Ask for the VIN or plate, the mileage, the condition, photos, whether there is a loan and who holds it, and when the customer wants to sell. Never ask for a Social Security number, driver's license number, or account number. GoHighLevel forms can start the appraisal as an opportunity, text the customer within minutes, and track the offer through its end date. The bottom line: a good form gives the used car manager enough to make a real offer without a phone call.
Why used vehicle supply is worth a form
NADA's mid year 2025 report, as covered by Digital Dealer, found franchised dealers sold 6.74 million used vehicles in the first half of 2025 at an average selling price of $28,602, up from $28,300 in 2024. Every one of those cars came from somewhere, and a customer who is thinking about trading in is also a customer thinking about the next vehicle. A request form turns that thinking into a record with a timestamp.
The fields, and why each is there
| Field | Why it matters | How to ask |
|---|---|---|
| VIN or license plate | Identifies the exact vehicle, trim, and options | One text box with an example |
| Mileage | A major driver of value | A number field |
| Trim and options | Often cannot be decoded from a photo | Pick list, with Not sure as a choice |
| Condition | Accidents, warning lights, tire wear, smoke or pet odor | Short multiple choice, so every answer is comparable |
| Photos | Front, rear, both sides, interior, odometer, any damage | File upload fields, with a line on what to photograph |
| Loan or lease, and the lender | Affects payoff and the paperwork | Yes or no, then a lender name only |
| Keys and title | Missing items change the offer | Number of keys, and title in hand yes or no |
| Timeline | Separates a seller from a browser | This week, this month, or just curious |
| Consent for calls and texts | You need it to reach the customer | Unchecked checkbox with your registration wording |
Do not ask for a Social Security number, a driver's license number, an account number, or income. None of it is needed to value a car, and collecting it in a general form raises the data security questions covered in our guide on texting a credit application link. HighLevel's form and calendar builders include a file upload field according to a third party guide, so confirm the setting in your account.
Build it in HighLevel
- Build the form with the fields above, using conditional logic to show the lender question only when the customer says there is a loan.
- On submit, create an opportunity in a Trade appraisal stage, add the tag Trade request, and assign it to the used car manager.
- Send a text and email within a minute: the dealership name, what happens next, and how long an appraisal takes during open hours.
- Create a task for the used car manager due in one hour, with the photos and answers attached to the record.
- If photos are missing, send one reminder with an upload link and stop.
- Send the written offer as a document with an end date, using Documents and Contracts, and add the end date to an opportunity date field.
- Use a Custom Date Reminder 3 days before the offer ends to remind the customer once, and stop the sequence when the offer is accepted or the date passes.
Worked example
If a dealership gets 60 trade in requests a month and 70 percent arrive with photos, that is 42 appraisals the manager can start without a phone call (60 times 0.7). If 25 percent of the written offers are accepted, that is about 10 cars (42 times 0.25). The percentages are assumptions to replace with your own.
Claims that must be true
A page or text that says we will buy your car must be true for the customer who responds. State that the offer is valid until a date and is subject to inspection if that is your policy, and do not call an offer guaranteed unless it is. The FTC's auto retail rule was vacated in 2025, but the agency has kept enforcing existing law against deceptive dealer advertising.
A first text that sets expectations
Sample: Thanks for sending your Camry details, Dana. This is Chris at [Dealership]. I have your photos and mileage. I will send an offer within 1 business hour, and it will be good for 7 days, subject to an inspection. If you want to talk sooner, call me at [number]. Reply STOP to stop messages. The text says what happens next and when, which is what a customer who just filled out a form wants to know.
When the loan is bigger than the offer
Some customers owe more than their vehicle is worth. The form's lender question gives the manager a warning before the conversation. Do not promise in the text how the difference will be handled: that is a financing decision made with the customer's actual numbers and your lender's rules. Create a task for the F&I manager when the customer says there is a loan, so the right person is ready.
How this was handled before
The customer drove in, an appraiser walked around the vehicle, and the offer was made at the desk. The form moves the first step to the customer's phone, and the in person inspection confirms what the photos showed.
What to measure
Track requests, requests with photos, time to the first offer, offers accepted, and cars bought. Use the time to the first offer as your service level: the faster the number, the more offers are still open when the customer compares.
Questions people ask
What should a trade in form ask?
The VIN or plate, mileage, trim, condition, photos, whether there is a loan and the lender, keys and title, the timeline, and consent for calls and texts.
Should a trade in form ask for a Social Security number?
No. It is not needed to value a vehicle, and collecting it creates data security obligations for dealers that finance or lease.
How long should a trade in offer be valid?
That is your policy. State the end date in the offer, and tie it to an inspection if your appraisals depend on one.
To build the form and the offer workflow, start a GoHighLevel account here. Forms, documents, and pipelines appear together in our capabilities demo.