Selling car (private) - advice requested

[Mancini]

I'm selling a car privately for the first time. I have no experience with this and I have some questions and I'm looking for advice. It's an older car that's not worth a ton.

Questions:

1. What's the protocol with test drives? Is it generally granted? Get the license? Ride along? Don't do it?

2. Should I get a Carfax or ICBC vehicle history report? It's never been in an accident and always insured by ICBC.

3. I'm assuming any inspection would be at the buyers cost at a location of their choosing.

4. Transfer/tax form.

5. Change ownership at broker?

Anything else I should know?

Thanks.

[SSM_DC5]

What's the car? Maybe it can be sold here and you skip the Facebook time wasters.

1. I've asked to see the license and I check that it's not expired. Prospective buyer was ok with not driving after he realized he didn't have his licence on him.

2. Skip that. The buyer can do it if they don't believe you.

3. Yes buyers cost. I've verified with the shop who's paying as I handed the keys to the shop.

4. What's your question about the form?

5. Ownership is officially changed at the broker and you probably want to see it done, but you can end the sale at handing the transfer form and vehicle registration to the buyer. You likely won't get your copy of the transfer form unless you're at the broker during the transfer.

6. You should think about how you're accepting payment.

[68style]

Almost everyone is going to want to test drive, it's cool, I just spot check license and I don't give them the keys until I already sat down in the passenger seat.

[underscore]

Originally Posted by SSM_DC5

You likely won't get your copy of the transfer form unless you're at the broker during the transfer.

Absolutely get your copy of the form before they leave, even if the broker section isn't complete. You're still liable for that vehicle and anything done to/with it until it's registered in someone else's name and that's your only proof that you sold it.

ie if buddy doesn't complete the transfer and it ends up dumped in the bush, you're on the hook for retrieving it.

[SSM_DC5]

^will the sellers copy be valid enough as proof if the broker portion is empty?

[underscore]

It's a signed, dated form with the buyers info on it so I would hope it is. It's better than nothing at least.

[Traum]

1) I always ask to see their driver's licence, and then I hop into the passenger seat with them. I'd only refuse a test drive request if the person is shady enough to give me bad vibes one way or another.

2) I always have the complete maintenance history of my cars during my ownership, so I present them with that. If they want a CarFax, they can go pay for it.

3) I am open to inspections, and will cooperate with bringing the car to a location of their choosing, but they are going to pay for the inspection themselves.

4/5) I didn't do this in the past, but nowadays, I'd always insist on changing ownership at the insurance broker.



6) Nowadays, I'd always insist on getting a bank draft as payment as well.

7) As a seller, I prefer to meet the person at a public place instead of at my home because I don't want the casual buyer to know where I live. This mattered less when I was living in an apartment, but since I live in a detached home now, I am picky about not wanting the tire kickers to know where I live.

[68style]

Make sure if it's an inspection, that it's a legit shop. When I was much younger and more naive, I had one motherfucker look at my Lexus LS400 and then ask me if I can drive it to a place for an inspection... turned out it was his friend's back alley home garage with a lift in East Van so I was already super wary... and when I get there he's like "Oh btw I'm actually a licensed provincial inspector here's my ID I'll be doing the inspection myself" and luckily at that point I had enough wtf in me to tell him to go fuck himself... and reported him to the provincial inspection authority, pretty sure that's not how that shit is supposed to work, could literally just make shit up to help himself out.

I'm not a huge fan of inspections to be honest though, in my experience the shop is covering its ass writing down every single thing they see no matter how big or small and then the buyer just turns around and starts trying to knock money off left and right for every piddly thing. The number of people who think they should be getting a MINT automobile for $7,000 is mind blowing. If I have 2 buyers and 1 of them says they want an inspection, I'll go to the other buyer even if their offer is lower. Total pain in the ass, even if they're paying it's usually your time, your time off work and your gas/possibly a day permit getting it there nevermind dealing with some random curmudgeon of a mechanic and sitting in some filthy waiting area for 2 hours.

[noclue]

Nowadays for bank drafts, go with the buyer to his bank and watch them make the draft. There are fakes out there now. Don't take E-Transfer either.

Also depending on the value of your car, do the math and see how much it is from trading it in + tax savings vs selling it privately. Sometimes not dealing with the BS of private selling is worth the difference!

[donk.]

Originally Posted by 68style

If I have 2 buyers and 1 of them says they want an inspection, I'll go to the other buyer even if their offer is lower.

Real estate thread has entered the chat

[GLOW]

it's been at least 10 years for me but i've sold about 3 privately

1. i'd always allowed it and checked their license. i would say exercise caution depending on your car (can't judge the person, assholes come in all shapes and sizes). i always ride along. people can drive wreckless on a test drive, or say they know how to drive manual when they really don't very well. from young guys in 20's or middle aged men with their 16 yo daughter... so just beware. i had the least amount of trouble on boring family cars.

2. buyer's problem, i encourage them to go ahead and do their due diligence, i have nothing to hide and don't want complaints after the fact

3. yes, i've always encouraged they do it and do their due diligence, again, no one never did it, maybe b/c they want to save $ and b/c i was forthcoming

4. Yes... jk i dunno what your question is, but i do all the shit at the broker with the buyer for transparency on both sides, and a broker will know the process, with no skin in the game. i always declared what it is, i play no games with the CRA, none starter with me to mess around and i'm up front with that.

