KBB Review
KBB or Kelley Blue Book is an online automotive resource that offers up-to-date vehicle information for all makes and models of cars. There are 2 ways you can use the KBB platform to sell your car. For one, you can leverage the KBB Instant Cash Offer, bring your car to the KBB Participating Dealer, and exchange your car for cash within a day. On the other hand, you can use the KBB price estimation tool to understand the fair price for your used car considering its condition and current market conditions. You can then sell your car privately with confidence and get the most out of your used car.
Pros
- Provides an Instant Cash Offer and purchases your car within a day
- Helps to determine your car’s value if you want to sell it privately
- It’s free to use the KBB valuation tool
- No obligations – you can use the KBB valuation tool and sell your car privately
Cons
- You need to bring your car to the KBB Participating Dealer yourself
- The Instant Cash Offer can be lower than you’d get through the private sale
Jump to: Full Review
Best for Older & Damaged Cars
Buys used, damaged or junk cars
Free tow and no hidden fees
Pays by ACH trasfer or check
Top Pick for Junk Cars
Free, no-obligation cash offers
Offers free paperwork service
Pays on the spot upon pick up
Highly Rated by Customers
Excellent customer service ratings
Honors guaranteed offer for 7 days
Can pick up a car within 48 hours
Great for Low-Mileage Cars
Gives a real offer in 2 minutes
100% hassle-free online process
Free car’s Value Tracker available
How Does KBB Work?
KBB is an online automotive resource that offers up-to-date vehicle information for all makes and models of cars. The word “Blue Book” refers to the value of a used or new vehicle. Kelley Blue Book standards have been known as the de facto norm in America since 1918.
KBB allows you to;
- Register and analyze all the pricing data
- Determine your car’s market price
- Determine the price of used vehicles
- Get an instant offer and sell your car within a day
Various auction houses, car dealers, manufacturers, and others inform KBB about used-car prices regularly. Then, KBB’s website analyzes all the pricing data with past reports to determine your car’s market price.
In addition, the website also studies the current economic condition, industrial growth, your car’s manufacturing date, etc. Therefore, the procedure helps to determine the prices of the used vehicles.
4 Types of KBB Valuations
There are 4 types of valuations KBB provides for different case scenarios. Let’s quickly review each case in detail:
- Private-Party Price Value: It helps you determine the amount of money you should pay for a used car from a private seller.
- Trade-In Price Value: It helps you determine the amount you’re likely to get from a dealer while trading your car.
- Suggested Retail Price Value: The amount of money that a retailer usually asks for a specific used vehicle.
- Certified Pre-Owned Price Value: It helps to determine the worth of a CPO-certified used car.
How Much Can You Get for Your Car With KBB?
How much you can get for your car with KBB depends on the model, mileage, and make of the car. For instance, KBB buys The 2022 Acura ILX at $27,300.
Who is KBB Best for?
KBB is designed for users who want to know the current market price of the available vehicles. The website is also meant for those who want to sell their cars by getting an instant offer.
What Types of Vehicles Does KBB Purchase?
KBB purchases new and used vehicles, including Acura, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, and Bentley.
How Fast Can You Sell Your Car With KBB?
KBB offers an Instant Cash Offer, which allows you to sell your car within one day. Since the offer is valid for seven days, you have seven days to decide whether to accept or reject the offer.
KBB Fees: How Much Does it Cost to Use KBB?
Selling a car through the KBB Instant Cash Offer is entirely free. You won’t be charged any fees.
KBB Payment Options
Once your car is inspected, KBB will pay you cash or trade-in value towards your vehicle.
KBB Reviews: is KBB Legit?
Kelly Blue Book (KBB) has received a 1.6-star rating in Trustpilot and 4.5 on bestcompany and 3.7 on Sitejabber. According to most users, KBB is a great option to sell their cars. They also commented that KBB’s possible appraisal value is legit and extremely helpful.
Unfortunately, some users complained that the instant cash offer that the company provides is a complete scam. In fact, many people claimed that this scam hides the ridiculous offers that dealers apparently present.
Also, customers complained that they often found themselves misguided regarding the pricing value of their car in the market.
| Website | Rating |
|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 1.6 |
| Bestcompany | 4.5 |
| Sitejabber | 3.7 |
What Are the KBB Pros & Cons?
KBB Pros
- Provides an Instant Cash Offer and purchases your car within a day
- Helps to determine your car’s value if you want to sell it privately
- It’s free to use the KBB valuation tool
- No obligations – you can use the KBB valuation tool and sell your car privately
KBB Cons
- You need to bring your car to the KBB Participating Dealer yourself
- The Instant Cash Offer can be lower than you’d get through the private sale
How Good is KBB Support?
