The autoa2z guide to Safe Selling

It’s not only car buyers that need to keep their wits about them when entering into a purchase. Inexperienced sellers also need to be aware of some of the pitfalls that could be encountered when they try to sell a vehicle. As in all areas of life, there are sharks out there but here on autoa2z.co.uk we’ll try to help you stay clear of these people, time wasters and the other difficulties.

You may find that a buyer will be keen to have the car that you wish to sell inspected by a professional technician. If your car has been properly prepared and you have been open and honest about any faults that you know of, you should not have a problem with allowing a full inspection. As your potential buyer is paying for this service it clearly demonstrates an interest in the vehicle. However, a deposit would be preferable.

Do not on any account allow the potential buyer test drive your vehicle alone. Makes sure that they are covered to drive the car or you could end up being liable for any damage resulting from an accident occurring while they’re driving. Let them decide their own route as they may feel that you have an ulterior motive for choosing the roads for the test drive. They may drive the car hard but if they continue to mistreat your vehicle you are within your rights to tell them to slow down. Make sure you remove the ignition key when swapping seats too. Don’t meet a buyer somewhere out of the way in the dark place, especially if you don’t know the area well and are bringing the car to the buyer’s territory.

Haggling is often used as part of the car buying process. Set a price beforehand but be firm but not dismissive of any reasonable offers as you will not want the potential purchaser walking away. Remember too, that if their offer is only £50 or so less than the figure you are asking for you could end up paying rather more than that to re-advertise your vehicle.

For much of the time, you’re likely to be paid outside of office hours. Watch out for potential buyers who produce a pre-prepared bank draught showing the full asking price for your vehicle after the banks have closed, especially on a Friday evening, Saturday afternoon or on Sundays. Don’t ask the bank concerned whether the cheque has been cleared. Rather, ask whether the cheque has been ‘given value.’

Always ask the buyer for his or her identification including their address and a landline number. If they seem unwilling to provide you with this information you must ask yourself what have they to hide.

If they wish to pay you by cash, why not try to have them hand the cash to you inside your bank, where the cashier can check the notes for forgeries? If the purchaser hands you the cash when your bank is closed do pay the money in as soon as you possibly can.

The safest payment option to consider is electronic transfer which enables you to transfer money online. However, the payment process can take a few days to complete so don’t release your vehicle until the payment has gone through and you have confirmation from your bank that the funds have successfully been transferred into your account.

A bank of building society cheque is not as secure as cash as they can be cancelled or issued without the buyer having the necessary funds in his or her account. You can ask the bank whether you are able to draw funds against the buyer’s cheque. Some forged cheques are difficult to spot so hang on to your car until the money is safely inside your own bank account.

Why not ask the buyer whether you can accompany them to their bank? They can then draw the cheque in front of you. If they’re paying cash, you can be sure that the notes are genuine by having them counted out in front of you and the buyer by the cashier.

The main thing to remember is that most buyers are completely genuine but do be prepared to encounter the occasional dodgy character. Make sure that you provide a receipt plainly stating that your vehicle is being sold. Keep a copy, give one to the customer and make sure that you both sign it.