Trade-In Solutions Buys Cars from Owners

Trade-In Solutions is a West Los Angeles-based used-car buying service that prides itself on giving sellers fair prices and a quick transaction, without a hassle.
Senior appraiser Abe Bijari told the Palisadian-Post that the company was founded in 2005 out of frustration.
“A chief technology officer (who wrote software applications for the auto industry, including dealer versions for the Kelley Blue Book) traded in his 2001 BMW 528 and got less than the value he thought it was worth,” Bijari said. “The next day he went back to the car dealer to try and get his car back, but they told him it was already sold.”
Bijari said the CTO told him, “We should create a company that puts these dealers to shame,” and in 2006, Trade-In Solutions was founded. As word of mouth spread, and with the help of sites such as Yelp and Google, the business has expanded from West L.A. to Irvine and San Diego.
“We’re also branching into Ventura, Burbank, Valencia and San Bernardino,” said Bijari, who is a member of the West L.A. Chamber of Commerce. “Soon we’ll be in Seattle, too.”
A Palisades Highlands resident, Bijari credits the company’s rapid expansion to a number of reasons.
“Many people feel that when they take their car to a dealership, they’re not getting the best trade-in value,” he said. Others are worried about selling a used car over the Internet or through other advertising methods, because they feel like it brings strangers, who may be dangerous, into their home.
A third reason that Bijari gives for sellers using Trade-in Solutions is the time involved. Usually in selling a car, people shop around and then haggle back and forth, often taking weeks before finalizing a sale.
With Trade-in, the sale—including the transfer of ownership—can be completed in an hour, and the seller walks out with a check.
Typical was the woman who had an appointment to see Bijari, before this reporter arrived.
After meeting him at the Trade-in office on Olympic and Colby, she and an appraiser took her Range Rover on a test drive, noting the condition and mileage. Then she was offered a price for her car that Bijari said was based on Trade-In Solutions’ formula, which is extracted from the Kelley Blue Book, NADA guides (National Automobile Dealers Association) and the Edmunds car-buying guide.
“We don’t haggle,” Bijari said. “We offer a fair price, higher than most people expect.”
In the case of the Range Rover, the registration fee had not been paid. “That’s no problem,” Bijari said. “We ask the person to pay us the fee and we’ll take care of the DMV.”
Trade-in Solutions will work with people who have leased vehicles and works directly with the DMV concerning the transfer of ownership.
“We want our customers to have a positive experience,” Bijari said. “In the long run that helps our business, too. When we treat people fairly and with respect, just as we would like to be treated, they come back, and they tell others about us.”

Although the company deals with cars that are generally newer than 1997, it will make exceptions. “We always want to help our local neighbors,” Bijari said, noting that he also buys classic and exotic cars, such as Bentleys, Ferraris, Porsches and Lamborghinis.
Bijari was asked what happens to the cars after they are purchased by Trade-in Solutions. “They often end up in a new-car franchise,” he said. “If they don’t pass the safety inspection, they go to auction.”
“A large number of our customers are referrals, which means a lot to us,” Bijari said. “We’re very proud to be a part of a business that people like to talk about.”
The West L.A. Office is located at 11500 W. Olympic Blvd. Appraisals are by appointment only. Contact: Jessica Winn or Bijari at (310) 312-4559, or e-mail Jessica@tradeinsolutions.com. Visit: tradeinsolutions.com.