Best DoneDeal Car Ad Examples
The Core Problem: Why Your DoneDeal Ad Isn't Getting Clicks
Your car is sat on DoneDeal for three weeks. You've had two enquiries, both from people asking if you'll accept €2,000 less than your asking price. You're convinced the problem is the market — everyone's broke, nobody's buying — but the real issue is sitting in your ad itself.
DoneDeal gets 200,000+ car listings at any given time. Irish buyers spend an average of 40 seconds on a listing before they scroll to the next one. That's the window you're working with. In that time, they need to see why your car deserves their money over the 50 identical listings below yours.
The difference between a listing that sits for eight weeks and one that sells in five days isn't luck. It's specificity, honesty, and knowing exactly what Irish buyers are actually looking for when they're searching DoneDeal on a Tuesday night.
What The Best DoneDeal Car Ads Do Differently
Lead With What Matters Most (Not What You Think Is Impressive)
Let's look at a real example. Say you're selling a 2016 Ford Focus, 1.5-litre diesel, 120,000km on the clock.
Bad opening: "Beautiful Ford Focus, low mileage, full service history, must be seen."
That's what 40% of DoneDeal sellers write. It tells the buyer nothing they couldn't guess from the photos.
Good opening: "2016 Ford Focus 1.5 TDCI, 120,000km, full stamped service history to 110k, NCT valid until March 2026, two owners, no rust underneath, genuine reason for sale."
The second version does three things instantly:
- Proves the car's been looked after (stamped service history, specific mileage intervals)
- Removes the biggest Irish buyer anxiety (NCT status — they'll check Cartell.ie anyway, so get ahead of it)
- Addresses the rust question before they ask (Irish damp climate makes this gold-standard reassurance)
Irish buyers are paranoid. Not without reason — the weather here is hard on cars. Your job is to use those first two sentences to prove you're not hiding anything.
The Specific Format That Works
The best DoneDeal ads follow a structure that mirrors how buyers actually evaluate cars:
Paragraph 1: Year, make, model, engine size, transmission, mileage, NCT status, number of owners.
Example: "2018 Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TSI petrol, manual, 85,000km, NCT valid until June 2025, one owner from new."
Paragraph 2: Service history, any major work done, condition of high-wear items (tyres, brakes, battery).
Example: "Full VW service history, all stamps in book. New front tyres (Michelin) fitted last month (€280). Brakes done at 75k. Battery replaced 2023. No warning lights."
Paragraph 3: Interior and exterior condition. Be honest about any cosmetic damage. Mention if there's no rust underneath (critical in Ireland).
Example: "Exterior: one small scratch on driver's door (visible in photo 5), otherwise very clean. Interior: clean throughout, one small stain on rear passenger seat (shows in photo 8). Undercarriage: no rust, sound condition."
Paragraph 4: Why you're selling. What's included (mats, spare key, documentation).
Example: "Selling as upgrading to larger family car. Comes with both keys, original service book, all documentation. Two sets of floor mats included."
Paragraph 5: Price and location. No "or nearest offer" — it weakens your position.
Example: "€9,500. Located in Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Viewings by appointment."
This isn't fancy. It's systematic. And it works because it gives the buyer every answer they're going to Google anyway.
Photos: The Non-Negotiable Rule
A DoneDeal listing with fewer than eight photos gets 60% fewer clicks. Here's what the best ads include:
- Exterior: front three-quarter (the key shot), driver's side, passenger's side, rear
- Engine bay (clean, no major fluid leaks visible)
- Interior: dashboard, front seats, rear seats, steering wheel/condition of controls
- Undercarriage/underneath (use your phone's torch, take it from a low angle)
- Odometer (proof of mileage)
- Any damage: close-up photos with good lighting
The undercarriage shot is the Irish seller's secret weapon. If there's no rust, photograph it. Your buyer will see Cartell.ie history for free, check MOT/NCT records, and verify mileage — but they won't see underneath unless you show them. Taking one decent photo of a clean undercarriage wins you €300–€500 in price premium vs a car you don't photograph.
What Most Sellers Get Wrong
Being vague about condition. "Minor cosmetic marks" means different things to different people. "Exterior: one scratch on driver's door approximately 4cm, not through to primer, and a small dent on rear bumper (photo 7)" is what sells. Buyers expect damage. Honesty makes them trust you.
Not mentioning NCT upfront. If it's valid, say so with the exact expiry date. If it's due soon, say "NCT due in April, will arrange before sale." If it failed, don't list it on DoneDeal — you'll waste eight weeks explaining. Get it fixed first or price it accordingly and be explicit.
Omitting service history details. "Full service history" is lazy. "Serviced at the main dealer every 10,000km, all stamps in book, last service January 2024" proves you maintained the car properly. If you don't have stamped records, say "regularly serviced, previous owner serviced at main dealer until 2020, I've maintained since." Honesty again.
Underpricing because you're impatient. A Dublin car in good condition shouldn't be priced the same as an identical rural car. A 1.2-litre petrol Focus will fetch €500–€1,000 more in Dublin than in Limerick, all else equal. Check three comparable listings on DoneDeal before you set your price. You're probably 5–10% too low.
Writing like a car dealer. "This beautiful motor is an absolute gem" makes Irish buyers roll their eyes. You're a private seller. Write like one. Direct, specific, honest.
Quick Wins You Can Do Today
If your ad is already live: Edit it right now. Add the specific NCT expiry date in the first paragraph. Add one photo of the undercarriage if you haven't already. Add one paragraph about what's actually wrong with the car (there's always something — a dent, a scratch, a warning light) and photograph it clearly. Then republish.
If you haven't listed yet: Take your photos in daylight, outdoors, on a clean driveway. Wet the car first if it's been in a garage (makes the colour pop and shows it's clean). Photograph the undercarriage. Write your ad in the five-paragraph structure above. Get someone else to read it — if they have a question, your description isn't detailed enough. Price it at the median of three comparable DoneDeal listings, not the highest or lowest.
One counterintuitive move: If your car is over 10 years old, or has over 150,000km, or the NCT is due within two months, get it done before you list. Yes, it costs €150–€400. But it removes the biggest reason Irish buyers won't bid on an older car. You'll make that back and more in your final selling price. A car with a fresh NCT valid for 12 months sells 2–3 weeks faster than one where the buyer has to arrange it themselves.
The Real Difference Between Good Ads and Bad Ones
The best DoneDeal car ads treat the buyer like an intelligent person who's paranoid (correctly) about buying a dud. They lead with specifics. They answer the questions Irish buyers always ask: "Is the NCT done?", "Any rust?", "What's wrong with it?", "Why are you selling?". They include photos that prove the car's been cared for. And they're priced fairly, which means they sell in five to seven days instead of sitting for two months while you wonder why nobody's interested.
Your car isn't the problem. Your ad is. Fix the ad, and you'll have three credible offers in two weeks.
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