Best We Buy Any Car Alternatives of 2022

A guide to the UK's biggest car buyers

WeBuyAnyCar is known 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.

WeBuyAnyCar Review

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.

WeBuyAnyCar has become a big car buying brand nationally and they frequently advertise on television and radio, more recently TV presenter Philip Schofield has fronted the campaigns and this has made their campaigns more memorable and trustworthy as many consumers view Philip Schofield as a trusted figure in the entertainment industry.

There are 450 We Buy Any Car branches across the UK and they claim on average their customers are 15 minutes away from a branch. In 2020, it was reported that the company had bought 2 million cars since the launch of the business.

How it works

Like most online car buyers, it all starts with filling out your car’s registration number, mileage, a few additional details and within a minute you get an offer for your vehicle.

Straight after receiving a quote, WeBuyAnyCar enables you to book an appointment at the branch nearest to you. Their online process is one of the simplest!

During your appointment, the branch manager will verify that you have all paperwork to hand and begin an inspection of the car to ensure it’s the condition you have described.

If the car accurately meets your description, your online offer valuation stands and you can sell your vehicle there and then.

Tip: Ensure you accurately describe the condition of your car before your appointment to confirm the value of your final offer. Failing to describe it could result in last minute price deductions during the inspection.

Charges

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. Here’s 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

Price guarantee

Your offer is guaranteed for 4 days.

Convenience

How convenient is it to sell your car to WeBuyAnyCar? Here are our observations:

Pros:

• Quick online valuation - you won’t be asked to fill out a huge form to find out your car’s worth
• Appointment flexibility - wide selection of time slot options available to choose from
• 450 branches throughout the UK - it should be easy to find one near you
• Quick appointments - they estimate that appointments take around just 20 minutes

Cons:

• Car drop off - you will need to arrange transport or a lift to take you home after the sale
• Payment speed - it takes 4 days after the sale to receive your money, unless you pay a fee of £24.75 for next day payment or £29.75 for Faster Payment

Payment

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.

WeWantAnyCar Review

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 it’s now switched to offering vehicle collection from your home or workplace.

How it works

The process of selling your car to We Want Any Car starts with filling out a brief form with your car’s registration and mileage, then your personal details. At the end, you’ll be presented with an “up to” guide price.

If you’re happy with the valuation you’ve received, a member of their team will get in touch with you to discuss and book your appointment.

Unlike WeBuyAnyCar, you won’t 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 company’s 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, you’ll receive the money via instant bank transfer, meaning you will also be transferring 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.

Charges

Similarly to We Buy Any Car, there is no transaction fee for cars which are valued under £100. However, from that value onwards, different fees apply:

Car value	Transaction fee
£99.99	N/A
£100 - £4,999.99	£58.75
£5000 or over	£78.75

Price guarantee

The valuation which We Want Any Car offers lasts for up to 5 days.

Convenience

Here are our views of the pros and cons of how convenient it is to sell your car to WeWantAnyCar:

Pros:

• They’ll come to you - You won’t need to drive to get your car inspected or collected
• Quick payment - You receive an instant bank transfer after inspection, before the car gets collected
• Scrap friendly - If you want to scrap your car, and its value is under £99.99, you won’t pay a transaction fee
• Non-runner buyers - They are usually willing to buy non-runners

Cons:

• You’ll have two appointments - They won’t inspect and collect the car on the same day.
• There are administrative fees - Unless your car is worth less than £100, you will need to pay a fee to sell to WeWantAnyCar
• Outstanding finance policy - If your outstanding finance is higher than their valuation of your vehicle, they won’t be able to help you settle it and won’t be purchasing your vehicle.

Payment

With We Want Any Car, you will get paid after the inspection, once you agree to your car’s 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

Exchange My Car Review

Exchange My Car, the UK’s first part exchange comparison site was launched in June 2021. Although the company is based in Hertford UK, their innovative services are available nationwide. What’s unique about them is that they enable you to either sell your car for cash, or find a part exchange deal online amongst over 80,000 cars they have displayed on their website.

How it works

Within seconds from entering your car REG number and mileage, you will get two types of offers. These consist of a cash offer for selling your car, and multiple part exchange offers to trade your car in for another one.

For those looking to trade their car in, you will have access to thousands of part exchange offers where you can compare the cost of change from your current vehicle to a different one.

Whether you want to sell your car or part exchange, the company will allocate you a dedicated account manager who will immediately match you with a verified buyer and assist you throughout the process.

