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5.2

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: April 10th, 2022

TRED is a used car marketplace for customers to buy and sell cars. It was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Tred often offers lower prices than other peer-to-peer seeling sites. Tred also helps with authentication and paperwork like title transfer, registration, taxes and fees. It also helps to facilitate any payments between buyer and seller and, in some cases, handles delivery.

Dealers can’t sell through TRED. They can buy wholesale cars in the partner instant offer program, but you will not see dealer-listed vehicles on TRED. Tred acts as the middleman by taking the broker's place and not charging the typical brokerage fee. 

There are three simple steps to buying cars through TRED:

  1. Shop: search for cars online and ask sellers specific questions about the cars
  2. Buy online: once you decide on a car, you can pay for it directly through TRED
  3. Get the keys: you can pick up the keys directly from the seller or you can have them mailed to you directly

Keep reading our TRED reviews for pros and cons of working with this service. 

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The Good

  • Added Assurances
  • Savings
  • Sell Your Car
  • Protects Users from Fraud
  • Facilitates Payment and Paperwork
  • Monthly Vehicle Value Report

Added Assurances

What really sets TRED apart is its offer to let you independently sell your car and control the selling price, while giving you assurances that are normally only available through a dealership program.

TRED Assurances:

  • Facilitating loan repayment, if you still owe on your car when it sells
  • CARFAX vehicle history report
  • Vehicle inspection
  • Buyer financing
  • Extended warranties and service contracts
  • GAP insurance

Did we mention that this marketplace does an inspection? This combines the professional assurances of Carvana with the personal independence of Craigslist.

Savings

The TRED business model uses a thinner transaction margin because it facilitates car sales without having to pay for local real estate or salespeople.

The whole point is that when you sell through TRED, you get the highest price possible. At the same time, your buyer will be getting the lowest price possible. TRED even keeps a real-time tally updated with the last 60 days of information. On average, sellers make over 40 percent more than the Kelley Blue Book Trade-In value, and buyers pay an average of 28 percent less than the typical dealer list price.

So, whether you use the product to buy or sell a car, you will save money.

Sell Your Car

When you sell through TRED, what do you have to do?

  • List your car
  • Get an inspection
  • Coordinate test drives
  • Accept an offer

When you sell a car through TRED, your email address is privacy protected, but your listing still goes to over twenty car sites. After it’s live, TRED will help you get your car inspected. Once inspected, you get an instant offer price from a TRED wholesale partner. If you accept, your listing will be closed and they will come to pick up your car. If not accepted, the listing goes on as usual.

The service makes it easy to schedule and conduct any test drive requests at a FedEx location. Sellers will get a TRED packet in the mail to help with test drives and paperwork.

When you sell through TRED, what does the company do for you?

  • Helps with pricing information
  • Advertises on over 20 websites
  • Verifies potential buyer information
  • Handles fees and paperwork for your state
  • Helps with buyer financing
  • Coordinates the whole process
  • White glove service — they will do DMV title transfers so you don’t have to, saving you time.

Protects Users Against Fraud

TRED helps to ensure trust by doing an identity check of both the buyer and seller, as well as a  vehicle history check, and vehicle condition check.

To be TRED-Verified:

  • Download the app on a mobile device
  • Take a photo of your driver’s license (front and back)
  • Take a selfie

Once uploaded, this information is encrypted for privacy.

Facilitates Payment and Paperwork

TRED facilitates payments. This isn’t the case with several other marketplaces. This is super helpful because it adds another level of trust to the peer-to-peer sales process that isn’t always available.

You can buy your new car with an ACH or with a credit or debit card, or via financing through TRED or a third-party. When a seller accepts an offer, payment is collected by TRED. Funds are wired to the seller’s account.

Each payment is guaranteed, and TRED insures the transaction amount.

Then, TRED even does the paperwork for both the buyer and seller.

Monthly Vehicle Value Report

Consumers can sign up for a monthly report to track your car’s value and see how it changes, plus see what similar models are being actively sold for. It will include the dealer trade-in value, private party sales data, and the TRED suggested list price.

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The Bad

  • Selling States

Selling States

Currently, the TRED marketplace platform only facilitates sellers from the following areas:

  • Portland, Oregon
  • San Francisco Bay Area
  • Seattle-Tacoma, Washington
  • Southern California
  • San Antonio, TX
  • Austin, TX
  • Dallas, TX

Despite this, users can buy a car through TRED from anywhere in the United States and have it shipped to their home or office.

Hopefully, this platform will be more widely available for sellers soon within the next few years.

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The Bottom Line

TRED combines the peace of mind of buying a car from a dealership with the ease, convenience, and price of buying from a human. You are guaranteed to get a CARFAX report, a physical vehicle inspection, and assurance that each customer has passed the identity verification.

The downside is that users aren’t yet able to sell a car through the platform if they don’t live in the following service areas: Southern California, San Francisco, Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; San Antionia, TX; Autin, TX; or Dallas, TX.

