Advice for selling my car

BabysCoffee

I'm selling my car.

Have someone coming to view it. They didn't said anything about test driving it but wondering should I let them take it for a spin. Should they show me their insurance and licence if they are test driving it and should I go with them in the passenger seat? Is there something specific I should be looking for on the insurance cert to know that they are covered to drive my car?

I've never sold a car privately so if you have any other advice I'm all ears.

colm_mcm

Don’t let them off by themselves as they mightn’t come back. Of course make sure they have an insurance certificate that says they can drive other cars.

BabysCoffee

colm_mcm wrote: »

Don’t let them off by themselves as they mightn’t come back. Of course make sure they have an insurance certificate that says they can drive other cars.

Thanks Colm

Am meeting them close to where I live but not at my house. Anything else I should do?

bear1

Don't go alone would be my advise and always bring an envelope ready to go to Shannon and post it together.

bazz26

Never hand a stranger the keys to your car. Sit in the passenger seat yourself first and then give them the key to start the car. Always have someone come with you too, never turn up to meet a buyer on your own.

Del2005

colm_mcm wrote: »

Don’t let them off by themselves as they mightn’t come back. Of course make sure they have an insurance certificate that says they can drive other cars.

Or if they want a test drive on their own they give you the full asking price in cash before they get in, check the cash is legit before handing over the keys, that is how its done for bikes.

On the insurance certificate under cars covered it'll have the reg of their car and any other car that doesn't belong to them. But there is no way for a private individual to find out if the certificate is for a valid policy, so checking it is worthless.

BabysCoffee

All really helpful. Thank you

colm_mcm

Del2005 wrote: »

Or if they want a test drive on their own they give you the full asking price in cash before they get in, check the cash is legit before handing over the keys, that is how its done for bikes.

On the insurance certificate under cars covered it'll have the reg of their car and any other car that doesn't belong to them. But there is no way for a private individual to find out if the certificate is for a valid policy, so checking it is worthless.

There’s no real reason to let them off on their own in a car though. I reckon someone with an insurance certificate is a safer bet than someone without!

Del2005

colm_mcm wrote: »

There’s no real reason to let them off on their own in a car though. I reckon someone with an insurance certificate is a safer bet than someone without!

The insurance cert won't cover the car even if it is legit. So if they crash or damage the car with you sitting beside them in the car after they show you the cert you are down a car. If you are sitting at home with the asking price in your pocket drinking tea and they crash or damage the car they have bought it.

bazz26

That might work on a bangernomics car but on a car worth considerably more, I cannot see any buyer rolling up with 8k to 10k cash in their pocket just going to hand it over to the seller and ask for the keys to take it for a test drive, not like it and the seller refuses to give all or some of the money back?

When buying and selling stuff to/from Joe Public there has to be a certain level of trust and risk involved on both sides unfortunately. Yes there are ways to protect yourself and mitigate certain risks but ultimately there is a certain leap of faith and risk involved and if your not willing to accept that then selling/buying stuff privately is not the way to go.