Do The Research

Before you start selling your car, some research work is needed, as you first step is to find out how much your car is worth. Go online to the various car classifieds websites such as automart, and find the range of prices for your car.

It’s not only the make and model that decides the price of a car, other factors include:

Year of Registration	The age of the car, older means cheaper for most cars.
Mileage	This tells the buyer about the wear and tear of the car, and also when the next major service is due, as the more expensive car services are at the higher mileages. Low mileage cars will sell for a higher price than a similar car with higher mileage.
Extra Options	Air conditioning, electric windows are becoming more and more standard, so do not expect a much higher price if these are present on your car. The hot features nowadays are satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity.

Therefore try and find cars that match you car by make, model, age and mileage, with some adjustment for features. Also the area where you are planning to sell, could make a difference so buy some local papers to compare prices.

Before finalising the price, allow for some haggling room. Don’t advertise at the exact price you want to sell, as buyers will always want to negotiate the best price they get. So if they end up paying the quoted price, it’s a bonus for you, if it is lower, it won’t be a terrible loss.

Used car dealer prices always end with 995, such 12,995. There is a lot of psychology in setting prices, as a product at £10 may take a while to sell, but at £9.95 the same product could be a big seller, even though it is 5p cheaper. On the other hand, you do not want to seem like a car dealer, so more rounded prices may make buyers more at ease.

If you are planning to trade in your car, the trade in price is usually much lower than what you could get if you sold the car yourself. Remember the dealer will have to resell the car for a profit, so they will always offer less than market value.

This is also a good time to find as much information about the car, such as the mile per gallon of petrol it consumes. Also make sure you locate all documents you will have to pass onto the buyer such as the log book (V5), and MOT certificate, and history of services. The buyer will also need to know the duration of the MOT and Tax Disc.

First Impressions Count

When people first look at the car, they will probably make up their minds within the first few seconds on whether they want to buy it or not. So before you advertise your car make sure it is clean and attractive so that the first impression is good.

Some tips on cleaning up your car are

• Wash and wax it thoroughly. Use paintwork enhancer to liven up the paint. Clean all windows and mirrors.
• Make sure your car is mechanically sound, and remove all scratches.
• Clean the inside of the car. Take all your personal items out of the car. The prospective buyers may test drive your car, so you don’t want the inside all cluttered up.
• Remove dust and oil from wheels and apply a gloss finish to the tyres.

The car must be roadworthy because it is an offence to sell a vehicle in and unsafe condition. A little maintenance will make you motor seem better cared for and more desirable.

Now is a good time to take photos of your car if you are planning to advertise it with photos. Take it during daylight hours, against a neutral background and at an angle that provides a three quarter view, showing as much of the car as possible.

For the inside shots sit on the back seats to take a good picture of the dashboard. You may need to fold back the front seats to have a clear view of the dashboard. The inside photo is useful if your car has a lot of gadgets and gizmos to show off.

Create The Ad

There are a variety of places where you can advertise your car. Where ever you do decide to advertise, there is come common information that all ads should contain.

• Always state the exact model of the car, e.g. Ford Focus 1.6CL
• State the year precisely, e.g. 2006/56.
• Colour
• Mileage
• Engine size
• Transmission type – automatic or manual
• Remaining length of the MOT certificate and tax. Buyers are more at ease if a long MOT is present.
• Number of owners. This is only worth putting if the number of owners in less than usual for the age of the car.

State the features that you car has as well, especially if it is an optionally and not present in the standard model. If you are short of space here are some common abbreviations

ew	electric window
ac	air conditioning
cl	central locking
sat nav	satellite navigation

A lot of options like electric window and mirrors, central locking, are common nowadays so simply stating full electrics will make it clear that the car is fully equipped. Your research earlier on will determine what is worth putting down.

Write the service history if you have any. Full dealer service history is always desirable so make sure that this is stated. Also don’t forget the photos you took earlier.

Overall keep it simple, honest and positive. Avoid dodgy second-hand dealer blurb like ‘lovely driver’ and ‘unbelievable deal’, just stick to the facts. Don’t lie as the buyer could sue you for losses incurred. The more information you place, the more likely all enquires would be for a viewing arrangements rather than some information on the car that should have been in the advert.

Make sure your contact number has an answering machine, so that prospective buyers do not get frustrated if they cannot get hold of you.

Showing The Car

So a potential buyer is interested in the car and is coming round to view it. It is a big decision to part with so much money, so you need to make them at ease so that they can trust you. Have a good knowledge of your car so that you can confidently, and honestly, answer their questions.

