combined with an integrated banking and payment gateway. The PrivateAuto app has built-in messaging and scheduling so buyer and seller can arrange to meet.

The main issue with PrivateAuto is how quickly certain vehicles sell. PrivateAuto works on a first-come, first-serve basis, so buyers may miss a great vehicle if they don’t check new listings every day.

- Low seller fees
  • No buyer fee
  • Vehicle advertising available
  • Vehicle history reports available
  • In-app messaging and test drive scheduling
  • Intuitive mobile app and website
  • Buyer and seller verification
  • Integrated banking system
  • Instantaneous payments of any amount, 24/7/365
  • In-app financing

- Lower inventory of collector and classic cars (as of 2022)
  • Less well-known, smaller user base (as of 2022)

Both PrivateAuto and Bring a Trailer have seller fees, which sellers pay when creating a vehicle listing. However, PrivateAuto doesn’t take a cut from the buyers, while Bring a Trailer charges a buyer transaction fee.

PrivateAuto fees are among the lowest in the online car selling market. The seller pays a $150 listing fee with no additional costs thereafter. The buyer is responsible for paying for the vehicle only and has no transaction-related costs.

Bring a Trailer has fees for both buyer and seller. The seller pays a listing fee of $99 ($349 if you want professional photos of your vehicle taken by them). In addition to paying for the actual vehicle, the buyer has to pay a 5% transaction fee to Bring a Trailer, with the minimum amount being $250, and the maximum being $5000.

PrivateAuto and Bring a Trailer both offer vehicle advertising, with a detailed car history report on their websites. However, PrivateAuto offers an array of useful features Bring a Trailer lacks. For instance, PrivateAuto offers a window brochure with QR codes and an easy-to-use live chat that helps you communicate with the seller/buyer.

One of the main issues with Bring a Trailer is their lack of transaction functionality. They are a pure auction and listing service, devoid of additional features that could remove friction from the transaction process for both the buyer and the seller.

PrivateAuto, in contrast, includes seller and buyer verification, integrated banking, and integrated chat and scheduling. Buyers and sellers can schedule test drives, do a step-by-step walkthrough of the entire transaction process, and sign the bill of sale–all through the PrivateAuto app.

Bring a Trailer does not facilitate payment from the vehicle buyer to the seller. They merely connect the two parties to one another and leave them to navigate payment options on their own.

PrivateAuto allows for instantaneous payments of any amount, 365 days a year, 24 hours per day. Its integrated banking system, PrivateAuto Pay, functions as an internal bank transfer when funds move from the buyer to the seller. PrivateAuto also allows buyers to pay with a card (credit or debit), crypto, or cash. Buyers can also split the vehicle payment across multiple channels, and even apply for financing within the PrivateAuto app.

Having an easy-to-use platform is crucial for online used car selling companies. PrivateAuto and Bring a Trailer both have websites. PrivateAuto has a mobile application, while Bring a Trailer does not.

PrivateAuto has an easy-to-navigate website. Vehicle listings are easy to navigate, whether you’re looking for a particular model or want to browse by geographical proximity. Creating a car listing is likewise intuitive, with a step-by-step guide helping you through the process.

The Bring a Trailer website is easy to use, for the most part. The process of listing your vehicle is quite simple. For the potential buyer, Bring a Trailer’s search and browsing features could be improved upon; finding particular vehicles can be time-consuming. Users can add vehicles to a watchlist, which can be helpful.

PrivateAuto offers an app that’s available on both iOS and Android. You can list your car for sale, look through available vehicles, contact sellers, and pay for your vehicle, all from your phone.

Bring a Trailer does not have an app, so all aspects of the vehicle buying and selling process has to be done through their website.

The verdict on Bring a Trailer vs PrivateAuto?

If you want to sell a used vehicle, PrivateAuto offers more functionality, safety, and ease of use. With secure, instantaneous payments, secure messaging (with no exchange of contact info), and buyer verification, sellers have far more flexibility and safety than on Bring a Trailer.

For those looking to buy a used car, PrivateAuto offers far better value with no buyer transaction fees.

Bring a Trailer has more inventory in the classic and collector cars categories, while PrivateAuto has more inventory for later-model vehicles.

PrivateAuto offers a better buying experience than Bring a Trailer, with in-app messaging, integrated payments, and financing options.

Avoid scams, keep personal information private, and guarantee funds with PrivateAuto. Fast, convenient car transactions. Get started today.