How to sell my car in Hampshire?
There are three main options -
1. Sell my car to a cash car buyer;
Selling your car to an online cash car buyer can be quick and easy if you choose a company that comes to you. Some companies expect you to go to them, once you have accepted their quote, only to find that when you get there, they will offer you less money. You are then in a position whereby you either accept the offer or you return home with your unsold car to start the process of trying to sell it again. By going to them, the ball is in their court, it is you that has had to travel, maybe some distance, to them, if you choose a company that comes to you at a time and place convenient to you, then the onus is on the car buyer.
By entering top phrases such as; cash car buyer in Hampshire, sell my car in Hampshire, best cash car buyer in Hampshire, cash for cars in Hampshire etc. into a search engine, you will obtain a list of the most relevant companies suitable for your requirements.
Whichever company you decide to use, always ensure that you are paid by cleared funds i.e.; bank transfer directly into your account or bankers draft, this will guarantee that your payment is secure.
You are also advised to fill in all relevant documents, for example the V5 Registration document (log book) by completing the yellow part – notification of sale or transfer to a motor trader, complete with the dealers details and VAT registration number and both you and the dealer need to sign and date it. You need to send this to the DVLA (address on back) to inform them that the car is no longer your property so that after you have completed the sale, responsibility transfers to the car buyer along with any parking fines, speeding offences etc that they may incur – saving you the hassle of receiving any penalties. You are also required to sign and date as the seller in the box provided.
2. Sell my car to a local dealer;
This can be a disappointing option, it can work under a certain set of circumstances, for example if your car is one that they specifically specialise in and are low on stock of. More often than not though, the dealer will want to sell your car onto a cash car buyer themselves, obviously taking their margin of the profit whilst doing so. If you do decide that this is the best option for you, you must make sure that you are paid in cleared funds – bank transfer or bankers draft, this will ensure that your money is secure.
You also need to fill in the relevant section of the V5, the yellow part. You will need to fill in the traders name, address and VAT number, which once signed by both yourself and the dealer needs to be sent to the DVLA – by you. This informs them that you no longer own the vehicle. Any penalties that are received after that date will then be sent to the motor trader and not to you. You also need to sign and date as the seller – the motor trader will retain the remainder of the V5 to enable him to sell the car on.
3. Sell my car privately;
Selling your car privately in the current market can prove to be costly, stressful and time consuming, however should you decide that this is your preferred choice, we offer these guidelines for advice on how to go about it.
Firstly, to establish a realistic selling price for your car, we suggest you look on a site such as www.autotrader.co.uk and input details of your car into the search engine – this will provide you with a list of similar cars to yours and the prices that they are for sale at. Using the alternative online calculator guides, is possibly not going to provide you with a realistic idea of what your car will sell for as you are only able to input limited information about your car and are not able to compare like with like, as you can on a site such as Autotrader.
Once you have established the selling price, the next thing to do is to either valet the car yourself or pay to have it done professionally – it makes a huge difference! Then take good quality photographs with a nice backdrop to enhance your car of both the inside and outside, bear in mind that many people viewing your car will blow your pictures up to full screen size so better quality pictures really help.
Then prepare yourself for any calls you may get. When making an appointment with someone who wishes to view your car, it is advisable to take a contact number from them and to request that they bring some form of ID with them, after all you are in effect inviting a stranger to your home to test drive your car. We would advise that you stay with your car at all times and go with them if they want a test drive. Your insurance company won’t be willing to help you if your car is stolen from you when you have handed over the keys! You must check that the potential buyer is insured to drive your car, even if they have fully comprehensive cover, they may only be insured to drive your car third party – a risk – but the choice is yours as to whether you allow them to drive.
Finally, once a deal has been haggled over and agreed, take payment only by cleared funds i.e. A banker’s draft or money transfer into your account, a personal cheque can be cancelled! And obviously cash can be a security risk. You will need to complete the V5 (log book) with the buyers details, provide the buyer with the new keeper supplement – (the green section), only, both date and sign as required and send the remainder of the document to the DVLA to inform them of the change of ownership. This will prevent any penalties that the new owner may incur from coming to you. It is also advisable to issue the buyer with a signed receipt of which you keep a copy so you can prove that the car was sold to them, if possible it is a good idea to take a photocopy of their ID.
We hope this information is useful and wish you every success in selling your car in whichever way you choose.
