Media post: The risks of selling your car privately

What you should know.

Selling your car privately is risky business. You have a high chance of getting the best price for your car but that’s certainly not guaranteed and it does take time and effort and come with some risks you should be aware of.

Sell My Car is a car buying service that eliminates all of the risks of private sale. Before you commit to selling your car privately, you may want to consider some of the risks involved: 

1 – Expect tyre-kickers

The term tyre-kicker refers to a type of person who requests information from you, with no intention of ever buying. As any person who works in the sales industry will tell you, they are frustrating and unavoidable. You could waste a lot of time organising inspections and providing information to people who aren’t planning to buy. Negotiating on price can be a hassle, being questioned about how much your car is worth. You can try and identify a tyre-kicker by asking questions like “When are you planning to buy?” and “What are your contact details?”, if they are reluctant to provide answers you may have a tyre-kicker and decide not to invest too much time.

2 – Protect your advertisement

If you have chosen to sell through an online classifieds site, you may need to protect yourself against unauthorised access to your advertisement. Only ever login to your advertisement through a legitimate website or address, never via a link. Fake websites are often created with similar URLs to car classified websites to trick people into entering their personal information.

3 – Protect yourself

Find out whom you’re dealing with and request a name and contact phone number. It is a good idea to not give out your personal details (such as your address or phone number), as you don’t want people coming and knocking on your door or knowing where the car is being housed, sometimes this can’t be helped if you’re selling privately as you need potential buyers to be able to contact you and inspect the car.

4 – Do your research

Don’t agree to a test drive until you have checked your insurance. Comprehensive insurance policies generally cover test drives but you should always check to make sure. Also check the insurance of the potential buyer, as an accident may not be covered if the driver is uninsured. It may also be worth taking something of value to them if you are not attending the test drive, such as their car keys or phone to minimise the risk of them not bringing your car back. Lastly, always consider if it’s safe to get in the car with this person and always trust your gut instincts if you’re in any doubt.

5 – Spot scammers

Beware of scammers. A common scam targeted at car sellers involves a fake buyer who offers to purchase your car via Paypal without inspecting the vehicle. They often claim to organise and pay for a freight company to come and collect the car due to them being interstate or overseas, they claim there is an issue with the freight company and encourage you to pay the freight cost directly into their bank account and then provide you with fake receipts. Always use your common sense in these situations, if you sense it is a scam, do not agree to anything. Remember that you can always contact your local office of fair trading for advice.

Ultimately, if you do decide to sell your car privately it could be worth familiarising yourself with the points outlined above to avoid any unwanted drama down the track. Alternatively, you could jump onto the Sell My Car website, get an estimated value for your car, make an appointment to your car inspected and we’ll make you an offer to buy your car on the spot with guaranteed payment.

About Sell My Car

Sellmycar.com.au is a car buying service backed by Manheim Auctions Australia & global business Cox Enterprises. They purchase your vehicle directly from you, offering a faster, easier and smarter way to sell your car. See their website for more details www.sellmycar.com.au.