We definitely recommend trying out this car shopping and selling app. Let us know how your experience went with our TRED reviews below.

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Star Rating

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4.2

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46 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

78%

4 grade

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3 grade

0%

2 grade

2%

1 grade

20%

Sentiment Criteria

Value

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Quality

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Service

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Jason Chicago, IL

Revolutionary concept allowing for secured private party transactions! Offers saving for seller and buyer by being a tech platform rather than a dealership (no facility costs, no salesmen, much less overhead and asset risk). I believe they offer fraud checks, free carfax, pre-purchase inspection and some add-on services like titles to make life easier for everyone. Wanted to get an estimate and potentially list a car, but it is not available in my state yet. But their customer support was great and I really hope they can expand. In brief, it is the Airbnb of car transactions and takes away the opaqueness and shadiness of dealerships.

7 years ago

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Terry Politis Los Angeles, CA

Ok, I was totally blown away with how simple TRED made such a stressful ordeal of selling my car. I literally sold it to the first interested buyer after the test drive. That was luck on my part, but it was everything leading up to that point and most importantly how TRED took care of everything after that by tending all the financials within 8 hours. I am a believer and have already share my experience with friends and family.

6 years ago

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lebA Essog Buckley, WA

Absolutely amazing! Easy process. Downloaded the TRED app and made the whole process a breeze from listing to selling my vehicle. Whenever I had a question whether on phone or messaging TRED service rep was always helpful and courteous! The whole process could not have been any easier or transparent. This made the notion of visiting a used car dealership seems obsolete and backwards, not to mention NO sleazy pushy salesperson tacking on hidden fees and services. With their screening, no craigslist scammers either! Would recommend TRED 1000%!

6 years ago

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Laura Kerns Fontana, CA

Whenever I had a question or needed additional information, either on the web chat or on the phone, TRED associates would be prompt, knowledgeable and courteous in their response. The entire process of selling my vehicle was incredible, easy, professional... even in the midst of the pandemic. I really appreciated the detail to safety, protection of confidential information, and seamless transactions. I did practically nothing, and my car sold for top dollar! Couldn't be happier.

6 years ago

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Mark G. Huntington Beach, CA

TRED was fantastic and efficient. Customer service is phenomenal; they are highly responsive and responded off-business hours with any questions that came up. They made everything so easy, from a safer sale to letting everyone avoid the DMV. I wouldn't sell a car any other way going forward. The fee was very reasonable as well, and definitely worth it.

6 years ago

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K Bauer Bellevue, WA

I have always dreaded selling my own car. We discussed trading it in and got such a low offer that we thought we would at least try to sell it on our own. TRED made this process so pain free that I am still surprised. In under a week we sold our car for more than double what the trade in offer was. They offer a great service and a very clean website and well functioning app.

6 years ago

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Jeff Nelson Austin, TX

had an amazing experience. Just a few clicks and I was all set up. My truck was listed on like 8 or 10 websites basically immediately. Within 5 days of it being live, I had 5 people message me about it and gave 2 test drives. The second guy bought the car on the spot. I sold it for 4,000 over what the dealership offered as a trade in. Loved how it made meeting up with people a lot safer and just more "normal" than some rando off of Craigslist of facebook. I would recommend this company to anyone trying to sell a car.

6 years ago

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James M. Dallas, TX

Every car should be bought this way! I don't normally do this sort of thing, but I was so impressed with how effortless the transaction was that I have to share my experience buying a car through TRED. Just not having to wait at a dealership and sit in a DMV all day is reason enough to use TRED. I would like to thank their entire team for all their hard work and excellent service. I will definitely be using them again!

6 years ago

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SHarkcom Orange, CA

I had an excellent experience with TRED purchasing a used Tesla Model S. TRED customer support was very helpful, quick response, and made the entire process of purchasing a car with them very easy. They also followed up after the sale to ensure I was happy with their service. I like how they act as an escrow sort of company for your money so it is safer to ensure your transaction with the private seller is secure and legitimate. I highly recommend TRED and will use them again.

6 years ago

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Erdem Menges Austin, TX

Flawless first experience selling through Tred. I sold my 2013 Ford Escape for the asking price and more than double the car dealership trade in value. Tred was super responsive for my questions and helped close the deal in under a week with my buyer. They're awesome and will disrupt the used car market for sure! Keep it up!

6 years ago

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Gina Rizzuto Dallas, TX

I signed up with TRED to sell my car on Monday, and it sold on Tuesday--yes, the very next day! I will definitely use this service again. I doubt that I will ever again trade in a vehicle to a dealership. There is no easier way to sell a car. Gina R.

6 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Laura Duran Redwood City, CA

TRED was amazing. It was easy to post my car, they helped me price it appropriately. It sold in under a week! They take care of all the paperwork and the money being handled electronically gave me a lot of peace of mind. I honestly can’t give TRED enough credit. Thank you!

