Selling Car-Private Sale

Legacy_user

Hi, hope I've posted this in the right place. Advice needed!

Hoping to sell my car this weekend. It's a 10 year old car with high mileage. It has also had 2 lots of cosmetic repair work. The price reflects all of the previous. We have been 100% honest with our description. Any issue has been stated in the advert. Pictures reflect any damage. I could scrap the car but she drives well and is very reliable. The car has only broken down twice (for the same reason) in the 7 years I've owned it. Also needed a new battery shortly after I bought it. We never intended to sell it. The plan was to keep it until it died but we no longer need the 2nd car.

I am very worried about selling it privately. What steps do I need to protect myself? I have already stated all the known issues in the advert. I am going to provide the buyer with a receipt and make a duplicate for myself (any templates are welcome). What else do I need to do/say to ensure that the buyer doesn't try to pull a fast one?

Any Advice is welcome

DoaM

Create a checklist of important items/tasks so you can tick them off as they're addressed. This will include things like updating DVLA regarding the sale (so you can reclaim remaining VED) and cancelling the insurance policy once the sale is completed.

Have a notebook with you so you can jot down a summary of what you've discussed with the buyer.

Create a receipt (copy for each party) and include any substantive info from the notes. That way there's no dubiety about what was sold/bought.

Print out a copy of the advert and keep that with your copy of the receipt.

I'm sure there'll be other useful replies ... incorporate such advice into your checklist.

System

The notebook is a good idea. Thanks.

googler

The AA has a "car seller's contract" that you can download as a PDF

https://www.theaa.com/car-buying/buyers-sellers-contracts

EdGasketTheSecond

Make sure that anyone wanting a test drive is insured. Assuming you still have the car insured yourself, they will need cover to drive another vehicle with the owner's permission. Make sure you see their insurance certificate otherwise offer to drive them as a passenger for a demonstration but dont let them drive it themselves.

Exemplar

We sold my FIL's car for him last weekend. Made it very clear that potential buyers MUST have and produce valid insurance for test drives. Also did the same as above and downloaded the doc: https://www.theaa.com/car-buying/buyers-sellers-contracts

It's a great reminder of what to do.

Don't let them take the car without completing the documents fully. If they say they are a 'trader' then they probably are not. It's you that gets into trouble, be careful.

Hope it goes well.

googler

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

Make sure that anyone wanting a test drive is insured. Assuming you still have the car insured yourself, they will need cover to drive another vehicle with the owner's permission. Make sure you see their insurance certificate otherwise offer to drive them as a passenger for a demonstration but dont let them drive it themselves.

... and don't let them into a position where they can drive off leaving you standing at the side of the road.

If you're driving, and want to yield the driving seat to the prospective buyer, stop, turn off the engine, remove the keys, go round to the passenger seat and hand them the keys once you're back in the car. And get the keys back before you leave the passenger seat.

Ganga

When you agree a sale write on the receipt NO WARRANTY IMPLIED OR GIVEN - CAR SOLD AS SEEN and get them to sign it.

System

Thanks for all the advice. This has been really helpful. I would really like them to drive the car as it is lovely to drive, so good advice about the insurance and taking the engine off. I have printed 2 copies of the AA template. I haven't sold a car privately for 12 years. I think my biggest fear is someone claiming that I mis-sold them the car.

loskie

TBH I think you are needlessly worrying.

Nebulous2

Cash is king for second hand cars. Count it in front of the person and make sure it is all there. If someone checks it, agrees a price and leaves for money, get a deposit. Lots of people try to see how far they can screw you down and toodle off never to be seen again.

Pricing is very important. Round figures £700 ono, not £699. Dropping it £100 can make the difference between no response and a flood of buyers. Allow some negotiation, people like to haggle. So bottom price you want is £600, offer it at £750, don't go below £600 with a good chance of getting £650.

If someone arrives quickly offers £500 say thanks but no thanks. I've just advertised it, had a lot of interest, I'm not prepared to reduce it that far. Call back on Friday and if it isn't sold I'll consider it then.

Don't respond to requests for your best price. If you say £600, they'll take that as a ceiling, not a floor. "I'm hoping to get my asking price of £750" or "As much as I can get, what's your best offer?"