Logistics of selling my car
October 28, 2018 8:13 AM Subscribe
When selling a used car (mine) do I just let people take it for a test drive on their own? What about letting them take it to a mechanic? What is the best place to list it? I"m hoping to limit personal risk.
I'd like to sell my car. I took it to CarMax and they gave me what I think is an absurdly low offer so I'd like to at least try to sell it myself. But as single woman in a city (San Francisco) how does one deal with letting prospective buyers test drive and/or take it to a mechanic? Letting them just drive away with it seems unwise but I'd also be very uncomfortable going with a stranger on my own. I've sold cars to friends before but this would be the first time I'd try selling to strangers.
Craigslist seems to pull from the crazy closet more often than not so is it worth spending $25 for something like Auto Trader?
Any other best practices I need to know about?
I'd like to sell my car. I took it to CarMax and they gave me what I think is an absurdly low offer so I'd like to at least try to sell it myself. But as single woman in a city (San Francisco) how does one deal with letting prospective buyers test drive and/or take it to a mechanic? Letting them just drive away with it seems unwise but I'd also be very uncomfortable going with a stranger on my own. I've sold cars to friends before but this would be the first time I'd try selling to strangers.
Craigslist seems to pull from the crazy closet more often than not so is it worth spending $25 for something like Auto Trader?
Any other best practices I need to know about?
When I was in the process of selling a car I let the potential buyer pick out a mechanic and pay for an inspection. I was the one who dropped off and picked up the car at the chosen time. The buyer got the inspection report and I was not allowed to see it since I didn’t pay for it. It worked out ethically for everyone.
posted by joan_holloway at 8:26 AM on October 28, 2018 [17 favorites]
posted by joan_holloway at 8:26 AM on October 28, 2018 [17 favorites]
When I was buying a cheap used car in the Bay last year via Craigslist, 3 sellers (all men, I am a woman) came with me in the car. A forth seller did not, and he was the one I ended up buying from.
Something unique about that seller was that his ad specified “include your email address in your response,” which I did even though I knew that craigslist has that forwarding system, and when I went to look at the car he told me that he was using that minor detail/request to filter out bots and scammers and people who were not conscientious/couldn’t follow directions (which he got a lot of.)
Also, I know NextDoor is a mess but you could try selling there. It’s less anonymous than Craigslist so you might feel safer, and at least as of last year, it was free.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:38 AM on October 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
Something unique about that seller was that his ad specified “include your email address in your response,” which I did even though I knew that craigslist has that forwarding system, and when I went to look at the car he told me that he was using that minor detail/request to filter out bots and scammers and people who were not conscientious/couldn’t follow directions (which he got a lot of.)
Also, I know NextDoor is a mess but you could try selling there. It’s less anonymous than Craigslist so you might feel safer, and at least as of last year, it was free.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:38 AM on October 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Another thing- it’s manual transmission and though it has a newly replaced transmission, it probably needs a new clutch. Should I do that work first or just disclose and price accordingly?
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:46 AM on October 28, 2018
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:46 AM on October 28, 2018
That depends on the types of buyers you want to attract, which depends on the age, model, and condition of the car. Will your buyers be looking for something perfect, or will they be expecting some issues?
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 8:54 AM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 8:54 AM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've sold a few cars this way. I've done the "I'll hold your wallet" thing (after checking to make sure the wallet is theirs) and let them take their own test drive. Agree with joan_holloway about the inspection. Some people won't even care about or need this depending how low-priced your car is. And on some cars, a new clutch is a serious repair and on some it isn't. Maybe mention "The car will need a new clutch soon. This will cost about $XXX. The car blue book value is $YYY and I am selling it at $YYY minus $XXX to compensate for this" Also make sure you know how much life is left in the clutch since San Fran is hilly and you don't know how skilled your test drivers may be.
One thing I learned from hearing about it here is that you may get people who will assume you know nothing about cars and who look at the car, tell you something is terribly wrong with it (leaking transmission fluid, could catch fire!!) and then try to offer you half of what you're asking. This is a known scam and do not fall for it. Same thing with the well-known "I will send an agent with a money order for $ABC" (always more than the cost of the car). Accept bank cashier checks or cash (I don't know about electronic payment for this sort of thing) but no money orders, for any reason.
posted by jessamyn at 9:19 AM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
One thing I learned from hearing about it here is that you may get people who will assume you know nothing about cars and who look at the car, tell you something is terribly wrong with it (leaking transmission fluid, could catch fire!!) and then try to offer you half of what you're asking. This is a known scam and do not fall for it. Same thing with the well-known "I will send an agent with a money order for $ABC" (always more than the cost of the car). Accept bank cashier checks or cash (I don't know about electronic payment for this sort of thing) but no money orders, for any reason.
posted by jessamyn at 9:19 AM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
When I lived in Columbia, Missouri, a car dealer was murdered by customers taking a test drive. After that, at least in that time period (1970s), car dealers let customers take the cars on their own. I have always done that and had no problem with it, though hanging onto something valuable seems like a fine idea. I’ve more recently just donated cars to avoid the hassle, but I tend to hold onto them until they’re not worth much.
