Selling a used car in Ireland guide

L-M

I read today that out of 79 cars that were bought with dodgey bank drafts all but one were recovered, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. Although, you still don't want your car "stolen".

If these criminals knew the figures, hopefully they might stop.

colm_mcm

Limerick man wrote: »

I read today that out of 79 cars that were bought with dodgey bank drafts all but one were recovered, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. Although, you still don't want your car "stolen".

If these criminals knew the figures, hopefully they might stop.

Er, don't they still sell them to some poor sod and run off with the money?

L-M

colm_mcm wrote: »

Er, don't they still sell them to some poor sod and run off with the money?

Whoops! Forgot about that side of it

colm_mcm

That's ok, this is the guide to selling!

sebanwo

HI guys Can I sell car which I bought 2 months ago? is there any period before resell car? Sorry but i was looking everywhere and cant find it and heard that can do only after 3 months

Greenmachine

Really useful guide.

colm_mcm

sebanwo wrote: »

HI guys Can I sell car which I bought 2 months ago? is there any period before resell car? Sorry but i was looking everywhere and cant find it and heard that can do only after 3 months

You can sell it no problem, you own it!

NIMAN

sebanwo wrote: »

HI guys Can I sell car which I bought 2 months ago? is there any period before resell car? Sorry but i was looking everywhere and cant find it and heard that can do only after 3 months

Potential buyers might start asking questions as to why you are selling a car after only 2 months.

There might be a genuine reason, but to a buyer it might set off alarm bells.

Browney7

Should you insist on seeing cash before a test drive so as to avoid test pilots etc or would that be a no no? Also, proof of insurance, aren't most open drive policies third party for driving other cars or what's the story there. What sort of distance should you let someone drive on a test drive?

bazz26

Test pilots generally are only drawn to certain type cars, usually something rare or felted up. If it's a average joe type car then I don't think the exposure is as high. From a buyer's point of view I doubt anyone genuine on the initial inspection of the car is going to have thousands in notes on them. They will more than likely have a few cars to see before making up their mind and then bringing a mechanic and concluding the sale. Maybe on cheap cars it is possible that they have bunch of notes in their pocket with the offer of I'll take it away now for €xxx but on cars worth thousands I'd doubt it.

But like everything there are always time wasters and messers out there no matter what your buying/selling. You just need to be savy in spotting them and as soon as you realise they have no intention of buying you need to cut them loose usually by telling them that there is another interested buyer that you are heading out to meet.

Insurance is tricky, without verifying with their insurance company that they have cover then I would make sure they only take the car for a short spin (you accompanying them in the passenger seat of course).

JapanZone

I'm moving to the UK next month and considering whether to sell my 2011 Mazda Biante here before moving. I brought it back from Japan two years ago (I can't seem to include the URL, but you can read about that on Boards.ie, just search for "Biante"), and didn't have to pay VRT/VAT on it. I don't particularly want to sell it now, but the cash would come in handy during the move.

It's been suggested by a couple of people, based on the fact that prices here are generally a good bit higher than across the water, that it would be a good idea to sell it here. It's hard to figure out what I could ask for it, as it seems to be the only one in either country! But I would sell it for more than I'd have to pay for a similar car (Ford Galaxy, Citroen C4 Grand Picasso) in the UK.

FYI, it's a 2.0L, automatic, petrol, 27k on the clock. Tax (€750) and NCT until August.

I'm thinking of driving it over to Joe Duffy Mazda to see what they say before looking at the usual ways of selling it (word of mouth, Donedeal, Carzone, etc)

Any thoughts?

L-M

I think it would be impossible to sell, not only the fact it's something no one (I thought you were joking about the name) has ever heard of it, plus the fact it's 2011 and plus the fact it's petrol!

You may have a better chance of actually selling it in the UK, as for money, who knows.

JapanZone

@LimerickMan, I hear what you're saying. But you'll see from the thread I had about importing it in the first place that its "uniqueness" hasn't been a drawback so far in terms of tax and insurance. It hasn't needed any repairs yet. The big unknown for me was how hard it'd be to sell on, so I planned to just drive it till it died.

But since then I've wondered about its resale value - hardly a day goes by without someone saying they like the car or asking where I got it. Not the same as actually offering to buy it, I know, but it's only now that I'd think to follow up with a "Funny you should ask..." Someone yesterday suggested trying to flog it to a taxi company - taxi drivers drool over it.

As I said, I'm not mad keen to sell it, it's a great car. So my main point was to find out what people think about its value here as opposed to in the UK. Here = higher prices. There = bigger market. And bringing it over also means going on the ferry rather than flying, which has its pros and cons.

L-M

Advertise it on a Uk site while you're here, loads do it.

Just out of curiosity, how much do you think it'll fetch?

Another option would be bringing it to an auction, put a reserve and see what it makes.

JapanZone

Limerick man wrote: »

Advertise it on a Uk site while you're here, loads do it.

That occurred to me as I read this thread.

Limerick man wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, how much do you think it'll fetch?

I really have no idea. Not only is it not sold outside Asia but it's petrol & auto, so the models I can compare it with are even more limited. The unknown factor (for me anyway, not knowing anything about cars) is whether its rarity would add value. As I said, if I could get a bit more than I'd have to pay for something similar in the UK, I'd be happy. I've seen a similar spec Citroen Picasso or Ford C-Max going for less than £12,000 (€15,000) on Autotrader.

