I've forgotten how to buy a car privately!
Discussion
Hopefully I'll be picking up an MR2 or similar as a second car soon. Budget is £3k so will be buying from a private seller most likely.
I've forgotten how to!
Last car I bought privately was a 205 GTi back in 2006.
What do I need to consider?
Looking at the ones that are for sale, they are all located about 100 miles away so I' may have to rope in a mate to either drive my car or the new one.
Test drive insurance? Drive home insurance? Cash, PayPal or bank transfer? AA recovery should it go Pete Tong?!
I've forgotten how to!
Last car I bought privately was a 205 GTi back in 2006.
What do I need to consider?
Looking at the ones that are for sale, they are all located about 100 miles away so I' may have to rope in a mate to either drive my car or the new one.
Test drive insurance? Drive home insurance? Cash, PayPal or bank transfer? AA recovery should it go Pete Tong?!
Talk to the seller on a landline (if poss'). Transfer funds. Insure car. Tax online. Take train/bus/walk to seller's address. Drive home new car taking note of all the things the seller "forgot" to mention... Might not be the most secure way to buy a vehicle, but I've had a lot of fun, a few adventures and made some new mates doing things this way.
Potential to go tits up = high, so not recommended for the faint at heart.
Potential to go tits up = high, so not recommended for the faint at heart.
I used Cuvva - it’s an app that lets you buy insurance by the hour. Pre-load all your details before collection, then just buy the length of cover you need to get home. Last one cost me around £10 I think.
You can do the change of owner online via the DVLA.
Pre-print sales receipts from the AA website which both parties sign and provides you with proof of ownership.
Talk to the seller before you buy and try and secure the sale through an MR2 specific forum - buying off an enthusiast always seems a bit smoother. I’ve only ever bought private cars off enthusiastic, intelligent, honest, talkative vendors. I’ve always avoided badly worded adds and vendors unable to answer the most basic of questions. Has worked out so far for me, not had a lemon yet.
Previously I’ve paid cash, these days I just do a bank transfer, they’ve always been instant, and it’s so easy.
Best of luck
You can do the change of owner online via the DVLA.
Pre-print sales receipts from the AA website which both parties sign and provides you with proof of ownership.
Talk to the seller before you buy and try and secure the sale through an MR2 specific forum - buying off an enthusiast always seems a bit smoother. I’ve only ever bought private cars off enthusiastic, intelligent, honest, talkative vendors. I’ve always avoided badly worded adds and vendors unable to answer the most basic of questions. Has worked out so far for me, not had a lemon yet.
Previously I’ve paid cash, these days I just do a bank transfer, they’ve always been instant, and it’s so easy.
Best of luck
spoodler said:
Talk to the seller on a landline (if poss'). Transfer funds. Insure car. Tax online. Take train/bus/walk to seller's address. Drive home new car taking note of all the things the seller "forgot" to mention... Might not be the most secure way to buy a vehicle, but I've had a lot of fun, a few adventures and made some new mates doing things this way.
Potential to go tits up = high, so not recommended for the faint at heart.
Faint of heart or anyone with an IQ above the temperature of tepid water Potential to go tits up = high, so not recommended for the faint at heart.
Afromonk said:
spoodler said:
Talk to the seller on a landline (if poss'). Transfer funds. Insure car. Tax online. Take train/bus/walk to seller's address. Drive home new car taking note of all the things the seller "forgot" to mention... Might not be the most secure way to buy a vehicle, but I've had a lot of fun, a few adventures and made some new mates doing things this way.
Potential to go tits up = high, so not recommended for the faint at heart.
Faint of heart or anyone with an IQ above the temperature of tepid water Potential to go tits up = high, so not recommended for the faint at heart.
It's easy enough to confirm a seller's address. Speaking to them on a landline, you should be able to get a good feel for the sort of person they are. I'm sure there are ways of transferring funds that give you some safety (I'm not very up on that side of things). Insure it - well, yeah. Tax online - legal req'. Public transport? Why not, we are being encouraged to use it as much as poss', or you could get a lift if you have any mates. Drive home... most of us have recovery if anything goes wrong.
