Safety tips for "laydee" (!) selling privately!

sudzs

I'm about to sell my old car privately and wondering if ye can give me any tips on how to do this without putting myself at risk of dodgy characters robbing me, robbing the car or worse.

I like to think that the majority of people are sound but a bit worried about test drives etc... do I let someone go on their own? (probably not!)
Should I make sure they're insured to take it out on a test drive?? Is that a bit OTT?

Any advice welcome!

Stephen

Never let someone test drive it on their own. You should confirm that they have appropriate insurance too - normally a fully comp policy will allow them to drive any other car (with third party cover) as long is it is insured by its owner and they have permission.

Be wary about accepting bank drafts, cheques and so forth, there's a lot of scam artists out there.

sudzs

Thanks! I've heard about the bank draft scams allright.

And as for the test drive, well if they're thinking of doing a runner with the car what's to stop them driving out the road, shoving me out into the ditch and taking off across the border?!! (I'm in Louth)

I suppose I'll have to go on instinct and bring my Swiss Army Knife!!!

fletch

When Vehicle Centre/Vehicle Match Services/VCU ring you, 00 44 208 887 XXXX, just hang up straight away. When somebody wants to ship your car to a foreign country, again it's a scam.
Last night I sold my car. I was a bit nervous because my parents were away on holidays at the time and when 4 burly Romanians arrived, I was understandably even more nervous. However I had a CCTV camera watching the front drive, my digital camera focussed on the car and my webcam recording inside....(I'm a bit of a security freak lol ) Turned out to be a lovely bunch of lads and bought the car then and there
Not saying you should do all that but do be careful.

nialler

I had an eastern european chap buy my old car for cash, he drove it away and I ran up to the local cop station and made sure it was all legal and registered, never sold a car before.

fletch

Have a read of these maybe
Vehicle match services - PUSHY SALES PEOPLE
What is the scam likely to be ?

HelterSkelter

What's the story with the bank draft scam? I've heard of people buying cars with fake drafts but can't you accept a bank draft and hold onto the vehicle registration cert until the draft clears?

fletch

HelterSkelter wrote:

What's the story with the bank draft scam? I've heard of people buying cars with fake drafts but can't you accept a bank draft and hold onto the vehicle registration cert until the draft clears?

You can but meanwhile they have your car and by the time the draft bounces, it's probably in some far off country already broken up for parts

Wishbone Ash

Make sure that Part B of the VLC is completed and sent to Shannon when sold.

fletch

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Make sure that Part B of the VLC is completed and sent to Shannon when sold.

And remember it is in your interest to do that as soon as you sell the car, otherwise any speeding fines/tickets will be sent to your address.

3ps

I've never understood the VLC being retained by the seller.

If you agree to sell your car... the guy gives you the cash and you give him the car. All is OK.

But if the seller retains the VLC in order to "not get points" then what's to stop them saying they lost it and get a new on issued with no "new buyers" signature on the back and then keeping the cash and being the rightful owner of the car?

Is it not easier to take the money and give them the car and the form (with your signature and date) and if you get points or fines to just contest them????

Wishbone Ash

3ps wrote:

I've never understood the VLC being retained by the seller.

If you agree to sell your car... the guy gives you the cash and you give him the car. All is OK.

But if the seller retains the VLC in order to "not get points" then what's to stop them saying they lost it and get a new on issued with no "new buyers" signature on the back and then keeping the cash and being the rightful owner of the car?

Is it not easier to take the money and give them the car and the form (with your signature and date) and if you get points or fines to just contest them????

If the new owner is caught speeding, parking illegally etc. the fines/points will be sent to the registered owner, i.e. the name on the VLC. It is in the sellers interest to register the new owner as it saves a lot of hassle. Motor Tax/NCT renewals will also be sent to the registered owner. It's a statutory requirement anyway to register the new owner AFAIK.

fletch

3ps wrote:

I've never understood the VLC being retained by the seller.

If you agree to sell your car... the guy gives you the cash and you give him the car. All is OK.

But if the seller retains the VLC in order to "not get points" then what's to stop them saying they lost it and get a new on issued with no "new buyers" signature on the back and then keeping the cash and being the rightful owner of the car?

Is it not easier to take the money and give them the car and the form (with your signature and date) and if you get points or fines to just contest them????

A compromise would be to both go to the postbox together and post it.....

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote:

It's a statutory requirement anyway to register the new owner AFAIK.

Finance Act 1993


( b ) Records established under this section may contain information derived from registers established under section 6 of the Act of 1920 and shall contain such other information in relation to the licences aforesaid, the holders of the licences, the duties of excise payable thereon and the vehicles licensed under the Act of 1952 as the Minister may determine.
( c ) Records referred to in paragraph (a) shall be established and maintained in such form as the Minister may determine including a form that is not legible if it is capable of being converted into a legible form.
(2) A licensing authority shall furnish to the Minister or another licensing authority such information, in such form and at such times as he directs for the purpose of the establishment and maintenance by him or it of records under this section.

