Selling a Car Privately

[Col&Ali]

DD is moving abroad imminently and I am going to take over her car payments as she has a PCP agreement. Therefore I am going to sell my little Aygo which I think is a great little car for someone who has just left school/off to uni (that kind of thing).

I don't want complete strangers coming to the house so am thinking of advertising it on my Facebook page to be shared with DD as she has a lot of young friends who may be looking or may know someone who is looking for a little car.

What would you say I need to look out for?

I'm thinking I will pitch the starting price at Autotrader's recommendation for selling a car privately which was just above what We Buy Any Car quoted me … before they started knocking me down and adding on fees etc!

Then I'm thinking I need to ask for a bank transfer ideally and wait for the funds to be transferred before I hand over the car.

I've got full service history with print outs and receipts - I can show these but don't think I need to hand these over as the Service Book is stamped?

I'm a bit nervous about selling privately but would like to see it go to someone who is going to get a fair deal from me without a middle man taking a cut!

Any thoughts?

[catherinesian]

We have sold all our cars privately. The last time was in May, it turned out really well, we got a fair price for it, knew it was going to a good home and the couple who bought it off us were absolutely overjoyed to find the car from a private seller as the mark up dealers put on cars meant they couldn't have afforded that spec/mileage otherwise. The girl was having a baby and they were so thrilled to have a safe car for the baby. Really gave me the feels we advertised it on Facebook Marketplace which had no fees.

[Pino_Spetzberg]

Originally Posted by Col&Ali

DD is moving abroad imminently and I am going to take over her car payments as she has a PCP agreement.

Then I'm thinking I need to ask for a bank transfer ideally and wait for the funds to be transferred before I hand over the car.

I've got full service history with print outs and receipts - I can show these but don't think I need to hand these over as the Service Book is stamped?

See more...

I would sort out your daughter's car first.

Then I would have a good think about keeping your Aygo as a second car ?
Running costs are low, so is it worth selling it ?

To be absolutely honest, depending on what the PCP car is, I would probably just keep your Aygo, and explore whether the PCP can sorted, and send it back. There are some really cheap deals on cars at the moment with all sorts of incentives. Could work out better to start afresh if that's what you want to do.

If I was buying your Aygo I would definitely want the service paperwork. I wouldn't do a bank transfer until the handover.

Selling a car privately can be really painless, or an absolute nightmare.
Might be worth using WBAC or similar to save the clonk.
Have you tried Toyota garages, they will usually buy in good clean cars.

[MinniMouse]

I have the opposite opinion to you. I'd rather sell a car to someone I don't know, incase something goes wrong with it soon after purchase. We had a great audi but it was a few years old and we ordered a new car, we placed our order. Within a week or two of our new car coming in the gear box went on our car, it was a tiptronic Audi were quite decent and only charged cost as we'd ordered a new car but if I'd sold it to a family member or a friend and that had happened I'd have felt terrible. Just my opinion.

We sold two cars on gumtree. Just kept re posting so didn't cost anything.

[Stitch & Smudge]

We sold our last car to Arnold Clark. Gave a better price than we buy any car and no come back if anything goes wrong with it.

[Col&Ali]

Originally Posted by Pino_Spetzberg

I would sort out your daughter's car first.

Then I would have a good think about keeping your Aygo as a second car ?
Running costs are low, so is it worth selling it ?

To be absolutely honest, depending on what the PCP car is, I would probably just keep your Aygo, and explore whether the PCP can sorted, and send it back. There are some really cheap deals on cars at the moment with all sorts of incentives. Could work out better to start afresh if that's what you want to do.

If I was buying your Aygo I would definitely want the service paperwork. I wouldn't do a bank transfer until the handover.

Selling a car privately can be really painless, or an absolute nightmare.
Might be worth using WBAC or similar to save the clonk.
Have you tried Toyota garages, they will usually buy in good clean cars.

See more...

I am ready to upgrade my car a little so happy to take on DD's Peugeot 108 which is 3 years younger and has some more modern touches

I was ready to hand over to WBAC but had a bit of a palaver with them yesterday when the guy called in sick and they couldn't take my car … the price was only guaranteed for 3 days and of course today that has dropped! I have appealed for them to consider the agreed sum.

Good shout about the Toyota garage - I'll give it a go

[mickey house]

You have to have a lot of patience selling a car privately because of the amount of timewasters out there. Anyone who calls I don't like the sound of I don't let see the car I've advertised (perhaps different if someone needs the money in a hurry). About 3 years ago a chap on my road advertised an X5 BMW for around Ł20k on autotrader and 2 guys came to look at it and as the engine was running they asked if he had a rag so they could check the oil from the dipstick. He went inside the house and they jumped in the car and drove off never to be seen again. At that time my cctv system only captured their legs walking past my house whereas my current newer cctv would have captured their faces.

[Scaramouche]

We only sell to people we don’t know, and with a receipt “sold as seen”. I wouldn’t want it coming back on us if something did go wrong. Never had an issue doing it this way .

We’ve taken cash on the last few and I paid cash for my last one as well due to ease of not having to wait for the bank transfer.

We never sell to anyone/give anyone the address if we don’t like the sound of them. I always make my dad come round and sell it on our behalf 😂.

[sparklegirl]

I must admit I sold my most recent car to Evans Halshaw who gave me a great deal and not too much push and shove. They didnt mess about like We Buy Any Car who I walked from because of how they do the deals.

[FlorayG]

I've bought and sold privately all my driving life and never had a problem. Advertise, show the vehicle, 'sold as seen'
Take a banker's cheque or cash (yes, even thousands, that's how horses are traditionally sold with a tenner 'luck' given back to the buyer)