Things to make sure of before selling your car.

Jumpy

Hi All,

Just thought it would be worth making a thread to put everyones wisdom into one place.

If people can respond with things that should be done while selling ones car.

To what you should request from the possible buyer, ie. Insurance cert before test driving etc.

Cash or Cheque?

Problems you have come across when dealing with a possible buyer.

Questions you will likely be asked by said buyer.

Fey!

1) Make sure they're insured for the test drive.
2) Make sure they have a current full drivers license.
3) Don't give them the keys until you're sitting in the car, and have the keys in your hand before getting out again.
4) If they're dogging it while out on the test drive, tell them to stop and drive back yourself.
5) Make sure your oil/water/tyre pressures are all the way they should be.
6) If paid by cheque, make sure it clears before sending of the registration forms - this can take about 3 weeks. Ringing their bank to check that there are funds in the account is not enough - they could empty the account that day and you'd be left with no car and no money.
7) Make sure they sign the registration forms with a correct address - tell them to bring along a bank statement/ESB bill/etc in their name.
8) Make sure you have nothing left in the car when it's taken away.
9) Make sure to remove your insurance disk before the car is picked up.

Hope this helps.

Countryripple

I have a wee question on selling your car.

Ill be looking to sell my own in a bit. Im pretty honest so will probably tell the person any niggly things that are wrong with it. But someone told me that if you sell a car privately and something happens to it within 6 months after you sell it, the buyer can come back after you or get the Gardai onto you or something! Is this true? I bought my own car privately and presumed i had to fork out myself for any bits i found that needed fixing?

peadair 11

I know the legal aspect of when one is purchasing a private vehicle is very shaddy. Alot will use the saying "Sold as seen". There is somewhat of a come back with regards a 2nd hand car bought privately but these cases a few and far between. If you can prove that the person selling the vehicle was aware that it will only last a couple of weeks then maybe. I got alot of help from The Citizens info line (Very useful)

Fey!

Get them to push it off your driveway; technically not sold as running! (I think that that still works).

Considering that a garage only has to give a 3 month warranty, I can't see how a private seller would be liable for 6 months. Maybe toss this over to the "Legal Discussion" forum?

It BeeMee

Slightly unrelated but worth mentioning :

Before the buyer takes the car:
Make sure to take out your insurance disk
check your cd player & changer

Lex Luthor

This thing regarding insurance....

I have never been asked for my insurance when I have gone to test drive a car, whether privately owned or in a garage.

How do you enforce this?

My car is up for sale at the moment and since I have already bought my replacement car, the insurance is not on the car for sale. I was thinking I would probably have to transfer my insurance over to the car for sale for the purpose of the test drive, but ...... you are saying the prospective buyer needs to have their insurance. Its new to me...

Fey!

Lex Luthor wrote:

This thing regarding insurance....

I have never been asked for my insurance when I have gone to test drive a car, whether privately owned or in a garage.

How do you enforce this?

My car is up for sale at the moment and since I have already bought my replacement car, the insurance is not on the car for sale. I was thinking I would probably have to transfer my insurance over to the car for sale for the purpose of the test drive, but ...... you are saying the prospective buyer needs to have their insurance. Its new to me...

If the prospective buyer is under 25 or on a provisional, your private insurance will not cover them - even if you have open drive. It may well be the case that their own insurance won't cover them for driving of other cars - not everyone has this in their policy. If they have an accident on the test drive and are not insured, then you may be liable as you allowed them to drive your car uninsured. If, as in your case, you have no insurance on the car at the moment, then a transfer might not give them the cover they need - check with your insurance company.

zilog_jones

Probably more an important issue to the buyer than the seller, but if the stereo has some sort of security code make sure you have it. I didn't get one with mine and after unplugging the battery to do some work on it I had to go to a Ford stealer and they charged me €15 to look it up on some web page!

Countryripple

:rolleyes: Same here!!!