5. Yes

either the buyer or seller is going assume some sort of risk with payment. i've insisted i meet them at the bank and deposit the $ and then walk over to the insurance broker and sign over the car as sale (i picked a location - bank and insurer almost next to each other).

the buyer has more risk in that sense that i just walk away. that being said even bank drafts deposited at the bank can still be forged and rejected days later at the bank. Noclue's advise is pretty smart, to be present when the draft is created at the buyer's bank.

[68style]

^ CRA has nothing to do with selling cars

[GLOW]

sorry, meant declaring what the sale is for tax. i've been asked to say it's lower by buyers so they pay less.

[Great68]

Originally Posted by SSM_DC5

5. Ownership is officially changed at the broker and you probably want to see it done, but you can end the sale at handing the transfer form and vehicle registration to the buyer. You likely won't get your copy of the transfer form unless you're at the broker during the transfer.

I would insist on accompanying the buyer to the insurance agent. When I sold my civic the buyer couldn't complete the transfe because of unpaid traffic tickets. He didn't have the money on him to pay them off that night. If I hadn't come with him to the agent he could have been driving around with the car in my name and insurance

[noclue]

Originally Posted by GLOW

sorry, meant declaring what the sale is for tax. i've been asked to say it's lower by buyers so they pay less.

Doesn't matter anymore, ICBC goes by market value for tax

[Badhobz]

this is all stupid advice

Here's the best advice

If the buyer is chinese: prepare to get haggled by some inane bullshit. They'll never give you what youre asking for

If the buyer is white: prepare to have all the record books looked at with a fine tooth comb. Then they'll want a whole run down of the reason why youre selling it, what you did with it, etc etc etc

If the buyer is a woman: youre fucked. just tell the bitch to fuck off. dont even waste your time

If the buyer is brown: RUN... i wouldnt risk getting jacked or shot

Best is to push said trash car off a cliff, and let ICBC pay you its worth.

[bcrdukes]

Totally not racist or sexist whatsoever.

[Badhobz]

if you tell anyone, im calling Revscene HR and telling them you touched my special area

[SSM_DC5]

Originally Posted by Great68

I would insist on accompanying the buyer to the insurance agent. When I sold my civic the buyer couldn't complete the transfe because of unpaid traffic tickets. He didn't have the money on him to pay them off that night. If I hadn't come with him to the agent he could have been driving around with the car in my name and insurance

how can they drive with your insurance if you've taken your plate off and you go to the broker cancel your insurance? Like for the time it takes you to drive yourself to a broker, but that could be like 30 minutes. So in your case, did you back out of the sale because the transfer couldn't be completed?

Originally Posted by Badhobz

if you tell anyone, im calling Revscene HR and telling them you touched my special area

Do one better and call his dean.

[GLOW]

Originally Posted by noclue

Doesn't matter anymore, ICBC goes by market value for tax

oh wow, when did this happen?

seems subjective if icbc gets to determine what market value is.

[Hehe]

Sold many cars privately. I’ve always maintained the same strategy.

Full disclosure what I know. If there’s anything else, I try to cooperate if reasonable but it’s on the buyer. Take it or leave it. Not worth the hassle for anything else.

[Great68]

Originally Posted by SSM_DC5

how can they drive with your insurance if you've taken your plate off and you go to the broker cancel your insurance? Like for the time it takes you to drive yourself to a broker, but that could be like 30 minutes. So in your case, did you back out of the sale because the transfer couldn't be completed?

We drove the car to the broker together to do the transaction. When the broker said the buyer couldn't do the transfer, that was the end of it for that day. I drove home.

The buyer did show up the next day with the cash to pay his tickets and we tried again. This time everything went through.

I have never bought or sold a used car where I did not accompany the buyer/seller and complete the transaction at a broker.

[freakshow]

1. If they feel sketchy enough for you to deny the test drive, don't bother selling it to them. Other than that, check the license and have a route in mind you'd prefer them to go.

2. No

3. Yes, inspection at their cost (and your inconvenience), but as others said, has to be a legit shop. I usually request that the shop is close.. I live in Richmond, so, Richmond, Vancouver, Burnaby.. not like Langley or Maple Ridge or something.

4/5. Make sure you get get cash/draft first. Then go straight to an autoplan broker, and they will fill out the transfer form and change the ownership. Many strip malls have a bank and insurance place, so just go there for one stop.

[68style]

I've seen people get quesitoned because a buyer never completed the transfer and the car was technically still in the seller's name... but in both instances that I know of where something weird happened with the car after that resulted in police attention or otherwise, the seller just showed the transfer form they had with the sale date on it and were instantly let off the hook...

So you don't really have to worry about being on the hook for it if you have paperwork to back it up, but probably not a bad idea to go do the transfer anyway.

I almost never go with the buyer anymore, they hand me the cash and I give them the signed reg and transfer paper... they go away and come back later with a license plate.

I did run into 1 instance like above where a guy had a ticket he need to paid... not my problem anymore though. I helped him out storing the car another day for him but that's about it.

[Mancini]

Thanks everyone. This answers all of my questions. I really appreciate it!