Selling Your Car Safely: Six Safety Tips to Consider

It's time to sell your car. During the process, your number one concern is selling your car safely and the prevention of being scammed. Generally speaking, use your gut instinct. If at anytime you feel the transaction "feels funny" or you've got a suspicious feeling, terminate any further discussions with the prospective buyer. With that said, selling your car safely also involves some other tips to keep in mind. Let's look at each in turn.

Selling Your Car Safely tip # 1. Meeting in a public place. When you have a prospective buyer, have a plan beforehand on where you want the car inspected. If you don't want to give out your address, consider meeting at a local mall or public parking lot. Selling your car safely includes taking measures to protect yourself.

Selling Your Car Safely tip # 2. The prospective buyer should have a driver's license. When you meet the prospective buyer, ask to see his driver's license. You don't want someone operating your vehicle without a license.

Selling Your Car Safely tip # 3. Test driving your car. If a buyer wants to test drive your car, a decision needs to be made on whether you should ride along with the buyer. While some may disagree, riding along with the buyer is better than not riding along. You could be taking the chance of not getting your car returned. Consider having a spouse or friend trail along in another car just in case anything goes wrong. Also, have your cell phone with you.

Selling Your Car Safely tip # 4. Draw up a Bill of Sale. This is a contract between you and the buyer. While it isn't required, it's a good idea to memorialize your agreement to protect yourself. A Bill of Sale can be limited to one page. Legal websites offer these form agreements for a fee, but if you can find one that contains a template, all you have to do is type your own document. Consider including an "as is" clause indicating the buyer is purchasing the car "as is". If necessary, consult an attorney for guidance.

Selling Your Car Safely tip # 5. The title of the car needs to be transferred properly. Review your state's regulations on this. Do not attempt to sell your car without making sure the title is correctly processed per your state's guidelines.

Selling Your Car Safely tip # 6. What form of payment will you accept? Cash is the best form of payment, but sometimes transactions are too large. A personal check could bounce, so don't accept this kind of check. A cashier's or certified check is the best form of payment, but even these checks can be fraudulent. If possible, consider meeting at the buyer's bank and witness the cashier's or certified check being drawn. This is all part of selling your car safely.

These safety tips aren't designed to scare you out of selling your car. They are designed to help you with selling your car safely. You want to feel comfortable that the buyer is honest and is willing to complete the transaction smoothly. Good luck in making that sale.

Source for this article:

http://blogs.cars.com/safe/2007/02/cashiers_checks.html