I know somebody who sold a car and just trusted the buyers to transfer the title. They didn’t, and they used the car to commit a crime, so he had the police showing up thinking he’d robbed a convenience store. It got sorted out (I’m sure it helped that he was white), but be sure to meet the buyers at the Secretary of State’s office to get the title changed.
posted by FencingGal at 9:36 AM on October 28, 2018
I know somebody who sold a car and just trusted the buyers to transfer the title. They didn’t, and they used the car to commit a crime, so he had the police showing up thinking he’d robbed a convenience store. It got sorted out (I’m sure it helped that he was white), but be sure to meet the buyers at the Secretary of State’s office to get the title changed.
posted by FencingGal at 9:36 AM on October 28, 2018
Accept bank cashier checks
There are forged cashiers checks. Only assume that they're safe if you can go to the bank with them and see the teller create it. Postal money orders are a bit safer because the post office comes down hard on anyone that forges them regardless of amount. It can be harder to get LEO attention with forged bank checks with used cars as the amount may fall under the threshold that they are willing to devote time to investigating.
The buyer got the inspection report and I was not allowed to see it since I didn’t pay for it.
If they decide not to buy it because of something found on the report, you can offer to go halves on the cost at that point to find out what it was.
posted by Candleman at 9:38 AM on October 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
There are forged cashiers checks. Only assume that they're safe if you can go to the bank with them and see the teller create it. Postal money orders are a bit safer because the post office comes down hard on anyone that forges them regardless of amount. It can be harder to get LEO attention with forged bank checks with used cars as the amount may fall under the threshold that they are willing to devote time to investigating.
The buyer got the inspection report and I was not allowed to see it since I didn’t pay for it.
If they decide not to buy it because of something found on the report, you can offer to go halves on the cost at that point to find out what it was.
posted by Candleman at 9:38 AM on October 28, 2018 [2 favorites]
If the prospective buyer shows up with a friend/family member, I always have that person stay behind while the other one test drives it. Otherwise, if it's just one person, I hold their driver's license (first making sure it's theirs and it hasn't expired.)
I don't hold their whole wallet. I mean, would you trust a total stranger with your wallet? It takes no time to write down all the necessary numbers from credit cards and the like while you're out driving.
.................
Accept bank cashier checks
When I've sold cars via Craigslist, I've always insisted on cash. It's just cleaner that way.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:26 AM on October 28, 2018
I don't hold their whole wallet. I mean, would you trust a total stranger with your wallet? It takes no time to write down all the necessary numbers from credit cards and the like while you're out driving.
.................
Accept bank cashier checks
When I've sold cars via Craigslist, I've always insisted on cash. It's just cleaner that way.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:26 AM on October 28, 2018
Should I do that work first or just disclose and price accordingly?
You can have it both ways since it should be a pretty straight-forward job. A reputable mechanic should be able to quote you a price and you can volunteer that it will need a new clutch soon and you can offer to knock the cost off the price or have it done before the sale (they may want to see how it drives with a new clutch before finalizing the sale).
Depending on the car, you might get a buyer who prefers to do the work themselves which is a bit easier for you to deal with so it might be nice to have that option.
posted by VTX at 12:11 PM on October 28, 2018
You can have it both ways since it should be a pretty straight-forward job. A reputable mechanic should be able to quote you a price and you can volunteer that it will need a new clutch soon and you can offer to knock the cost off the price or have it done before the sale (they may want to see how it drives with a new clutch before finalizing the sale).
Depending on the car, you might get a buyer who prefers to do the work themselves which is a bit easier for you to deal with so it might be nice to have that option.
posted by VTX at 12:11 PM on October 28, 2018
No extensive experience, but cash and I took a photo of their license before letting them test drive it.
posted by idb at 12:45 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by idb at 12:45 PM on October 28, 2018
When I sold my car as a single woman, I had a male friend come over whenever someone came to take a look. We would meet the buyer at meet at a local mall parking lot, and then keep a copy of their licence while they did a test drive around the parking lot. Anywhere off the lot my friend went with them while I waited. The mechanic thing was fairly straight forward, the person who bought the car paid for an inspection at the dealership where it originally came from (not either of our personal mechanics actually) and I dropped the car off there after a deposit. Worked out great.
posted by snowysoul at 6:12 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by snowysoul at 6:12 PM on October 28, 2018
Letting them just drive away with it seems unwise but I'd also be very uncomfortable going with a stranger on my own.