Unlike We Buy Any Car, you won’t need to take your car to them and they won’t carry out the inspection of your vehicle themselves, since impartiality is one of their core company values.

Instead, they will send an unbiased, third party professional to inspect and collect your vehicle. Once the inspection is complete, your account manager will be notified and will process your payment before you let your car go.

Tip: Since the company offers free nationwide vehicle collection, they will ask you to pay a refundable fee of £49.99 to verify you are committed to attend the appointment. The full amount is refunded to you after your appointment and sale of your vehicle.

Charges

All Exchange My Car services are free of charge.

Price guarantee

Your offer is guaranteed for 7 days.

Convenience

How convenient is it to sell your car to Exchange My Car? Here are our observations:

Pros:

• Instant payment - You get paid before your car is taken away
• Free of charge - There are no charges for selling, part exchanging or buying a car with them
• Concierge-like service - A dedicated account manager to guide you throughout the process whom you can always contact on WhatsApp, email, or call
• Free collection from anywhere - You won’t need to leave your home to get your car sold
• Part exchange option - You can use the value of your car towards the purchase of a new one

Cons:

• Appointment length - It can take up to 1 hour for the inspection and collection of your car to be completed
• Booking flexibility - The latest appointment time available is 4pm
• Refundable fee - You will lose your refundable booking fee if you fail to attend the collection appointment without notice or to sell your car on the day.

Payment

Exchange My Car processes Faster Payment instant bank transfers to ensure you get paid before they take your car.

This explains why appointments take place no later than 4:00pm, it’s to ensure your bank receives the money instantly.

Contrary to WeBuyAnyCar, this premium payment method is completely free of charge.

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

Money4YourMotors Review

Money 4 Your Motors is a UK based car purchasing company founded in 2010 by Patrick Mooney. They claim over 2.5 million people have used their services, making them another We Buy Any Car alternative company to consider when looking to sell your car.

How it works

The process to get your online valuation is yet again similar to WeBuyAnyCar and other online car buyers: You’ll need to enter your car’s REG and mileage, then some personal details and your valuation will be ready. It takes no longer than 1 minute.

If you’re happy with your offer, you can give them a call to arrange an inspection appointment with one of their buyers. This appointment can be carried out from your home or workplace.

Upon completion of the inspection, if you’re happy with their final offer, they’ll process your payment straight away.

Within a week from selling your car, the company will send another team member to come and collect it.

Tip: Make sure you have your bank card, your driving license and another ID to hand during your appointment as the company states if any of these are not presented, the appointment may be cancelled.

Charges

If you want to sell your car to Money 4 Your Motors, ensure you factor in the following administration charges:

Car value	Transaction fee
£99.99	N/A
£100 - £4,999.99	£58.75
£5000 or over	£78.75

Price guarantee

The valuation price of the car is valid for up to 5 days.

Convenience

Here’s our take on what are the pros and cons of selling your car to Money4YourMotors:

Pros:

• Free collection - They come to collect your vehicle free of charge
• Instant payment - You get paid straight after the inspection
• Scrap friendly - The company buys low value damaged cars
• Non-runner buyer - You can sell your non runner to them from the comfort of your home

Cons:

• Price uncertainty - You won’t be able to discuss the condition of your vehicle to get an accurate valuation before you decide if you want to go ahead with the inspection
• The service is not free - Unlike other car buyers, there is a fee for selling cars worth more than £99.99
• 2 appointments needed - You can’t get your car inspected and collected at the same time

Payment

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 Review

Jamjar is another UK car buyer that’s been around for nearly 25 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. They also give you the option to set up your own advert and wait to be contacted by potential buyers.

How it works

To get your offers from Jamjar, you’ll be asked several questions about the car. You will then need to create an account with your details to proceed. This process takes around 2 minutes.

The website will give you a few different offers to choose from, each varying not only in price but also in its terms. For example, you may get an offer for £6,000 for payment via bank transfer where a fee applies and you may need to drop the car off at the buyer’s designated location. Or, you may have an offer of £4,000 paid by cheque with collection included and no admin fees associated.

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 it’s not guaranteed and it’s likely to take longer to sell.

Once you decide on which way to sell your car, the process may differ depending on what company will end up purchasing your vehicle.

Tip: The highest offer may not always be best, you may also want to compare payment speed and method, collection/drop-off and admin fees before making a decision.

