GREENSBORO, N.C. — Have you seen the ads? Car dealers offer "instant cash offers" for your car and "cash on the spot" for used cars . It sounds like a no-hassle way to get money for your car-- instead of trying to sell it yourself.

"I looked up Kelley Blue Book, and it showed it to $37,000 trade in value. And I thought ok that's good! I called the dealer to say run my VIN," said Michael.

But the dealer's offer was $7,000 less than the Kelley Blue Book trade-in value. What gives?

A report by MarketWatch.com says instant cash offers are often less than the Kelley Blue Book trade-in value because the dealer is not making any money selling you a new car, so they have little incentive. MarketWatch suggests checking

multiple buyers, including:

-local dealers

-Carmax

-Carvana

-Vroom

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