Do not go in the car with them. Any Canadian who's paid attention to the news in the last six years will be able to tell you about Tim Bosma (deceased) and Dellen Millard (multi-millionaire heir of a prestigious Toronto family and now convicted serial killer).
When Millard was on his way to test drive their truck Bosma asked his wife Sharlene "When they come, should I go with them?" and she said "Yes, you should go, because we want the truck to come back". So he went. And the truck didn't come back, and neither did he.
posted by Secret Sparrow at 7:20 PM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
Do not go in the car with them. Any Canadian who's paid attention to the news in the last six years will be able to tell you about Tim Bosma (deceased) and Dellen Millard (multi-millionaire heir of a prestigious Toronto family and now convicted serial killer).
When Millard was on his way to test drive their truck Bosma asked his wife Sharlene "When they come, should I go with them?" and she said "Yes, you should go, because we want the truck to come back". So he went. And the truck didn't come back, and neither did he.
posted by Secret Sparrow at 7:20 PM on October 28, 2018 [1 favorite]
I was a bank teller for a bit and people came in pairs to make cashier's checks for private car sales all the time.
posted by Juliet Banana at 7:41 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by Juliet Banana at 7:41 PM on October 28, 2018
We also saw just as many fake cashier's checks as money orders, so I'd use that method!
posted by Juliet Banana at 7:42 PM on October 28, 2018
posted by Juliet Banana at 7:42 PM on October 28, 2018
I've bought cars on CL and bought and sold motorcycles. There are definitely some "best practices" that make things go more smoothly.
I would always expect the seller to hold my ID during a test drive/ride. (For motorcycles, many also expect to be holding the full asking price—in cash—in case you crash it; I wouldn't go that far for a car, unless it's a tuner car of some sort likely to attract morons.) As a potential buyer, I wouldn't want the seller to come along on a test drive, although I guess it wouldn't be a total deal-breaker if they insisted.
If the asking price is under, say, $5k, I would just specify cash only. This eliminates any risk of bad cashiers checks, etc. For a more expensive vehicle I'd be potentially open to other methods, but I wouldn't say so in the ad — it's an invitation to stupid overpayment scams, which are pretty transparently easy to spot but annoying. And I'd want the ability to call an audible later on, based on the apparent shiftiness of the buyer.
If someone offers / asks if they can pay with a cashiers' check, the first question to ask is "what bank?" If they have an internet/no-branch/non-local bank, I'd probably just nope right the fuck out. The best-case scenario is to have it drawn on a local bank, or bank with a local branch, and then take the check there as part of the transaction—before you sign the title over—and cash it or at least verify that it's genuine. Alternately, the big national banks generally have a way for you to call them and validate an official check, but be sure to Google the bank's phone number, don't trust anything that's on the check itself. Generally speaking I wouldn't sign the title until I have cash in hand. Do not just deposit the check into your account and assume that because the money appears in your balance that it has cleared or the check is valid.
USPS money orders max out at $1000, so I don't think they are particularly useful for selling a car, or anything else in person. They are really meant for sending money to someone, somewhere else. But for an in-person transaction under a thousand bucks, you can easily just use paper bills instead, which are just as (if not more) difficult to counterfeit.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:41 PM on October 28, 2018
I would always expect the seller to hold my ID during a test drive/ride. (For motorcycles, many also expect to be holding the full asking price—in cash—in case you crash it; I wouldn't go that far for a car, unless it's a tuner car of some sort likely to attract morons.) As a potential buyer, I wouldn't want the seller to come along on a test drive, although I guess it wouldn't be a total deal-breaker if they insisted.
If the asking price is under, say, $5k, I would just specify cash only. This eliminates any risk of bad cashiers checks, etc. For a more expensive vehicle I'd be potentially open to other methods, but I wouldn't say so in the ad — it's an invitation to stupid overpayment scams, which are pretty transparently easy to spot but annoying. And I'd want the ability to call an audible later on, based on the apparent shiftiness of the buyer.
If someone offers / asks if they can pay with a cashiers' check, the first question to ask is "what bank?" If they have an internet/no-branch/non-local bank, I'd probably just nope right the fuck out. The best-case scenario is to have it drawn on a local bank, or bank with a local branch, and then take the check there as part of the transaction—before you sign the title over—and cash it or at least verify that it's genuine. Alternately, the big national banks generally have a way for you to call them and validate an official check, but be sure to Google the bank's phone number, don't trust anything that's on the check itself. Generally speaking I wouldn't sign the title until I have cash in hand. Do not just deposit the check into your account and assume that because the money appears in your balance that it has cleared or the check is valid.