Most of us buy via on line ad's that show lots of detailed pictures, allow us to ask questions, request pic's of specific areas etc. - if the seller won't play nice, don't buy. And most folk wouldn't be able to pick up on smaller faults on a short test drive, so that makes that somewhat redundant. I've had lots of fun buying and selling cars. A few of mine have turned into real adventures - the transmission linkage fell off my old truck and after crawling under it on the motorway, I had to drive it the next two hundred miles without changing gear. On one, the lights and wipers packed up in the rain on the way home, was interesting by the time it got dark...
My last two vehicles - a 1964 Chevy van and a '30s style two seater sports car - were both bought "sight unseen" and delivered to me by a mate with a flatbed. Everything regarding the sales was done on line and I hadn't seen either of the vehicles before they "landed" on my drive. It made life a lot easier for me, saved me having to go and get them considering Covid was rife at the time and travel was frowned upon. I've also sold many the same way. As I said, it's not for everyone...
Afromonk said:
It’s not that deep bud, i was just messing with you.
I have done the same for a few cars so I can’t claim to be some powerfully built director with a MENSA membership.
No problem, don't mind that at all... I have done the same for a few cars so I can’t claim to be some powerfully built director with a MENSA membership.
It's just that sometimes folk on here seem to make life so much more complicated than it needs to be, some of the ideas I've read on similar posts... "Never go to see a car on your own, he could be a into human trafficing and you'll never be seen again".
Then again...Just thought I'd throw in a few ideas on why I do things my way. Only ever bought a couple of duffers, and they were back when I was young and pretended to know far more than I did - taking a jack, tools and going for extensive test rides didn't really count for a lot when you didn't have a clue! Have ended up in some out of the way places, at strange times of the day and become firm friends with a few eccentrics tho'.
Hopefully the O.P. will end up with a good one... it's a fun car, so hopefully he'll have fun finding/buying it.
Probably easier to take a mate and drive there in case it’s a bag of s
te, no pressure to buy then if you have not arranged a return journey.
Insurance etc can be done in minutes if you do a quote in advance.
Bank transfer is easiest and safest, just check your bank will authorise it on the day and not block in case of fraud.
Do your checks as suggested, don’t take the sellers word for anything.
te, no pressure to buy then if you have not arranged a return journey.Insurance etc can be done in minutes if you do a quote in advance.
Bank transfer is easiest and safest, just check your bank will authorise it on the day and not block in case of fraud.
Do your checks as suggested, don’t take the sellers word for anything.
Every situation is different and therefore you just need to suss it out as you go, do as much research in to the seller, the car and the unfolding situation and at all times carry out dynamic risk assessments... ooooh! But basically there's no rules as such as only you'll really know what feels right and what you're comfortable enough to do and how you want to manage it and then basically pray it doesn't go wrong!
I've bought quite lots of cars privately and touch wood, never had any issues be it with the sellers or the cars and like you, similar budgets and all were fairly significant distances away so I tend to go old school, forget this messaging nonsense and get on the phone... landline ideally and just have a chat, like we did in the good old days and you'll quickly get a feel for the seller be it good or bad and that, along with plenty images / videos and research into the car should dictate your next move.
I've pretty much bought every car using this method before I even leave the house... granted it relies on mutual trust but by doing the leg work first it shows that a) you're not a time waster and b) by being honest it's just better for all involved. My last car, a 90's Volvo was about 400 miles away but it's what I wanted. Quick message to say I'm interested, can we discuss... then discussed, images, research done and based on that deposit sent, train booked and balance transferred that morning so it was a case of off the train, handshake, V5 done and straight back on the road home.