Potential buyers will also want to test drive your car. This is not usual, so never say no. If in doubt, ask them to show you their driving licence. Ride along with them, so that you can answer questions about the controls of the car, if they are unsure about them, and to guide them around the roads.

Some points to take note for the test drive:

• Never let the buyer go out alone, there is a chance they won’t come back.
• Another scam a thief may try is to ask you to swap seats during a test drive. If so, make sure you do not leave the key in the ignition.
• Check that they have adequate insurance cover, otherwise you could be liable for any accidents they may have.

Car buyers are now far more willing to pay for used car inspections. You should not object to this, and it shows that they have enough interest in the car to pay for an inspection. You should of course go with them if they did not bring a mechanic along.

The Haggle

Buyers inevitably haggle over the price, it’s all part of buying a car. You need to be firm without being unreasonable. Most people are uncomfortable negotiating. So there opening offers take the form

“I like the car, but…”, and then lapse into an uncomfortable silence and not state that the price is too high. You can respond with “How much are you willing to pay?”

“What’s you final price?” This is a direct probe to find out how much you will come down. Don’t give your final price right away, as they will try and bargain down you more. If they don’t sound happy with your response ask them how much they are willing to pay.

“Would you accept…?” The buyer is definitely interested, but may offer a much lower price, as they expect a counter offer.

“I’ll pay …, take it or leave it” This may be the price they could afford, or they may be bluffing. If the research you did earlier shows that offer is too low, let them walk away. If they are bluffing, they may come back and pay your price.

“The car has … fault” which could be from the report they got from their mechanic. If the car is roadworthy and the MOT certificate is recent, then the repair is not needed.

I’ve Sold It!

Congrats, the buyer has made the offer that you are happy with, and your ready to pass them you keys as they part with their cash.

In an ideal world the buyer will pay cash during normal office hours, which you can pay into the bank immediately after checking for forgeries. Even better would be to make this exchange inside the bank.

Many people have internet access to their accounts, and funds can be transferred this way. However do not hand over the vehicle till the funds have cleared, which may take a few days.

Cheques are no guarantee of payment, even a banker’s draft, as they can be forged. Personal cheques can also be cancelled or issued without enough funds in their accounts. Again do not release the car until the funds have cleared.

The buyer will ask for a receipt for the payment. It should include the following information

• Name and address of both parties. Ask for the buyers Id.
• Write the make, model, registration and mileage of the car on the receipt.
• The sale price and how it was paid.
• Yours and the buyers signature.

Common Scams

There are some scams that sellers should watch out for, especially in the online world.

Certified Check Scams

A buyer indicates that they want to buy the car and will pay with a cashier’s cheque. At the last minute, the buyer has an excuse why a cheque for a larger amount needs to be made, and the seller should send him the difference. The cheque is inevitable discovered to be a fake.

Bogus Escrow Services

An escrow service will collect and verify payment from a buyer, and the money is held by the service until all parties at satisfied by the sale. A bogus buyer may insist on using an escrow service that is actually a phoney website.

The best way to avoid most scams is not to release the car until all funds have been cleared.

The Legal Bits

If you sell your vehicle privately or through a motor trader, you should notify the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) about the sale using the appropriate section of the registration document or certificate.

It is important to tell DVLA as soon as you sell your vehicle or you will continue to be responsible for paying the vehicle tax or penalties for the non-payment of it. You may also receive mail relating to motoring offences committed in the vehicle. When DVLA have been informed, they will send you a letter of receipt confirming that you are no longer responsible for the vehicle.

Selling Privately

When selling the vehicle, you should always keep a separate note of the buyer’s name and address. You should tell the DVLA using the appropriate section of the registration document or certificate.

If you do not have a V5/V5C you can still inform DVLA that you no longer have the vehicle. In order to do this you must write to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AR quoting the vehicle registration mark, make and model, exact date of sale and name and address of the new keeper. However, you should note that DVLA records will not be complete until the new keeper tells DVLA in writing. Until they do, the police may need to contact you if they have to make enquiries about the vehicle

Selling to a Trader

If you transfer your vehicle to a motor trader, and you are in possession of a registration certificate (V5C) you should tell the DVLA of the sale using the V5C/3 section (yellow) and pass the rest to the trader.

If you are in possession of the three part registration document (V5) you should send the V5/3 section (red) to DVLA and pass the rest to the trader.

If you are in possession of the two part registration document you should send the disposal slip V5/1 to DVLA and pass the rest to the trader.

Vehicle Mileage

Entering the vehicle’s mileage in the box provided will help in the fight against vehicle ‘clocking’. This is where the vehicle’s odometer (speedometer) is turned back to fraudulently reduce the number of miles that the vehicle is recorded as having travelled.