Safety First
Always meet prospective buyers during the day time in a safe, public, neutral
place. Use a police station if convenient. Have a friend with you who can raise an alarm should anything
begin to go wrong. Avoid test drives with a lot of people and test drives in unfamiliar areas.
Confirm buyers identity
Be particularly wary of potential buyers who are willing to purchase
your vehicle without seeing it or driving it. Always attempt to verify a potential buyer's identity.
Secure payment before transferring the vehicle
Do not transfer the title for the vehicle you
are selling until you have full payment in hand at the agreed price, or a verified letter of committment
from the buyers financial institution.
Verify managers cheques
Verify authenticity of a managers cheque with the branch of the issuing
bank. Even managers cheques can be returned for various reasons. If possible, have the buyer give you
a managers cheque drawn on the bank you bank with.
Be wary of complicated payment arrangements
Be very cautious when a buyer wants to give you
a cheque for more than the sale price and asks you to refund the difference.
Trust your gut.
Our instincts are there for a reason. If something about a transaction sends
off warning bells in your head, sometimes its best to trust your instincts and avoid the transaction.
Help us help you (and others)
If you have any other tips you would like to share with other
users of our site, please contact us at [email protected] with these.