Selling a used car in Ireland guide

Look at similar cars on adverts, donedeal and carzone. If you price it right it should hopefully shift quickly.

Hi Folks,
Im going to buy a new car soon (Astra OPC) but as they aren't exactly popular here I will wind up buying privately and therefore selling my own car (an 03 Astra) privately as well. My question is that if I buy the OPC and then transfer my insurance to it my old astra will be un-insured, meaning neither I or a potential buyer will be insured on the car in order to test drive it. What is the best way to go about this?
Thanks

biko wrote: »

Transfer your insurance to new car and start driving it.
The buyer should transfer their insurance over to old for test drive or purchase, not you.

Interesting...I wouldn't have thought many people would have gone to that much effort just to test drive a car that they may or may not buy. But I guess that it shows geniune intrest if they do. Thanks mate!

Some insurance policies have driving other cars extension, and the car does not need to be insured for this to be valid

I'd say most driving other cars extension do not require the car to be insured by the owner. Maybe you read your policy wrong, who are you insured with?

DoC extension normally excludes cars in your or your spouses name

clairefontaine wrote: »

Can anyone tell me how to figure out how what amount you should sell your used car for?

What is it? I would have a look around on DoneDeal/Carzone and see what similar cars are being sold for. This will at least give you a base price...

clairefontaine wrote: »

Can anyone tell me how to figure out how what amount you should sell your used car for?

Try this:

http://www.beepbeep.ie/valuation.html

PauloMN wrote: »

Just tried that for mine, way off the mark (value far too high).

Yeah, it's more so an average guide price for dealers, but just knock a few grand off for a private sale and you're probably in the right ball park.

Mileage, general condition and NCT status all factor into the price too, of course.

Deleted User wrote: »

Nice one: My 2000 1.4 Focus is now worth 5 times what I paid! :eek: Seller said it was only gonna go up in value, but I didn't realise by how much.

Only question is do I sell now or hold out longer hoping for an even higher amount


(I realise the site could well be useful, but I do find it a little funny how far off it was).

On a more serious note, I think you do have to have a car insured by somebody before you bring it out on the road for any kind of drive, but in reality, I doubt this is ever really the case. I'd imagine most test drivers are uninsured and I doubt m/any would bother transferring their insurance for a 10 minute spin about.

That said, that whole 'driver other people's cars' thing you can get on your policy; even if you didn't have it, surely an insurance company would cover you for 2-3 days like that if you told them you were replacing your car, at little or no extra cost to you? (obviously the 'open drive' policy would have to expire a day or two after it starts or you could just be taking the p*ss, but surely most insurance companies wouldn't be too bothered by a few days for you to get around to buying something different?).

Or am I being naive?

Firstly to clear up some of the confusion on the DOC extension. For the DOC extension to be valid, the vehicle being driven MUST be insured in its own right by another person, typically the owner and be driven with the owners permission.

The main reason for this is that if you get out of the vehicle at any stage whilst you are on the road, ie park it outside your house or at a petrol station, the vehicle is then uninsured which is an offence. The DOC extension only provides cover to the vehicle whilst you are physically in it. I'm a claims manager for one of the insurers mentioned in this thread and I can tell you from frequent personal experience, the insurers are hot on this one.

I don't know of any insurers that will add DOC to your policy even short term if you haven't already got it. Again, DOC is normally given automatically if you fit their criteria (normally age or licence status) and if you qualify, you have it, if you don't then you just don't and they won't make an exception.

Another point to note is that DOC is 'third party only' even if your own policy is fully comp. it doesn't cover accidental damage to the vehicle you are driving on a fault accident and it won't cover theft or fire, the latter two will be covered by the owner or primary insurer of the vehicle. It will cover injury to any passengers in your vehicle or the vehicle you hit as they are all classed as third parties.

It's all in the small print but if in doubt, give your insurers a buzz.

rocky wrote: »

I'm not sure if you cleared up the confusion or added to it.

Some insurers (I'd say most) do not require the car driven under DOC to be insured by the owner. If it's stolen, tough luck. Of course you need the owner's permission

Then, you probably don't work for AXA, I hear they offer DOC fully Comp after a certain number of years...

AXA is one exception with regards to comp DOC if you are over 22 with three years no claims then they will offer it 'at their discretion' so I take your point on that. Its difficult to keep up with all of the insurers rules, so again a quick phone call is probably best.

Interestingly enough, your post actually raised another thought with me in that its an offence to drive a vehicle which doesnt display a valid insurance disc. surely if you're driving an uninsured vehicle under DOC then you are running a risk of points as you have no way of diplaying a disc. Took the liberty of phoning a contact in traffic division and they have confirmed that you could be prosecuted and you cannot use your own disc on the other vehicle.

Bit of a minefield

Time to get the Octavia back on the road and sell it.

2002 1.4 Ambient 123,000 miles

Sorting nct and insurance and 3 months tax after clearing back tax for when selling it should leave a pita.

Spose cheapest way is to swap insurance from focus and commute in it while its upfor sale and swap back when sold

Integra skyline gti fr twin cam jetta type r levin bales of hay

Miser on Juice/Will run on the shmell of it.

Great boo, can fit 2 calves in the back.

Lost logbook, needs small repair(front end smashed in)

No timewasters/no cash no drive no cash no tea

1 careful Lady owner (Call Fred on 087-xxxxxxxx)

comanche_cor wrote: »

Anyone got any advice on my ad - am not getting much interest. It is just a car with limited appeal, my ad or the price?

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-320i-e46/4910385

Thanks

The big problem I see with your ad is there being no photo of the passenger side of the car.

Fair play you put a lot of effort in but the first thing people will wonder is why you have no photo of that side of the car.

Any feedback welcome re my adv. I'm not getting much interest at all.
http://www.adverts.ie/2840980

phkk wrote: »

Any feedback welcome re my adv. I'm not getting much interest at all.
http://www.adverts.ie/2840980

Well the obvious thing is no talk of NCT or is it taxed. Also the price seems a but high to me, I wouldn't expect to pay anymore than 6.5k for one of those and it would have to be in great shape for me to part with that much for it.

SRFC wrote: »

Sounds legit

Well, I am not sure, but is it possible for a guy to transfer some money to your PayPal account and later on backpedal, leaving you with no car and no money at all? Not that the story checks or looks right, but as long as the owner's certificate gets sent to the motor tax office and change of ownership is completed, theoretically, once the money is in your PayPal account, what could go wrong?

Anyways, now that I am trying myself to get rid of my car I am starting to realize how bizarre buying and selling cars privately here can be. Most people basically not reading the ads at all, people ringing you despite having said not to initially (for example, because you are too busy at work), lads offering even less for a perfectly working vehicle (even NCT'ed and tax'ed) than what you could get at the scrap yard by weight, etc.

I am afraid mine will go the way of the scrap yard next week, as I prefer to get 150€ from someone ripping it to pieces and recycling it, than 300€ from someone which is simply going to book the NCT, add 1000€ to the price tag afterwards, and wait patiently for someone to give him a "nice" profit.