When you sell and buy at the same time, treat the trade-in offer and the price of the next car as two separate numbers. Staff of the Federal Trade Commission explained in September 2026 price-transparency FAQs for the auto industry that an advertised vehicle price must be the actual price any consumer can walk in and pay, including dealer-required fees such as a document fee, and excluding only government-required charges. Comparing competing dealer offers on your current car is still useful—just don't let a soft trade number hide a higher all-in buy price.
The FTC's FAQs state that if a dealer requires a consumer to pay a fee to purchase the car, that fee must be included in the advertised price. Dealers may leave out only government-required charges—amounts a federal, state, or local agency requires the consumer to pay directly. Everything else belongs in the advertised number, including dealer-required fees that a state authorizes but does not mandate, and fees the government requires the dealer to pay that the dealer passes on to buyers.
Document fees are the example the FAQs spell out. If a dealer advertising a $40,000 vehicle would also charge any consumer an $85 document fee, the advertised price must be $40,085, with no additional dealer-required charges on top. If some buyers get a discounted doc fee and others pay a higher mandatory fee, the advertised price must reflect the higher fee any consumer could be required to pay.
PriceForMyTrade helps sellers get competing offers from local dealerships on the vehicle they already own. Offers are confirmed after a physical appraisal, and you do not have to buy another vehicle to sell outright. Many sellers still shop a next car at the same time. That is where all-in advertised pricing helps:
The FAQs allow MSRP, discounts, and rebates in an ad if the actual price remains the most prominent amount and shoppers know what they would need to pay. Prominence is not only font size—a smaller MSRP placed where it draws more attention can still mislead. Conditional discounts (for example first-responder or finance-only savings) must keep the price any consumer could pay most prominent, with clear terms.
Ads can appear on dealership and third-party websites, social media, print, roadside signs, and even phone or text quotes from staff. The FTC says each of those touchpoints is subject to the same transparency expectation.
Competing offers are handled manually. Participating dealers contact you directly. First responses are often the same day, but timing is not guaranteed. Offers are confirmed after physical appraisal. Selling is free to you; dealerships pay for enquiries. You can sell outright without buying another vehicle. More on selling a car in East Texas.
The FTC's September 2026 FAQs push advertised car prices toward the true walk-in number, including mandatory dealer fees. Use that when you shop the next car—and still collect competing offers on the car you are selling so one soft trade quote does not steer the whole deal.
Ready to compare dealers? Get competing offers. Submitting takes about 30 seconds. There is no instant online valuation, and offers are confirmed after a physical appraisal.