Steps Involved In The CarAlternative.com Service
There are only four steps you need to perform in order to use the CarAlternative.com service. These four steps with 
are required. All other steps are optional, or performed for you by CarAlternative.com.
Click to open and close any step below.
STEP 2
Make sure you understand the paperwork/reporting requirements for vehicles registered and titled in your state. See our Paperwork Requirements by State page. Note: the issuing state of the title is irrelevant. However, if the car is registered out of state please see that state’s paperwork requirements for reporting a sale and/or returning license plates.
STEP 4
Identify what type of customer you are and see why CarAlternative.com may be a great choice for your situation. See our Case Examples page.
STEP 5
Investigate any issue that may be important to you:
STEP 6
Determine if your vehicle will be accepted by CarAlternative.com. We may have to decline your car. This is due to the fact that not every vehicle is capable of being sold at auction for $400 or more (the price we feel is needed for our service to be worthwhile for our customers).
Please see our Vehicle Qualification page. This will help you determine if we can accept your vehicle.
If you are still unsure of whether your vehicle will be accepted we encourage you to submit a service application form and we will respond by email within one hour, Monday thru Friday 8am to 5pm Pacific time.
STEP 7
Fill out the Service Application Form. We ask for the following:
- Basic information about yourself: phone, mailing address, email address, etc.
- Vehicle Information: year, make, model VIN number, mileage, condition, location, color, etc.
- Special comments
STEP 8
You will receive an email back from CarAlternative.com. We will respond within one hour, Monday thru Friday 8am-5pm Pacific time.
- We will inform you of our decision to accept or decline your vehicle.
- If we decline your vehicle we will apologize for the inconvenience and give you good suggestions on what your other options are.
- If we accept your car we will provide you with our 800 number and ask that you call to verbally commit to a pickup or delivery.
STEP 9
Call CarAlternative.com and commit to a pickup. Or you can agree to drive your vehicle to the auction facility.
During this brief phone call the CarAlternative.com customer service representative will:
- answer any questions you might have
- verify your key information
- give you instructions on paperwork and explain the pickup/delivery procedure
- inform you of the approximate time it will take to sell the vehicle
- inform you when you can expect to be paid
CarAlternative.com creates your account at the auction facility that day and immediately emails you a pickup/delivery receipt.
The pickup/delivery receipt acknowledges that you are signing over your car to CarAlternative.com, authorizes us to sell the car at auction, and promises that you will receive a check for the net proceeds of the auction sale less our processing fee and sale commission. This receipt legally binds us to perform our service as stated in the receipt.
STEP 10
If you requested a pickup you will receive a call from the tow dispatcher (employee of the auction company) to setup the pickup date and arrangements.
STEP 11
The vehicle is towed or delivered to the auction facility at the arranged time.
STEP 12
You will receive by regular mail (allow 8 weeks from pickup/delivery date):
- check for any payment owed to you
- copy of the auction company’s sale invoice
- integrated statement showing sale price, total fees, and net payment
- a thank you
- an invitation to rate our service and give us suggestions for improvement
- a suggestion to tell friends, relatives, co-workers of our service.
Factors affecting Payment Date:
- Title transfer: averages 3 weeks
- Sale period: averages 2 weeks
- Auction company pays CarAlternative.com: average 2 weeks
- CarAlternative.com generates check: average 1 week
