Question on selling a car privately

billyhead

Hi,

I have had a couple of calls from people interested in buying my second hand car, and they don't want to meet in a public place to view the car. I am reluctant to give them my home address. Does anyone know if it is common or proper procedure to give your home address to an interested part in order to view the car. When I tell them I would rather meet in a public place they tell me their not interested.

homer90

Their loss........
Would never give those details over the phone......

ARGINITE

Any one not willing to meet you in a public place sounds a little funny to me.

johnmolloy554

If they don't want to meet in a public place, they have an ulterior motive. If someone is buying a car, they should only be interested in buying a car, not where you live etc. A good public place to meet is always somewhere under CCTV coverage like a cinema car park, hotel etc and always during daylight hours.

If they have a problem meeting a in public place, beware.

lester76

billyhead wrote: »

Hi,

I have had a couple of calls from people interested in buying my second hand car, and they don't want to meet in a public place to view the car. I am reluctant to give them my home address. Does anyone know if it is common or proper procedure to give your home address to an interested part in order to view the car. When I tell them I would rather meet in a public place they tell me their not interested.

Well i have always sold a car from my home as meeting in a garage forecourt or side of the road job is just not the way to do things, its like never view a car in the rain, always take it on a test drive ,never part with your cash on the side of the road.make sure the address on the log book is that of the house your dealing at etc etc..

bazz26

Lads it cuts both ways. On numerous occasions it has been advised on here included, for a buyer to meet the seller at their place of residense so that the VLC address matches the seller's address. These buyers are probably thinking the same thing, there are as many scammers pretending to sell cars as there are pretending to buy them.

At some stage there is going to have to be a degree of trust made between a buyer and seller.

tin79

i would have to agree, when i am buying a car privately i would want to meet at an address to ensure that the address on the VLC is the same as where i am viewing. i would also ask for proof of ID like a driving licence to make sure the seller is the same person as is listed on the cert.

what would be your particular reason for not giving your address? When they are filling out the log book they will see it anyway.

i would not consider buying a car off a person whoose idenitity i could not verify in a car park or side of the road. if a seller refused to show proof of ID or address then it would end my interest.

billyhead

Thanks Bazz26. Actually one of the potential buyers said the reason that he wanted to view it at the home address was becasue he taught I was a foreigner trying to flog off a car. Like what has that got to do with it i.e being foreign

tin79

oh i would add though, for a first viewing i dont mind meeting in a public place, but i would never seal the deal on the roadside.

Esel

General advice is to meet the seller at their home. That advice might be UK-oriented though, where they may have a higher pro-rata proportion of Flash Harry/Arthur Daly types. I can't see a problem with showing a car at your home address, tbh - unless it's a high-value car that is sought after by thieves.

OutlawPete

There was a report on Prime Time tonight (16th) on this very issue. They were talking about some scam selling stolen cars.

Basically the advice was ONLY buy a car from the address on Log book and also from the named person on Log book and get driving licence or other ID t prove identity.

There was guy on who lost a fortune as the car he bought was the taken off him and given back to the rightful owner. They finished up saying 'buyer beware' :~)

Nico

ps .. any one see the whole report? I only caught the tail end. I might catch the repeat on an hour or so.

Anan1

billyhead wrote: »

Hi,

I have had a couple of calls from people interested in buying my second hand car, and they don't want to meet in a public place to view the car. I am reluctant to give them my home address. Does anyone know if it is common or proper procedure to give your home address to an interested part in order to view the car. When I tell them I would rather meet in a public place they tell me their not interested.

I'd be the same, it makes you sound very dodgy.

Gumbo

how about telling the buyer that you can meet at the public location, let him give it the once over etc etc, and if he is happy with the car, they you both go back to your house for a cuppa and do the deal!

xabi

kceire wrote: »

how about telling the buyer that you can meet at the public location, let him give it the once over etc etc, and if he is happy with the car, they you both go back to your house for a cuppa and do the deal!

+1

finbarrk

Nico22 wrote: »

There was a report on Prime Time tonight (16th) on this very issue. They were talking about some scam selling stolen cars.

Basically the advice was ONLY buy a car from the address on Log book and also from the named person on Log book and get driving licence or other ID t prove identity.

There was guy on who lost a fortune as the car he bought was the taken off him and given back to the rightful owner. They finished up saying 'buyer beware' :~)

Nico

ps .. any one see the whole report? I only caught the tail end. I might catch the repeat on an hour or so.

That was on Crimeline. They advised anyone not to purchase a car in a public place. Go to the persons residence in case of problems after purchase.
OP, whats the problem with selling the car from home anyway, the person buying it won't give a s***e what your house looks like.

hottstuff

Just explain your reasons for not sealing the deal at your home until you are positive that the buyer has good intentions.
If he/she has a problem with that then.....seeya.

Biro

kceire wrote: »

how about telling the buyer that you can meet at the public location, let him give it the once over etc etc, and if he is happy with the car, they you both go back to your house for a cuppa and do the deal!

I'd prefer to meet them at their home and arrive with the car sitting there unused for a few hours at least, if not then over night. Nothing like a cold start to hear any potential problems.

Anan1

hottstuff wrote: »

Just explain your reasons for not sealing the deal at your home until you are positive that the buyer has good intentions.
If he/she has a problem with that then.....seeya.

In the current climate, the average potential buyer is unlikely to put themselves out to accommodate any seller's paranoia. The market is swamped, any difficulties with a particular car and they'll just move on. The OP has seen this already, i'd recommend dropping the condition. Just my 2c.

finbarrk

Agree. And its a silly condition anyway.

Esel

Biro wrote: »

I'd prefer to meet them at their home and arrive with the car sitting there unused for a few hours at least, if not then over night. Nothing like a cold start to hear any potential problems.

+1 I always insist on this.

White Wolf

Im trying to sell a car myself and I was just wondering if after you sell the car to a person and they take it for a spin etc and they are happy with it but they come back to you a week or two later with a problem is its your responsibilty or theirs???

Bearing in mind they were happy when money exchanged hands and when driving away.

Anan1

White Wolf wrote: »

Im trying to sell a car myself and I was just wondering if after you sell the car to a person and they take it for a spin etc and they are happy with it but they come back to you a week or two later with a problem is its your responsibilty or theirs???

Bearing in mind they were happy when money exchanged hands and when driving away.

Theirs. That said, I always write out a reciept with something to the effect of 'car sold as tried & tested, no warranty given or implied' on it, and have them sign it.

L-M

"Buyer beware" agus sin é. Once it gets out of your driveway, it's their own business.