USPS money orders max out at $1000, so I don't think they are particularly useful for selling a car, or anything else in person. They are really meant for sending money to someone, somewhere else. But for an in-person transaction under a thousand bucks, you can easily just use paper bills instead, which are just as (if not more) difficult to counterfeit.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:41 PM on October 28, 2018
I'm not worried about getting murdered, that's vanishingly rare, but there are a lot of people out there with terrible driving skills. In any case, it's not worth risking my life to ride with them. A rogue buyer can't do anything, really, without the title (which should not be in the car or indeed anywhere near it at any time until you are ready to transfer). They can take the car to a chop shop but who would go through the trouble and risk of introducing themselves to their victim and showing ID? I just meet in a public place and check ID.
As far as payment, I wouldn't risk carrying thousands in cash, either. Better to pick up the check in person. In California, you file the notice of non-responsibility, it doesn't matter if they never register the car, I have never accompanied a buyer to do so. One California-specific note, a number of buyers ask about how many months of registration are left; this was always a red flag for me because they're basically saying they have no legal ability to register a vehicle here. Plus if they can't legally establish residency, who knows what difficulty you'd have getting paid?
posted by wnissen at 9:07 AM on October 29, 2018
As far as payment, I wouldn't risk carrying thousands in cash, either. Better to pick up the check in person. In California, you file the notice of non-responsibility, it doesn't matter if they never register the car, I have never accompanied a buyer to do so. One California-specific note, a number of buyers ask about how many months of registration are left; this was always a red flag for me because they're basically saying they have no legal ability to register a vehicle here. Plus if they can't legally establish residency, who knows what difficulty you'd have getting paid?
posted by wnissen at 9:07 AM on October 29, 2018
If you are uncomfortable with someone paying you in cash and then having the cash to deal with, have them meet you at your bank to pay you and get the title. You can deposit the cash right away.
If it's not cash, meet them at their bank and go to the teller with them.
For a manual transmission, I think your biggest risk if you ride along is that you'll end up stuck in a car with someone who is not only a terrible driver but can't drive a manual transmission. Which can kill you just as sure as getting murdered.
posted by yohko at 12:29 PM on October 29, 2018
If it's not cash, meet them at their bank and go to the teller with them.
For a manual transmission, I think your biggest risk if you ride along is that you'll end up stuck in a car with someone who is not only a terrible driver but can't drive a manual transmission. Which can kill you just as sure as getting murdered.
posted by yohko at 12:29 PM on October 29, 2018
I've sold my cars three times, via craigslist. I go in the car when they test drive, I take a photo of their license (in the pre-phone camera thing, I'd take the photo and then leave the camera at the house). Often I was alone (female, usually with male test drive folks). I'd say that each sale averaged 6 actual test drives. I posted it with copious photos and have detailed maintenance records upon request.
To make the deal, they'd bring a cashier's check, we'd meet at my bank and I'd deposit it with them present. Then we'd walk over to one of those little counters and sign over the pink slip.
Yes, there are murder and attack possibilities. They could be trying to steal my car or case my house or something nefarious. Really, the worst part of listing on craigslist is the fact that you'll end up email-conversing with weirdos or bots, not that they'll actually come to buy your car. (So it's a lot of wasting time and of course they capture your email address for spamming.) For my next listing, I'm planning on getting a whole new email address just for this process.
People don't read, so yes, confirm many times with them that it's a manual. You can offer to do the driving for the test drive if they're planning to learn after purchase.
posted by typetive at 5:28 PM on October 29, 2018
To make the deal, they'd bring a cashier's check, we'd meet at my bank and I'd deposit it with them present. Then we'd walk over to one of those little counters and sign over the pink slip.
Yes, there are murder and attack possibilities. They could be trying to steal my car or case my house or something nefarious. Really, the worst part of listing on craigslist is the fact that you'll end up email-conversing with weirdos or bots, not that they'll actually come to buy your car. (So it's a lot of wasting time and of course they capture your email address for spamming.) For my next listing, I'm planning on getting a whole new email address just for this process.
People don't read, so yes, confirm many times with them that it's a manual. You can offer to do the driving for the test drive if they're planning to learn after purchase.
posted by typetive at 5:28 PM on October 29, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
I've always had good luck buying and selling on Craigslist, but I think Craigslist has declined a bit since the last time I had to do this so I'm not really sure if that's still the best venue.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 8:22 AM on October 28, 2018