Hi there, looking for people's experiences in selling cars privately. Let me know which website you used? Carsales, gumtree, facebook, other? What was the approx value of your car and how many enquiries did you get? time wasters? genuine buyers etc.
Selling Car Privately Online
Adz12 on 10/08/2023 - 09:13
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$59, not the premium ads or whatever. Leave it up for as long as you want. Buyer paid in cash and I ran the notes through the ATM machine in front of him.
What's the deal around letting potential buyers test drive the car, is this part of the process or you don't let them test drive?
I’m not going no to buy a car from someone who won’t let me test drive.
Most people who have bought cars from me want a test drive. I ask to see a licence then throw them the keys usually. Sometimes they leave keys to the car they arrived in or their licence card as a form of security. If looking dodgy I might ask to go with them for the ride.
You need to know your insurance MAY NOT cover you while someone is test driving your car. Check your particular PDS.
You then need to pay for revcheck to see if the car history $40
You then need to bring it to a reliable mechanic to check the insides $180 you need to pay even if you decide not to buy - no warranty so no fair trading for private handshake sales as no gst went to government
Don't accept PayID because their cousin who's coming to pick your car doesn't have cash. That's a scam.
Don't let them do a test drive or hand over your keys to any "customer" without you already inside the car. Risk of theft.
Don't accept bank transfer or cheque unless you personally know the buyer (such as relative, friend, neighbour, etc). Risk of chargeback/reversal.
Once you have cash in hand, complete the paperwork right there with photo of their licence and lodge notice of disposal online right there before they drive away. Risk of them racking up thousands of tolls and fines in your name.
Even dealers trade in disposal does not happen immediately as the dealer onsell it to the used car wholesaler which can be awhile before title changes but the sales contract with the trade in and date of signature is proof
Private sale notice of disposal can be lodged online, atleast in NSW it is possible. I have done it when I sold my last car.
I actually went one step further but didn't mention here. I had called Services NSW in the week after and got a written confirmation document that it was processed as of the date I had lodged. They sent me a scanned document via email.
with the dealers. there is a purchase contract the minute cars exchanged hands I mean they would not have released the new car if the trade-in was not handed on the date it was signed as the trade-in carries a value towards the purchase of the car, usually the difference between cash and sale price.
although many many years ago I had a very nasty experience with a panel beater who used my car and racked up a parking fine- no standing
that was so hard to prove at least with trade-in and sale you transfer ownership but with repair at panel beaters you still own the car and so lessons learned now I need a statement from panel beaters or some printout to show the car was physically not in my possession but at the shop. I ended up paying the fine. As the panel beaters returned the fine back to say they do not own the vehicle.
This is not the norm I am sure most panel beaters are honest but this one. Nasty piece of wood@paloverde88: Read similar experiences by people where they left the car at the mechanic only to get red light speed camera fine and toll notices a few weeks after in the mailbox. I have started noting down Odometer readings when dropping off and picking up from service/repairs.Its becoming difficult to trust people after reading more and more of these stories. Of course these unscrupulous actors are like less than 1% of the population but you never know when it's your (un)lucky day.
find the right price - consider meeting at a fuel station if unsure of buyer, if not meet at home and stick to a firm price, if you receive a depsoit do a private contract and detail with RWC or not. Just sold a suburu xv for $20k 2015 model
I would meet at Westfield and have a chat in places where there are cameras everywhere then take them to where you park the car at Westfield also ensure they are always facing the CCTV at all times. Then escort them to the mechanic for a check, most serious buyers will want their mechanic to check so stand next to the mechanic in case some jiggy things happen when you are not looking. Question the mechanic what are you looking for in my car? Question them why are you opening this or that every move they made must be monitored with your video camera turned on.
so you see it is much better to sell it privately. If you deny the buyer to take to their chose mechanic that means you are hiding something and you are the dishonest seller.
Several buyers may have you take trips to different mechanics so you see not a waste of time.
Sounds like you haven’t ever sold a car before.
I need to sell my 2016 XV L model asap. Hopeful to get $22k or so. Did you find much interest?
for mine once reduced under 20k yes - car had 100k km on it so easy to sell
It all depends on the car and the price, as well as how fast you want to sell it.
Firstly, you need to get a real value. If it is for a run-of-the-mill car, go to Redbook, and under cars, car research (NOT car valuations), find your car. Look at the lowest trade-in value and the lowest private sale prices. This is where your car will realistically be priced for a private sale. If you are looking at trading it in, halve the lowest trade-in price.
Yes, you might get more, but prices are over-inflated here. Forget what prices you see people selling their cars for, because those are asking prices, not sold prices!
If your car is exceptional, i.e., it has a full dealer service history, has very low km (not for its age, but actual low km), and is fully optioned and in immaculate condition, then you can get more. If your car has non-factory accessories, like aftermarket wheels, body kit, stereo etc., then that will NOT add value and in most cases will decrease its value. If it has a lot of factory options, this will make it easier to sell, but will not increase the value.
Now that you have a price, add $1000 to it. This is because everyone wants a deal, and you need some margin to be able to negotiate. Facebook marketplace is good for local buyers. Make sure that you advertise using many photos and a great description. Gumtree is no longer worthwhile due to the cost. Ebay is good, and you can list it for a set price with the option for the buyer to make an offer, where you can auto-decline or accept. Carsales is also good. If you advertise on Facebook, eBay and Carsales, you can spend under $100 for all. Don't forget to add in as many local buy, swap and sell sites as you can. And if you are selling it without a RWC, say this.
If it is a collector or enthusiast car, then the value will be very subjective. Condition and originality are important. Go to eBay, search for the same model, and on the left side scroll down to completed sales. This will show you what similar cars have actually sold for. Also, use car pages on Facebook and talk to enthusiasts. The same three places are good for sales but include the enthusiast pages.
Auctions are also an option. Go to Manheims and look at this page. https://www.manheim.com.au/home/landing/car-price-guide You will see what actual sales have been made at auctions. You can contact the auctions, including Manheims, Pickles and Grays, and they will give you updated sales results and the fees they charge. If the car is a collector car, Shannons are also worth talking to.
In every case, what sells cars are good photos, lots of them, honesty as to faults and a great description. If you can't write a good sales description, find someone who can. Same with photos. If you can't take a good photo, find someone who can.Nice post
Btw what site names below?
local buy, swap and sell sites as you can
Hey OP, this advice may help: buyers who spit out a price are often not serious buyers in the first place. It is very difficult to estimate how much a car is worth to you without seeing it in person.
Also, having the buyer travel there before negotiating a price will make them more committed to the purchase (likewise for you the seller, you may give them a small discount after meeting them in person)
Thanks everyone for your insights and thoughts. I ended up paying for gumtree and Carsales (after trying fb for 3 weeks and no real genuine inquiries). Gumtree no inquiries after $19 ad. Carsales, online for 4 days, one enquiry and sold for $21k so I guess the $140 ad was worth it, even with the higher price to advertise
What type of car did you sell for $21k if I may ask?
And how did you take payment?
Mazda 2, payID
I just sold a 2013 Nissan Dualis on Carsales, paid for a higher then normal add. Dropped the price by $500 after a week and then got 3 enquiries quite quickly, two seemed genuine. Third was from regional Victoria and may have been an attempted scammer but hard to tell as after their first set of questions they didn't respond again. First person to come and see it bought it. No issues, no time wasters, sold in 3 weeks, within a normal market price range.
$80 no gurantees