Selling your car can help you remove a considerable expense and put extra money into your savings account. Working with a business like Before U Trade can help you complete this process quickly, easily, and safely. Our website lists our simplified three-step car buying process and provides a no-obligation offer valid for seven days. We provide payment on delivery, and you can schedule this for whenever it works best for you.
Still, if you prefer to sell your car independently, there are key steps to keep in mind – especially when considering how to complete these steps safely.
Vet Buyers Thoroughly
Everyone knows someone who had a scary or bad interaction when trying to sell their car on their own. And while there will always be a risk of some kind, there are things you can do to help protect yourself. The first is to vet your buyers as thoroughly as possible before you meet them. Not only will this help keep you safe, but it can also help you identify the serious offers from the rest.
You can vet buyers by contacting them on the phone before meeting them. Avoid giving them too much of your personal information (like your home address or real email address), and never meet them at your residence. Bring a friend, and always try to meet in a safe, public, and brightly lit area. If you allow a potential buyer to test drive the car, do not get into the car with them alone. Instead, take a photo of their driver’s license or other identifiable information. Agree on the route you will take beforehand, and try not to let the drive exceed 15 minutes.
Avoid Financial Scams
If your buyer is serious, the next step in the car-selling process is negotiating the price and the form of payment. While negotiation tactics and advice are readily available on the internet, make sure you are also comfortable discussing the form of payment. Here are a few tips to help you avoid a financial scam.
– Always deal in cash. This is the safest and most secure way to transfer payment from buyer to seller, as it doesn’t require an exchange of information. However, this might not be possible for every buyer if your vehicle is worth a considerable sum.
– Verify a check’s authenticity. Checks are often the second most common payment method. To help ensure you are receiving a legitimate payment, ask the buyer if you can meet at a bank to help.- Wait for the wire to be completed. If you choose to have the buyer wire the funds to your account, wait until you hear from your banker that the transaction is complete before handing over your keys. Patience at this critical time can help you save a lot of time, money, and frustration down the road.
Complete the Paperwork
After the physical and financial safety aspects, there is one final safety category to focus on: legal safety. To help protect you as a car seller, try to get as much as possible during the car selling process in writing. This can include the bill of sale, sales contract, a form of payment, insurance, and title. Legally sign the car to them following DMV guidelines (after receiving payment) to ensure that you are no longer held responsible for any action the buyer takes when driving around your old car. Keep your insurance policy active until the vehicle is registered and insurance is under the buyer’s name. Anything before that could be considered your responsibility and leave you with more bills than expected.
Physical, financial, and legal are the three safety categories to focus on throughout the car-selling process. Neglecting even one of these areas could spell unwanted and harmful outcomes for you or your wallet. If you want to avoid this hassle and work directly with a vendor that can provide you with real, safe, and timely offers for your vehicle, then learn how Before U Trade can help. We provide a fast, free, transparent, and no-obligation offer for your vehicle.
