Auto Consignment vs. Selling Privately: Which Gets You More?

Trying to decide whether to sell your car on your own or consign it with a dealership? Both methods have pros and cons—but in Alberta’s current market, auto consignment is winning more sellers than ever before.

At Auto Nation Canada, we’ve helped hundreds of sellers make more money and avoid the headaches of private sales. Here’s how the two compare—and why consignment might be the smarter move for your next sale.

🤝 What’s Auto Consignment?

Auto consignment means:

• You still own your vehicle while it’s listed
  
  

• Our dealership markets, shows, and sells it on your behalf
  
  

• Once it sells, you get paid—without doing the heavy lifting
  
  

Learn more on our Auto Consignment page.

📉 Selling Privately: The Pros and Cons

✅ Pros:

• No additional costs if you find a buyer fast
  
  

❌ Cons:

• Time-consuming messaging, meetups, and no-shows
  
  

• Risky test drives with strangers

• Lots of fraud and theft 
  
  

• Negotiation pressure without backup
  
  

• No access to dealership buyers, financing or taking trades 
  
  

Many sellers get frustrated or settle for less than the vehicle is worth—just to get it over with.

🚗 Consignment with Auto Nation Canada: Key Benefits

✅ We do the marketing (online, walk-in, social media)
 ✅ We show and sell the car
 ✅ We help buyers get financing, which speeds up the process
 ✅ We handle all legal paperwork
 ✅ We collect payment and pay you securely

And yes—you still pick the price you’re willing to accept. We’ll only present offers to you and let you make the decision. 

💰 Who Usually Gets More Money?

In many cases, auto consignment still nets a higher sale price than a private sale.

• We can market to pre-approved buyers
  
  

• We help buyers trade in or finance, increasing purchasing power

• We negotiate on your behalf 
  
  

• Buyers trust dealerships more than private sellers when spending $15K–$50K+
  
  

And because we handle the pricing strategy, you avoid the pressure and getting lowballed by sellers 

👉 Start your auto consignment today

🔧 What Kind of Vehicles Can You Consign?

We accept:

• Cars
  
  

• SUVs
  
  

• Trucks
  
  

• Vans (especially family or work-ready)
  
  

We’ll do a quick inspection and let you know what to expect. You can submit your vehicle here to begin.

✅ Ready to Skip the Stress and Sell Smarter?

If you want more money without doing the work, auto consignment could be the best decision you make this year.

👉 Learn how consignment works or start now with our quick form

At Auto Nation Canada, we help Alberta sellers consign their cars for more money, less stress, and zero scams. We’ve got your back—every step of the way.