Similar to my wife's car. It was in South Wales and the seller, bit old school specifically said in his advert "Call to discuss" and needless to say, he got a load of texts which he ignored. I rang him, we spoke... took a bit convincing that yes, I was going to come and get it. As in I'm coming to get it, bar it being on fire on arrival it's coming home with me. He declined a deposit, removed it from sale and a week later and a none stop 900 mile round trip it was home. Paid by bank transfer on arrival that time but again, hassle free.
I've been very fortunate in that the sellers I've dealt with of late have been absolute gents and the cars as described but anything that doesn't sit right with me be it the seller, the car or the situation and I just don't even entertain it. I can't remember the last time I just went to view a car and did the walk round, teeth sucking, haggling stuff and either bought or walked away. Probably about 15 years ago when I drove to Aberdeen to look at an "immaculate" Astra GSi for my sister and I didn't even get out the car before leaving... rusty rear arches despite "No mate, it's immaculate"
Golden rule is if you wouldn't buy it locally, don't just buy it just because you've had a bit of a trip to get there. A mate was brutal at this... we drove to South Wales (again!) for him to buy what looked to be and was described as an immaculate, original Cavalier GSi2000. We arrived, seller was there, V5 and pen in hand thinking this was a done deal as these two had just driven 400 miles to get here. Chap opened the garage door to reveal the back of this GSi and me and matey exchange "the look" and matey says "Ok, thanks for your time mate but it's not for me" on the grounds it'd had replacement back arches... the swage line wasn't quite right. Once seen, you couldn't un-see. With that we drove home much to the sellers bewilderment. Wales is nice though.
I've bought quite lots of cars privately and touch wood, never had any issues be it with the sellers or the cars and like you, similar budgets and all were fairly significant distances away so I tend to go old school, forget this messaging nonsense and get on the phone... landline ideally and just have a chat, like we did in the good old days and you'll quickly get a feel for the seller be it good or bad and that, along with plenty images / videos and research into the car should dictate your next move.
I've pretty much bought every car using this method before I even leave the house... granted it relies on mutual trust but by doing the leg work first it shows that a) you're not a time waster and b) by being honest it's just better for all involved. My last car, a 90's Volvo was about 400 miles away but it's what I wanted. Quick message to say I'm interested, can we discuss... then discussed, images, research done and based on that deposit sent, train booked and balance transferred that morning so it was a case of off the train, handshake, V5 done and straight back on the road home.
Similar to my wife's car. It was in South Wales and the seller, bit old school specifically said in his advert "Call to discuss" and needless to say, he got a load of texts which he ignored. I rang him, we spoke... took a bit convincing that yes, I was going to come and get it. As in I'm coming to get it, bar it being on fire on arrival it's coming home with me. He declined a deposit, removed it from sale and a week later and a none stop 900 mile round trip it was home. Paid by bank transfer on arrival that time but again, hassle free.
I've been very fortunate in that the sellers I've dealt with of late have been absolute gents and the cars as described but anything that doesn't sit right with me be it the seller, the car or the situation and I just don't even entertain it. I can't remember the last time I just went to view a car and did the walk round, teeth sucking, haggling stuff and either bought or walked away. Probably about 15 years ago when I drove to Aberdeen to look at an "immaculate" Astra GSi for my sister and I didn't even get out the car before leaving... rusty rear arches despite "No mate, it's immaculate"
Golden rule is if you wouldn't buy it locally, don't just buy it just because you've had a bit of a trip to get there. A mate was brutal at this... we drove to South Wales (again!) for him to buy what looked to be and was described as an immaculate, original Cavalier GSi2000. We arrived, seller was there, V5 and pen in hand thinking this was a done deal as these two had just driven 400 miles to get here. Chap opened the garage door to reveal the back of this GSi and me and matey exchange "the look" and matey says "Ok, thanks for your time mate but it's not for me" on the grounds it'd had replacement back arches... the swage line wasn't quite right. Once seen, you couldn't un-see. With that we drove home much to the sellers bewilderment. Wales is nice though.
Edited by Davie on Sunday 24th July 10:29
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