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'Should I Sell My Car Myself or Trade It In?' 1-900-Bluebook Has the Answer

12 October 1999

'Should I Sell My Car Myself or Trade It In?' 1-900-Bluebook Has the Answer

    FRISCO, Colo., Oct. 12 -- From any touchtone telephone,
consumers can now find out, instantly, the market value, retail (private party
sale) and trade-in, for any car, truck, or van manufactured since 1980
(service provides an easy comparison of private party sale versus trade-in
values).
    The service, developed by Kelly Blue Book and U.S. Trans Comm, Inc., is
available around the clock at 1-900-BlueBook.  The cost: $1.95 per minute,
with the average call lasting 4 minutes.  Callers need to know the year,
model, mileage and condition of the vehicle.  The interactive service allows
callers to customize the value for their particular vehicle with adjustments
being made for mileage, condition, options, and region of the country.
    According to Bob Eads, general manager of Kelly Blue Book, "Knowing the
difference between what you can expect on a trade in versus what you can
expect if you sell it yourself, allows people to make an informed decision."
    "Consumers should be cautious of free pricing information available on the
Internet as the values often represent what a dealer might ask for the vehicle
instead of it's actual market value.  An investment of less than $10.00 in
accurate pricing information may save hundreds or even thousands on an
automobile transaction," states Bernie Zurbriggen, president of U.S. Trans
Comm, the company responsible for automating and operating the database.
    Easy access is provided to the service from any touch tone telephone by
dialing 1-900-Blue Book, 1-900-258-3266, $1.95 per min, average call
4 minutes.  Alternate access from business or public telephones is offered on
1-800-CALL-110 with Visa, Mastercard, or American Express billing.