(3) An officer of a Minister of the Government, a licensing authority or the competent authority for licensing vehicles and drivers of vehicles in another Member State of the European Communities, an officer of the Revenue Commissioners, a member of the Garda Síochána or such (if any) other persons as may be prescribed shall have access to and may inspect and examine records established under this section and may—

( a ) take, or be supplied by the Minister or the licensing authority concerned, as may be appropriate, with, such information from the records as the officer, member or other person aforesaid may reasonably require, and
( b ) take, or be supplied by the Minister or the licensing authority concerned, as may be appropriate, with, such copies of records maintained by the Minister or the authority, as the case may be, or of such extracts from such records as the officer, member or other person aforesaid may reasonably require.

seamus

The VLC doesn't necessarily confer legal ownership of the vehicle upon you anyway. That is, if you sell a car to someone but don't get the VLC changed, that doesn't entitle you to arrive at the buyer's house, open the car with a spare key and drive away. That's still theft.

It's tough to know what to do these days OP. Some places suggest that you meet up at a neutral public place, like a car park, so that they can't come back later and take your car. However, since most people come to see you vehicle in the evenings, a woman meeting up with random strangers in a dark empty car park isn't a fantastic idea.

Your best bet is, when talking to a prospective buyer on the phone, to tell them that if they want a test drive, they need to have the asking price, in cash, with them, or they don't get a test drive.

If you don't want to run with this, then having a male friend or family member on hand is useful - if they're not available just refuse to give test drives.

A well-known scam is for them to give you their car keys as collateral. Then they drive off and you're left holding the keys of a piece of crap stolen car (or of a car that doesn't exist).

sudzs

Thanks for all the advice and tips!

I really like the one about keeping hold of the cash while they go off on the test drive! But what if they decide not to trust me! Stalemate!!

My VLC (part C) is just a small battered piece of paper in a previous owners name. Should I have filled that in 18 months ago and sent it off?? :eek: Oh Gawd!

But I do have a Registration Cert. in my name! Wrong addres though as I moved since. Suppose I should sort that out too.

Seth Brundle

Stephen wrote:

Never let someone test drive it on their own. You should confirm that they have appropriate insurance too - normally a fully comp policy will allow them to drive any other car (with third party cover) as long is it is insured by its owner and they have permission.

Unless they had a policy that covered them comprehensively to drive (rare) other cars then they don't drive! They could crash your car and disappear - if another car was involved you could end up paying for its damage.
I would also ask to see their licence! If they do manage to get behind the wheel for a test drive, I want to be sure that I don't incurr any points on their behalf (wasn't there a thread about this a year ago?)

fletch wrote:

When Vehicle Centre/Vehicle Match Services/VCU ring you, 00 44 208 887 XXXX, just hang up straight away.

The simple rule is that anyone ringing you about wanting to sell your car for you is more than likely a scammer!

Eoin

seamus wrote:

It's tough to know what to do these days OP. Some places suggest that you meet up at a neutral public place, like a car park, so that they can't come back later and take your car. However, since most people come to see you vehicle in the evenings, a woman meeting up with random strangers in a dark empty car park isn't a fantastic idea.

And some buyers would like to see that the car is parked where it is registered to; some people would be suspicious of a seller refusing to meet at their house.

seamus wrote:

Your best bet is, when talking to a prospective buyer on the phone, to tell them that if they want a test drive, they need to have the asking price, in cash, with them, or they don't get a test drive.

If I was told that by someone who was selling a car that I had never seen before, I'm pretty sure I'd give it a miss - especially if they refused to meet at the address to where the car is registered. First of all, I'd want a mechanic to give the car a once over, and I'm hardly going to do that for every car I see - I'd only do that after agreeing a price. Secondly, most people will probably want to check out a few different cars, so they're not going to want to bring cash around to each viewing.

If you don't want to run with this, then having a male friend or family member on hand is useful - if they're not available just refuse to give test drives.

Would agree with that.

Wishbone Ash

eoin_s wrote:

And some buyers would like to see that the car is parked where it is registered to; some people would be suspicious of a seller refusing to meet at their house.

Yes, I am always wary of a seller who is overly keen on meeting at a neutral venue. Meeting them at their home also allows you to see if they are a genuine private seller as traders tend to have a few cars around and labels on the keys.

Victor

Make sure the car is actually road worthy. You wouldn't want an accident to happen and you get blamed because the brakes are dodgy.

seamus

eoin_s wrote:

If I was told that by someone who was selling a car that I had never seen before, I'm pretty sure I'd give it a miss - especially if they refused to meet at the address to where the car is registered. First of all, I'd want a mechanic to give the car a once over, and I'm hardly going to do that for every car I see - I'd only do that after agreeing a price. Secondly, most people will probably want to check out a few different cars, so they're not going to want to bring cash around to each viewing.

It is a pretty extreme measure to take. But the same as possession of the VLC not conferring ownership, just because you hand over cash to someone and take their car, doesn't mean that a legal transaction has taken place, i.e. it doesn't mean that they can keep your money and tell you to piss off with the car.