Limerick man wrote: »

Another option would be bringing it to an auction, put a reserve and see what it makes.

Hadn't thought of that.

booth70

Would auto traders normally buy a second hand car off a private customer?
I am not talking about a trade in.

I am looking to sell my car quickly and was wondering whether you can take the car to a auto garage and sell it to them direct if they are interested?...... and would the price be considerably lesser that what you would get from a private sale via carzone etc

peaceboi

Have my wife's car listed on Donedeal this morning, would like to have any pointers please.

http://www.cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-toyota-yaris-1-3-petrol-luna-automatic/7369536

2008 Toyota Yaris 1.3 Automatic 40600 km.
Thanks

MidlandsM

booth70 wrote: »

Would auto traders normally buy a second hand car off a private customer?
I am not talking about a trade in.

I am looking to sell my car quickly and was wondering whether you can take the car to a auto garage and sell it to them direct if they are interested?...... and would the price be considerably lesser that what you would get from a private sale via carzone etc

Yes. If at the right price.

colm_mcm

peaceboi wrote: »

Have my wife's car listed on Donedeal this morning, would like to have any pointers please.

http://www.cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-toyota-yaris-1-3-petrol-luna-automatic/7369536

2008 Toyota Yaris 1.3 Automatic 40600 km.
Thanks

Get a test on it.

Those wheel trims won't help it sell (that said the automatic yaris market is small so you have little competition)

You need better pictures and more of them.

I would suggest a rewording of the ad:

2008 Toyota Yaris 1.3 Luna Multimode
This is the more desirable 4 cylinder 1.3 engine, which still qualifies for €280 tax.

Multimode 5 speed gearbox allows for fully automatic gear changes or gears can be shifted up/down manually if you prefer. Fuel economy is identical to the manual version.

Spec includes:
ABS/EBD,
Front/side/knee/curtain airbags,
Remote central locking,
Electric windows
Heated electric mirrors
Uprated CD system with MP3 playback and wheel controls
Leather steering wheel
Colour coded bumpers/handles/mirrors

Car has a full service history and has 4 new tyres
We bought the car in [xxxx] from [xxxx]
There is no finance owing on the car and any inspection is welcome

iwantmydinner

Hi guys, quick question as I go to sell my car. I am still paying off the credit union loan I used to buy it (selling because I've moved to Dublin and no longer need her). Obviously, I plan to clear the loan asap with the proceeds of sale. Will this cause an issue?? Should I flag it to potential buyers?

L-M

iwantmydinner wrote: »

Hi guys, quick question as I go to sell my car. I am still paying off the credit union loan I used to buy it (selling because I've moved to Dublin and no longer need her). Obviously, I plan to clear the loan asap with the proceeds of sale. Will this cause an issue?? Should I flag it to potential buyers?

Is it finance or a personal loan?

If it's finance you should not sell the car until it's cleared, if you must sell the car you need to get a personal loan and clear the finance, then sell the car.

If it's a personal loan it's fine as the loan sticks with you, not the car.

bazz26

Normally Credit Unions do not offer loans where the asset (car in this case) is secured against the loan. Where they offer a secured loan it is usually on the borrowers savings with them rather than what you borrowed the money for. Best thing to do though is consult with your Credit Union for clarity.

iwantmydinner

It's a personal loan. Thanks a mill for the replies.

L-M

iwantmydinner wrote: »

It's a personal loan. Thanks a mill for the replies.

Yeah, they'll come looking for you and you'll be held responsible, where as car finance they can repossess the car.

booth70

I am in the process of selling our car.The car is registered in my wife's name.She is out of the country and we are in the process of relocating

Can I sell the car on her behalf?.....Can I sign the seller/owner section of the VLC on her behalf?..... I have a letter signed by her authorising me to sell the car....Is that enough?

When you sell a car how do you deal with your insurance company?.......do you have to inform them BEFORE the sale is made or do you just call them up and inform them that the car has been sold....I am the additional driver on her insurance policy for the car....Is it okay that I call the insurance company about the sale or does she have to do it herself?

If we are selling to a motor dealer I presume we use form RF 105 rather than the VLC?

L-M

You can sell it for her as long as she has signed it... I'm sure she will trust you to do so on her behalf.

As for the insurance, she will need to ring them to cancel the policy.

The VLC will be required for a private sale and the dealer will require it if you trade it.

booth70

Limerick man wrote: »

You can sell it for her as long as she has signed it... I'm sure she will trust you to do so on her behalf.

As for the insurance, she will need to ring them to cancel the policy.

The VLC will be required for a private sale and the dealer will require it if you trade it.

Thanks very much

She hasn't signed the VLC form as she is not in Ireland but she has sent a letter authorising me to sell it.... Will that do?

As for the insurance she can call them directly from back home so that should not be a problem

colm_mcm

It only an issue if it goes pear-shaped. Its not strictly legal to sign her name on the book but 99% of times nobody will care.

ladystarlight

Hi, i´m new, i am about to buy a car in Dublin but i live in Dundalk, so if i buy and drive the car home am i insured? I don´t want to leave the car at the sellers place till i get all this insurance stuff sorted, hope someone can help me, thanks

bazz26

You need to arrange with your insurance company cover before hand by giving them the registration of the new car. You have to sort the insurance stuff first to be insured to drive the car otherwise how are the insurance company to know what car you are insuring?