How it works

Deal alerts

A message when a car you want is listed well under what that car actually sells for.

Most "deal" alerts match words in the ad. Ads say "rare" and "one owner" whether or not it is true. Ours compare the asking price with the SoldFor Estimate, which is built from what the same car has actually sold for. You get an alert only when the gap is large, and it shows the numbers behind it.

How it works

  1. Tell us the car and your top price. Any car we track, from a 1990 Miata to a 992 GT3.
  2. We check new listings every 30 minutes. Each one is matched to its market by year and model and valued against the SoldFor Estimate for that car.
  3. You hear about it only when it stands out. The alert shows the ask, the estimate, how many sales the estimate rests on, and what the ad says about the car.

What sends an alert

  • 30% or more under the SoldFor Estimate, when at least three matching sales back the estimate.
  • Strong signs in the ad: one owner, low miles, manual gearbox, all original, service records.
  • Never: salvage or rebuilt titles, projects, true mileage unknown, no title, cars that don't run.

Why 30%

Our sold prices are mostly public auctions, and well-presented cars sell at auction. Of the first 284 private listings we checked, 21 had enough matching sales to value, and their median ask was 24% under the SoldFor Estimate. So 20% under is normal for a private sale. 30% under is unusual, and worth a phone call.

What alerts are not

  • An asking price is not a sale. Listings we watch never enter the sold prices, charts or estimates on this site.
  • A listing that disappears is not a sale. We never guess what it went for.
  • An alert is not an inspection. A car 35% under its estimate can have a reason. Check it.