6 years ago

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Jason Pederson Daly City, CA

“You have now sold two of my cars at a premium price that really only a dealer would most likely get. You have a great service, and handling all of the lien and dmv is a lifesaver. Now that I’m laid off from covid19, you have been my savior. Thanks so much!”

6 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Andrew Hermatz San Francisco, CA

I thought the service was excellent value. You removed a lot of headache and made it really smooth for me. I also liked the price setting piece. I felt like it was hard to find another service that would be willing to say my price was "fair" - and you let me post it at the price I wanted.

6 years ago

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Jared Sun City Center, FL

Awesome experience, the TRED team literally is there for help with any question anytime and always has the right answer for you. It is a straightforward process and very easy to sell your vehicle with exposure to a larger audience than you would normally have access to.

6 years ago

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Alex Wander Keller, TX

I attempted to sell my car on my own and didn’t have much luck. I listed with TRED and the car sold for asking in 3 weeks. They took care of all the paperwork and made the process simple. I recommend them to anyone selling a car by owner.

6 years ago

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Autumn Wilder Vancouver, WA

Tred was super easy to use. Very quick and efficient. The car was a great price. Mailing my paperwork was easy with the prepaid envelope and the meet up spot. I have my car and now im just waiting for title and everything. Thank you so much for making this so smooth and seamless

6 years ago Edited September 14, 2021

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Craig Keuer Naperville, IL

I would highly recommend TRED to anyone. The entire process was painless. John went out of his way to make sure all questions I had were answered in a very timely manner. You get the benefits (price) of buying from a private party AND the benefits (loan rates, security, etc) of buying from a dealership.

6 years ago

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John Jacobsen Indio, CA

“My experience with TRED has been very positive. The dashboard kept me informed of what stage my transaction was in, and clearly explained next steps. The best part is that TRED handles all the paperwork with the DMV. I look forward to receiving my title and license plates in the next 30-45 days.”

6 years ago

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Jeremy Sakaguchi Los Angeles, CA

Everything was easy and smooth to start. Customer service was very responsive and quick to answer any questions. Would highly recommend using this service if you’re trying to sell a car. Thanks TRED!

6 years ago

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Syed Ismail Plano, TX

Smoothest transaction ever. Made the car buying and paperwork so easy. Never bought a car with that ease of mind. They did all the paperwork. I just have to go and pick up the car.

6 years ago

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George Flora San Francisco, CA

It's great to have a service to handle the transaction from my finance company, the buyer and the DMV. Everything went so quick, both me and the buyer were shocked! Thank you!

6 years ago

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Scott S San Mateo, CA

Great experience the whole way through. Staff was very responsive on the chat feature. Only snag was that the car sold quicker than the TRED packet could arrive in the mail but they are working with me on that

6 years ago

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Elise ,

TRED made buying a car easy and stress free!! Chris had outstanding customer service and made me feel like I could really trust them!! I encourage everyone to use this service!!! Thank you so much!!!

6 years ago

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Laurie Thomas Hillsboro, OR

This was such a fantastic experience! Took me only 1 test drive and felt great about the recommended price. TRED walked us thru every step of the process. I can’t imagine buying or selling a car any other way!!

6 years ago

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Michael Masouras Daly City, CA

I felt more confident listing my car with TRED than other services I used in the past (e.g. Craigslist). TRED helped me with pricing my car, and the comms between seller/buyer was also excellent.

6 years ago

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Ethan Houston, TX

I was shocked at how easy the process was. Financing was a piece of cake. I never thought I’d buy a car through an app, but now I’m convinced. This is the Airbnb of car sales. I see a big future for this company!

6 years ago

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Jordan Caulfield Overland Park, KS

Really happy with how this worked out. Price for the service is fair... I believe the buyer is happy too. Would recommend to a friend. I wish ya'll the best of luck.

6 years ago

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Kaushal Patel San Diego, CA

The whole team at TRED was phenomenal! They made what can be an overwhelming process, seamless. I would definitely recommend using TRED to sell your car. Kaushal

6 years ago

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Mario Escobar Miami, FL

Great app and platform hopefully this is the future of car selling! It is almost to easy to sell your car with this site/app. Give it a shot and you won’t be disappointed

6 years ago

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Madi Pethick Sanger, TX

This site made things so easy for me. My car literally was sold within 24 hours of me listing it. It's cheap to set up and completely worth it!

6 years ago

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Tim Headrick Napa, CA

Seemed very professional; thoroughly vetted my vehicle and myself! I appreciated this because there are so many scams out there right now.

6 years ago

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Angus Poway, CA

Very easy to use and simple steps to get your vehicle up for sale quickly. Great communication as well and great price for listing.

6 years ago

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Bruno Skerianz Rockwall, TX

This was my first time using TRED. Very professional and easy to work with. I definitely will use them again!

6 years ago

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alyssa velasquez Chino, CA

As a buyer, the experience was really easy. If I need to sell a car, I will definitely check out Tred.

6 years ago

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Max G Macias Oakland, CA

The tred vehicle purchase was new to us but my son and I had an easy go if it.

6 years ago