KBB offers an Instant Cash Offer, which allows you to sell your car within one day. Since the offer is valid for seven days, you have seven days to decide whether to accept or reject the offer.
KBB Review Verdict: is KBB Worth It?
KBB has operated for many decades and still continues to perform in the current market. For many years, KBB has been a go-to source for potential buyers, individual sellers, and dealers of used cars.
There are 2 ways you can use the KBB platform to sell your car. For one, you can leverage the KBB Instant Cash Offer, bring your car to the KBB Participating Dealer, and exchange your car for cash within a day.
On the other hand, you can use the KBB price estimation tool to understand the fair price for your used car, considering its condition and current market conditions.
Considering all the key points mentioned above, I’d say using KBB is worth it to sell your car.
How to Appraise Your Car With KBB?
For selling or trade-in, you need to know the value of your car in the current market conditions. KBB’s official website can certainly help you to calculate a rough estimate of your car’s value.
So, let’s check out how you can appraise your car with KBB step-by-step:
- Go to kbb.com and select car values, then choose my car value from the dropdown options.
- Enter all necessary details, including the year of purchase, car brand, model number, mileage, and zip code.
- Select the style of your vehicle based on the car’s model that you have previously entered.
- Choose the equipment of your car, if it’s all standard or you have modified some parts like engine and transmission. Also, select the color of your vehicle.
- You also need to enter the condition of the car. You will get to choose from four options: fair, good, very good, and excellent.
- According to the data you have entered, KBB will calculate the possible market value of your car.
KBB Instant Cash Offer: Sell or Trade-in Your Car
The KBB Instant Cash Offer is an excellent way to sell or trade your car in no time. The offer is based on trusted Blue Book Values, and the selling process is hassle-free.
Let’s review the steps you need to take to get cash for your used car:
Step 1: Submit an Online Application
The very first step to selling your car to KBB is to submit an online form providing details of your car. Simply start by entering your VIN or license plate number on the KBB website and follow the questionnaire by providing details about your car.
The car details you’ll need to provide to KBB include:
- Make and model of your car
- Year of manufacturing
- Mileage
- Its current condition
- Specifications
Be honest about your car details and provide as much information as you can to get the most reliable Instant Cash Offer.
Step 2: Get an Instant Cash Offer
Within just a few minutes after submitting your online application, the KBB agent will contact you with an instant cash offer.
This offer is good for 7 days – you can either accept it or decline. No obligations.
Step 3: Redeem the Offer at a KBB Participating Dealer
If you decide to accept the KBB Instant Offer, you’ll need to bring in your car and the offer to one of KBB’s participating dealers. Make sure to check the KBB participating dealer locator to see where the nearest dealership in your area.
The KBB agent will review your car to see if everything checks to the information you’ve provided through the online form.
If they find any inaccuracies, your price offer can change.
Step 4: Get Cash for Your Car or Trade-in for a New Car
Once the KBB agent confirms the condition of your car, you can immediately get cash or a trade-in value towards your new car and go home.
Documents You’ll Need to Sell Your Car to KBB
To finalize the sale, you’ll need to bring the following documents to a KBB Participating Dealer:
- Your Instant Cash Offer certificate
- Your vehicle title. In case you don’t have a title because your car is financed, you should bring your lienholder information.
- The vehicle registration
- A valid driver’s license or any other government photo ID
- All keys, keyless remotes, and manuals
- Service and repair records
KBB FAQs
What is KBB?
Founded in 1918, Kelly Blue Book, i.e., KBB, gathered its name from the name of the founder Les Kelley. Initially, the company was known as Kelley Kar Company. By 1926, the company got its famous name Kelley Blue Book.
KBB collected information from various sources, including banks, dealers, and businesses and published Kelley Blue Book in 1926. The book instantly became an industry standard for determining the used price of a vehicle. During the 1960s, the company left the car dealership and focused on releasing books to determine a used car price.
Currently, KBB specializes in providing the current market price of the vehicles available in the market. It includes both used ones as well as the brand new models. KBB provides trade-in prices and official prices of brand new cars to dealers.
What is the Kelley Blue Book price advisor?
The Kelley Blue Book Price Advisor is a range-based pricing tool to help car buyers and sellers talk about prices realistically.
Is the KBB fair purchase price accurate?
For the most part, KBB is one of the most accurate sources when it comes to prices for buying and selling used vehicles.
Is KBB legit?
KBB is one of the most trusted guides for automobile pricing, used by those who are buying or selling cars.
Do dealers use KBB?
Dealers and other users use KBB to determine the value of trade-ins and compare the numbers to set their prices.
What is KBB fair market range?
The Fair Market Range is the range of prices that Kelley Blue Book estimates most people will pay for a specific car based on the make, model and style.