Almost every car-buying site advertises no fees. For most of the junk-car specialists that holds up — but on the mainstream services, a few costs can still appear at the edges. This is what each site's own pages say.
Genuinely fee-free (per their own sites)
- Wheelzy — 'Wheelzy never charges any fees', free towing
- CarBrain — 'no stress, no fees and no fuss', free towing
- Cash Auto Salvage — no fees, free pickup, no renegotiation at pickup
- CashForCars.com (Copart) — 'No Hidden Fees', free towing
- Cash for Junk Cars Online — 'no hidden fees or towing charges'
- DamagedCars.com — no fees stated, free nationwide towing
- Dealr — '$0 in fees, ever'
Where fees can still appear
- Carvana — drop-off is 'always free', but pickup can carry 'an additional service charge, for customers in specific locations'
- CarMax — home pickup: 'distance restrictions and fee may apply'
- webuyanycar.com — 'additional fees (e.g. titling) may also apply'
- PrivateAuto — the exception that's upfront about it: $29 per listing plus a $150 closing fee (or $75 each if split with the buyer)
None of this makes a service bad — a pickup charge for a remote address is reasonable — but it's worth knowing which 'free' is unconditional. Full details on every service: Best Ways to Sell Your Car Online.