Most Common DoneDeal Car Selling Mistakes
The Core Problem: Why Your Car Isn't Getting Inquiries
Your car is listed on DoneDeal. You've set what you think is a fair price. Days pass. A few messages arrive, but they're all low-ball offers or time-wasters asking if you'll drop the price by €2,000. Then silence.
The problem isn't your car. It's how you've listed it.
DoneDeal is Ireland's dominant car selling platform because it has scale—over 20,000 active car listings on any given day. That same scale is why your listing drowns. Serious buyers on DoneDeal see dozens of identical cars every week. They filter ruthlessly. They check Cartell.ie. They know roughly what your model should cost. And they skip listings that trigger any of the red flags we're about to cover.
Most private sellers make between three and five critical mistakes that tank their inquiries before a buyer even calls. Fix those mistakes, and you'll get the right calls from serious buyers ready to move.
Detailed Advice: The Mistakes That Cost You Sales
Mistake 1: Pricing Without Data
This is the single biggest mistake. You decide your price based on what you paid for the car, what you'd like to get, or a quick glance at two similar listings. Then you wonder why you get only insults.
Here's what actually happens: a buyer searches DoneDeal for your model, filters by year and mileage, and sorts by price—lowest first. If your car is €500 overpriced compared to three identical cars in the same search results, it gets scrolled past. Every single time. DoneDeal's algorithm doesn't favor your listing if it's overpriced. It favors the cheapest option that matches the buyer's search.
A 2018 Toyota Yaris with 65,000 miles in Dublin might genuinely be worth €8,500. But if you're listing it at €9,200 and there are two identical Yaris models at €8,400 and €8,600 on DoneDeal right now, you will not get serious inquiries. You'll get tire-kickers asking if you'll take €7,500.
The fix: check five to ten active DoneDeal listings for your exact model, year, mileage range, and condition right now. Note their prices. If yours is higher than 80% of them, you're overpriced. Adjust.
Mistake 2: Photos That Look Like You Took Them in a Car Park at Dusk
A buyer cannot physically see your car before they call. All they have is your photos. If your photos are dark, blurry, taken from five feet away, or shot on an overcast day with the car parked at an angle, they'll assume the worst.
Irish buyers are already skeptical. They've been burned before. A fuzzy photo of the interior makes them think you're hiding something. A photo of the engine bay taken at night makes them assume rust or leaks. A single photo of the exterior makes them believe you don't care enough to show the whole car.
The fix: take 15–20 photos in daylight, from multiple angles. Show the front, sides, back, interior (dashboard, seats, steering wheel, boot). Take one wide shot and one close-up of the wheels. If there's damage—a scratch, a dent, a worn seat—photograph it clearly and mention it in the description. Buyers respect transparency. They punish deception.
Mistake 3: Vague or Incomplete Descriptions
Your listing says: "2016 Volkswagen Golf. Good condition. Full service history. No issues." That's it.
A serious buyer now has ten questions: What engine size? Petrol or diesel? Automatic or manual? How many previous owners? Any accident history? Recent NCT? What's the motor tax band? Any known faults? Why are you selling?
They'll message you. But if they have to message you to find out basic information, there's friction. And friction kills sales. A buyer who gets frustrated by your vague listing will skip to the next one.
The fix: include every detail. Engine size, fuel type, transmission, body type, number of owners, mileage, NCT status and expiry date, last service date, any known wear items (worn tyres, worn pads), any previous damage and repairs, any modifications, reason for sale. Be specific: "95,000 miles" not "low mileage". "NCT valid until March 2025" not "recent NCT". "Two owners from new" not "good history".
Mistake 4: Ignoring the NCT Question
In Ireland, the NCT is non-negotiable. A car without a current NCT is legally unroadworthy. A buyer who sees "NCT status: Unknown" will assume the worst and move on. A buyer who sees "NCT expired June 2024" will be furious.
Your NCT status should be in the title or the first line of your description. If your car doesn't have a current NCT, the price will drop. Not by €100. By €800–€2,000. Buyers will factor in the cost of repairs if it fails, and the hassle of taking it back to a test centre.
The fix: check your NCT status on the Department of Transport website right now. If it's expired or expiring soon, either book an NCT before you sell or reduce your asking price by €1,000–€1,500. If it's valid, state the exact expiry date in your description.
Mistake 5: Listing on DoneDeal and Nowhere Else
DoneDeal is dominant, but it's not the only platform. A serious buyer looking for your model might check DoneDeal, AutoTrader, and Facebook Marketplace. If your car is only on DoneDeal, you're missing buyers who shop on other platforms.
The fix: list on DoneDeal, AutoTrader, and Facebook Marketplace simultaneously. Use the same photos and description. DoneDeal will get the volume, but AutoTrader attracts a more affluent buyer, and Facebook reaches people who prefer messaging over phone calls.
What Most Sellers Get Wrong
They overprice because they're emotionally attached. You spent €9,000 on this car three years ago. You drove it well. You serviced it. You think it should be worth €8,500. The market disagrees. The market says €7,800. Accept it or wait months for one buyer who will pay your price. That buyer might not come.
They assume any inquiry is a serious inquiry. DoneDeal attracts a lot of tire-kickers. Someone messages: "Is this still available? Will you take €6,000?" They're not serious. They're testing. If you engage with every low-ball offer, you waste time. Ignore the insulting offers. Return calls within an hour only to genuine inquiries at realistic prices.
They hide accident history or mechanical problems. This is the fastest way to destroy your reputation and get blacklisted. An Irish buyer will find out. They'll check Cartell.ie. They'll get a pre-purchase inspection. When they discover you lied, they'll leave you a review on DoneDeal that will tank any future sale of this car or any other car you sell.
They list a price, then reduce it by €500 every few weeks. This signals desperation. It trains buyers to wait for a further reduction. Price once. Price correctly. Then hold it for at least three weeks before adjusting.
Quick Wins You Can Do Today
- Check your NCT status. Go to the Department of Transport website. Verify the expiry date. Add it to your listing in the first paragraph.
- Take five new photos right now. One of the full front, one of the full back, one of the interior, one of the dashboard, one of the boot. Shoot in daylight. Upload them immediately.
- Rewrite your description in plain language. Include: engine size, fuel type, transmission, mileage, owners, service history, NCT expiry, any damage or repairs, reason for sale. No vague marketing speak.
- Check five active DoneDeal listings for your model. Write down their prices. If you're in the top 20% (most expensive), reduce your asking price by 5–10%.
- Add your listing to AutoTrader and Facebook Marketplace. Copy the same details. You'll reach a different buyer pool.
Summary: Fix These Five, and You'll Sell Faster
You don't need a fancy marketing strategy. You don't need a professional photographer. You need accurate pricing based on real DoneDeal data, clear photos taken in daylight, honest and detailed descriptions, transparency about NCT and history, and presence on multiple platforms. Do those five things, and you'll get serious inquiries from buyers ready to move. You'll sell faster. You'll get closer to the price you want. And you'll avoid the months of frustration that come from a poorly optimized listing.
If you're not sure what your car is actually worth right now—based on real DoneDeal selling data, not guesswork—CarIQ lets you see exactly what your model is selling for in your area this week. Get your instant valuation report and see exactly what your car is worth based on real DoneDeal data right now. It takes two minutes, costs €19.99, and could save you thousands in overpriced listings or months of wasted time.