Charges

Jamjar’s website is free to use, however, some of the buyers they partner with may charge you a fee for selling your car with them. The fees vary depending on who buys your car.

Price guarantee

As Jamjar does not have a guide number of days that your offers are valid for. Their offers have different expiry dates.

Convenience

Here are our views on the pros and cons of selling your car through Jamjar:

Pros:

• Multiple offers - You can choose which offer suits you best
• Scrap friendly - They work with buyers who want scrap cars
• Advert option - If you’re not satisfied with your instant offers, they give you an option to create an advert to list your car to their buyers
• Carefully selected buyers - The company claims to only work with buyers who meet their standards

Cons:

• Little support - The company will present you with multiple offers, but won’t get involved in the process of helping you sell your vehicle
• Inconsistent experience - Due to the nature of the business, you won’t always get the same selling process or experience through Jamjar, as the company’s buyers vary widely and have their own ways of working, from different fees to payment methods and communication

Payment

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 Review

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.

How it works

Unlike WeBuyAnyCar, Motorway does not give you an instant offer. Instead, they’ll ask you a few of your car’s 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, you’ll 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, you’ll need to supply detailed images of those as well. Motorway will also ask you to upload an image of your car’s service history if applicable.

We estimate this entire process is likely to take you 30-60 minutes, assuming you have all your car’s information to hand and you’re 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 you’ve 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 you’ll receive initially is just a guide valuation, not an offer. You’ll only receive real offers from dealers once you’ve fully set up your advert with information and pictures of the car.

Charges

There are no fees for selling your car through Motorway’s platform.

Price guarantee

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.

Convenience

In summary, here’s how convenient it may be to sell your car with Motorway:

Pros:

• It’s free to use - You won’t 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, it’s at your discretion whether you proceed with the sale or not
• Scrap friendly - They can help you to sell your scrap vehicle to one of their partners who are willing to purchase scrap cars

Cons:

• No instant offers - You won’t get an instant offer after entering your information. It may take a few days for dealers to bid on your car
• Lengthy process - Selling your car via Motorway requires you to invest some time setting up your advert and awaiting for bids
• 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 fluctuate at short notice
• Various images required - You’ll need to take at least 16 images of your car following Motorway’s specifications and requirements. You also won’t be able to simply upload images you already have, as they will only accept ones taken while using their mobile app clip.

Payment

With Motorway, you’ll 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 Motorway’s 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 Review

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 Car’s top competitors.

How it works

With The Car Buying Group, you’ll need to enter your car’s 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.

You’ll 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 you’ve gone through this process, they’ll be able to confirm your collection appointment’s details.

On the day of sale, the company operates similarly to the part exchange site Exchange My Car. 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 you’ll get paid upfront, avoiding last minute price deductions.

Charges

The Car Buying Group says their services are free of any charges.

Price guarantee

The Car Buying Group’s instant valuation is valid for 7 days.

Convenience

Here’s what we think of how convenient it is to sell your car to The Car Buying Group:

Pros:

• Free service - You won’t be charged to sell your car
• Home collection - You won’t be asked to drive to a branch to get your car sold
• Quick bank transfers - You get paid during your appointment and you’ll receive a receipt, before they take the vehicle away
• Referral scheme - The Car Buying Group offers an incentive of £50 when you recommend them to a friend who ends up selling their car to them (The company’s Terms & Conditions apply)

Cons:

• Appointment length - As the company carries out a thorough inspection of the vehicle, appointments can take one hour or more
• Booking times - You won’t be able to specify an exact time for your appointment, you will only be able to choose between “morning” or “afternoon” slots

Payment

As mentioned previously, The Car Buying Group processes payments via instant bank transfer during the collection appointment at no extra fee.

For information on customer’s opinions on the way The Car Buying Group operates, please visit: The Car Buying Group Reviews

Highlights

After reviewing these companies and reading hundreds of customer testimonials, we’ve observed that there are 4 mains aspects customers really care about when they are selling their car online:

• Getting a quick, free valuation
• If the car can be collected
• Whether there are any charges for selling the vehicle (admin fee, transaction fee, etc)
• When they will get paid

So here’s a brief summary of what you can expect when you sell your car to WeBuyAnyCar or alternative websites:

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 guide’s latest publication date - Subject to the authors review and approval. Contact hello@exchangemycar.co.uk for any queries.

Exchange My Car is not a commercial partner of: WeBuyAnyCar; WeWantAnyCar; Money4YourMotors; Jamjar; Motorway; The Car Buying Group.