Carnia for Buyers (Seekers)
Welcome.
I know this probably isn’t what you expected when you clicked a classified ad. But give me one minute — you might decide this is the best way to buy a private party vehicle ever!Carnia — intentionally “backward”
Carnia was built to create the fairest possible conditions for both sides of a private party vehicle transfer between Listers (sellers) and Seekers (buyers).Here’s the backward part:
We start by asking the Lister the one question every buyer wishes they could ask: “What’s the least you’ll take?”
We get that number upfront. We also collect a full list of “what’s wrong with the car.”
Only then do we post the vehicle.
How Seekers set the market:
Once the car is posted, Seekers tell us: “If the Lister is telling the truth, what’s the most you’d pay?”
They do that by bidding up the right of first refusal value.
This is the number you will see on the auction page -- the bid, and it must be added to the Lister’s minimum (the price shown on the ad you saw) to arrive at the total.
Example:
• Lister minimum: $3,100
• Seeker bid: $250
• Total purchase price: $3,350
This creates a clean, honest market without games.
The Big Reveal
The winning Seeker gets first right of refusal — not an obligation.
You get to:
• drive the vehicle
• assess it
• take it to your mechanic
• confirm it matches the description
If it checks out, you buy it.
If it doesn’t, you walk away.Clean, simple, safe
Carnia handles:
• communication
• payment coordination
• tag/title transfer
If we do our job right, the Lister and Seeker never need to meet or even directly communicate. The vehicle does the talking.A private party sale, made fair and private.
Carnia for Sellers (Listers)
Welcome.
As a seller, to know Carnia is to love Carnia.
We often say Carnia was designed for both buyers and sellers — but the truth is, Carnia makes buying better because we engineered it to attract more sellers.
Many vehicle owners would never consider selling on Facebook or Craigslist, and for good reason. The time, effort, and risk often outweigh the reward.
Carnia changes that.
Private Party, redefined
Imagine private party selling the way it should have been:
A process where your participation is minimal — a wash, a vacuum, a few photos, a post… and that’s it.
No sketchy meet ups. No haggling. No confrontation. No phone calls, texts, or emails. No dealing with strangers.
Imagine selling your vehicle without ever meeting the buyer.
That’s better. That’s Carnia.
Bonded. Secure. Hands off.
Carnia is bonded for your protection. We handle the marketing, communication, and sale of your vehicle. You receive updates — not headaches.
Your role is simple:
prepare the vehicle, provide honest information, and be available
You stay in possession of the vehicle until the sale is complete.
You avoid every part of private party selling that people hate.
Oh... did we mention...
Carnia costs you nothing
Why an Auction?
For both Listers and Seekers, the auction format works best.
The auction begins with the Lister naming their minimum sales price — a number they arrive at by doing some homework, reviewing comparables, and perhaps using KBB as a guide.
But that number is only one person’s opinion, and that person isn’t the buyer. Seekers ultimately set the price. If no bids are received, the Lister gets a clear message: the vehicle is likely overpriced.
The auction also guards against the opposite problem. Anyone who has ever used Facebook or Craigslist knows the biggest fear: you post, your inbox explodes, and you think… I priced that too low.
In that scenario, only the first buyer wins — everyone else loses, and the seller never knows what the market would have paid.
Carnia avoids the race and arrives at one Seeker and one Lister by using an auction.
Right of First Refusal Auction
Carnia does not host an absolute auction.
No one bids freely when what they’re buying is still a question mark. Instead, we use a Right of First Refusal format, which allows a Lister to discover the most someone is willing to spend on the vehicle as described — subject to verification.
That makes Seekers comfortable “reaching.”
The winning Seeker earns the right to:
• test drive
• inspect
• verify the description
• and rescind if necessary
This format gives Listers a true market signal and gives Seekers confidence.