Selling my car privately - advice on the process please

elljay

Afternoon all. I am selling my car to a private buyer who lives at the other end of the country. Although he hasn't viewed it he is pretty certain he'll want it from photos and other info.

What's the best way of taking payment, and given that he will want to drive it away rather than wait a few days as you normally would after viewing, how would we sort tax and insurance? What should I check with him before he takes it? I don't want to get a fine for driving without tax and insurance or even an accident while he is driving it 300 miles home the same day. Can I keep it insured/taxed until say midday when he then takes over? Or add him to my insurance just for the day? He's coming to collect it on the train. ID/social media/phone conversations etc check him out fine, he sounds a nice person.

Would be very grateful indeed for advice on how to manage this.

Thanks

EJ

Bigphil1474

Don't add him to your insurance - he should sort out his own tax and insurance on buying the car. Can easily be done over phone. Your road tax isn't cancelled until DVLA find out there's been a change in ownership, so he'd probably be home by the time you cancel it, but that's up to him to sort out. If he buys it before end of month, you'll get a refund if you've taxed it beyond then.
Don't forget to keep hold of your part of the V5 - give him the new keeper bit. Re payment - cash would be my preference unless it's a high value vehicle and impractical for him to carry that amount. Otherwise take him to your bank and get him to pay with a debit card? Don't be pressured if you feel it's a bit dodgy, scammers can pretend to be nice people. Once it's sold to him, everything that happens after that is down to him. Make sure you tell your insurers straight away. Be cautious and hope he is genuine.

shinytop

I've bought vehicles like this several times. Get a receipt with date and time. Buyer can pay either cash (and remember a large wad of cash might be inconvenient for you too) or via online banking - you can watch and check the money has arrived in your account. Most people are genuine; a scam will look odd or too good to be true.

Ant555

Ref the v5.

Assuming private sale.
If it were me, I would take a picture of each page of the V5 on my phone now so I have all the details if required.

Once the sale has been agreed - you are supposed to ask them to fill out various parts of the V5 including the new keepers name and their address and also both of you sign the form.
Dont forget that YOU keep most of it and YOU send it off to DVLA and the buyer only takes away a small portion of the last page. Dont be fooled by anyone that says they will do it for you - if nothing ever gets sent to DVLA then the car will still be in your name and that could lead to all sorts of grief.
Make sure that the address is filled out on the main page (one of the bits you retain and send off) and also the slip they buyer gets (the bit he sends off).
It is best if you keep the whole V5 intact whilst you fill all of this out 0 then tear off the small bit for the buyer at the end.

Take a picture on your phone of the V5 filled out and with the new name, address and dates visible.

Once DVLA have received your bit then they will process any full months refund of tax automatically and send a cheque to the registered keeper. Taxing when driving home is the new buyers responsibility but as already suggested its unlikely to get pinged by the automated cameras as your tax and your insurance will be keeping it off the radar for a short while.

Insurance is tricky though until the moment of sale - if the car is in an accident on a test drive for example then thats your problem to sort if he has no insurance.

All might be above board and but no problem in being safe.

Hope this helps.

peter_the_piper

It might be insurance to get a service done on the car before he takes it to prevent an instant claim when he gets home that this and that needs doing. Photo's of all bodywork would not go amiss eother.

foxy-stoat

I always print off a couple of the online adverts, use the back of them for the receipt for the money so there is no mistake about what he is buying and how you describe it.

As long as the car is as described and you haven't mis-lead them then you should be fine. Less written information is sometimes better and you opinions shouldnt be in the advert.

Bank transfer is the best way, while he is in front of you and you can see the money appear in your account.

Rover_Driver

Ant555 wrote: »

and also the slip they buyer gets (the bit he sends off).

The buyer doesn't send anything off at the time of purchasing the vehicle, they keep the New Keeper Supplement part of the V5C. Only sending it with a form V62 to the DVLA after 4 weeks if they have not received their own V5C.

alan_d

Forget all the V5 stuff.
Do it online, you'll receive an email almost instantly confirming it.
Then all tax / insurance / potential fines etc are his problem.
https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle

Marvel1

I bought a car 150 miles away, at the person's house, i taxed it online as you should any way as the new keeper, we did the keeper change online, i phoned my insurance company about change of vehicle, then drove off home with the new keeper slip.

I did a bank transfer, showed the person it was done on my end on my phone, checked several times before confirming, ttmhey checked theirs all done.