Selling our Beloved Car

shiraz99

Grumpy_chap said:

shiraz99 said:

So, can I ask again, how much are you hoping to get for the car? 

Under £2k    

Bigwheels1111 said:

They might ask you not to stop the tax until tomorrow.
That way it’s one less hassle for them, it’s up to you.

I don't see any way that is an issue for me - in the past it would take that long sending the form in the post.
Is there a potential concern there?  In terms of scams?

Herzlos said:

For what a 1997 Fiesta is likely to cost I'd be expecting cash. 

I am thinking to accept cash - it is what we always used to do.
Presumably I just need to be holding the notes up to the light to check water mark etc.
The risk for me is someone could present a wad of Scottish notes and I don't even know what they are meant to look like.

If it is cash and you have a bank open I'd being depositing it straight away before handing over the keys.

Mutton_Geoff

shiraz99 said:

Grumpy_chap said:

shiraz99 said:

So, can I ask again, how much are you hoping to get for the car? 

Under £2k    

Bigwheels1111 said:

They might ask you not to stop the tax until tomorrow.
That way it’s one less hassle for them, it’s up to you.

I don't see any way that is an issue for me - in the past it would take that long sending the form in the post.
Is there a potential concern there?  In terms of scams?

Herzlos said:

For what a 1997 Fiesta is likely to cost I'd be expecting cash. 

I am thinking to accept cash - it is what we always used to do.
Presumably I just need to be holding the notes up to the light to check water mark etc.
The risk for me is someone could present a wad of Scottish notes and I don't even know what they are meant to look like.

If it is cash and you have a bank open I'd being depositing it straight away before handing over the keys.

I don't believe banks check authenticity of notes when making a deposit so this could come back to bite you later if fake notes used.

Bank transfer even for £2k. Since they are travelling so far, they are fairly committed buyers so their negotiating skills weakened, ie don't feel under any pressure to accept offers. I always thank people for their time, tell them I have another couple of viewings booked but if it doesn't sell by next weekend, I'll get back to them. Works every time.

Ask them to transfer £10 into your account to test the system, the balance paid when they take the car or failing that, you refund them the tenner in cash. You need to be reasonably sure who they are before handing over your bank details so ask them to WhatsApp a picture of their driving licence plus council tax or other proof of address. Honest buyers won't mind this one bit.

NBLondon

Grumpy_chap said:

The risk for me is someone could present a wad of Scottish notes and I don't even know what they are meant to look like.

You can look them up here:
https://www.acbi.org.uk/banknotes/bank-of-scotland.html
https://www.acbi.org.uk/banknotes/royal-bank-of-scotland.html
https://www.acbi.org.uk/banknotes/clydesdale-bank.html

They should all be polymer notes by now.

Or you could just look quizzically at them and invite your buyer to find a cashpoint and come back with Bank of England notes...

MEM62

Grumpy_chap said:

They might ask you not to stop the tax until tomorrow.  That way it’s one less hassle for them, it’s up to you.

I don't see any way that is an issue for me - in the past it would take that long sending the form in the post.
Is there a potential concern there?  In terms of scams?

Updating the keeper automatically cancels the tax, so keeping it taxed would keep the car in your name.  That's OK if you want to responsible for the new owner's speeding tickets and potentially driving without insurance.  

Ectophile

Updating the keeper automatically cancels the tax, so keeping it taxed would keep the car in your name.  That's OK if you want to responsible for the new owner's speeding tickets and potentially driving without insurance.

Changing the registered keeper, taxing a vehicle and insuring a vehicle can all be done on-line these days.  No need for paper forms.  So the buyer could do all that before they drove home.

baser999

Flying down from Scotland still seems a bit extreme for a 25 year old Fiesta, worth less than £2000, regardless of its condition. On the other hand, the buyers going to a lot of trouble if it’s a scam

Grumpy_chap

Well, this prospective buyer never called back so I assume they aren't flying down from Scotland.

There have been some really great thoughts about the way to accept payment and precautions, so the thread is valuable to me either way.

photome

Grumpy_chap said:

Well, this prospective buyer never called back so I assume they aren't flying down from Scotland.

There have been some really great thoughts about the way to accept payment and precautions, so the thread is valuable to me either way.

Not sure why people do what they do but I didn’t really expect them to turn up, do you have a link to the ad.

Grumpy_chap

Yipee and sadness - today we sold our treasured Fiesta for a fair price and accepted cash - the buyer (from deepest Surrey) turned up and it transpired was a colleague of a manager who I know at a supplier from work.  Far more sensible to travel from Surrey than Scotland for an older car and we really hope the daughter has a long time with the car - it should do her a fair turn.

Mrs G_C went to bed with a tear in her eye.  This has been her car for over 25 years and so well loved with every receipt neatly filed in order.  

For my part, having passed the Focus onto my Nephew at the end of last year and my wife's old Fiesta now sold, my musings for a new car will be more pressing (Mrs G_C won't allow me to make a habit of using her new Fiesta).

Username03725

I am thinking to accept cash - it is what we always used to do.
Presumably I just need to be holding the notes up to the light to check water mark etc.
The risk for me is someone could present a wad of Scottish notes and I don't even know what they are meant to look like.

A chum sold his car a few years ago, 4 grand, cash payment. He was suspicious from the off and rightly so - the first few 50s that he checked were straight but most of the rest were fakes.