Safety when buying or selling a car privately

Personal safety is always important and definitely cannot be forgotten when dealing with strangers when either buying or selling a car privately.

Some tips for buyers

• Take a friend. When you tell people you’re going to look at a used car, they will invariably tell you to take a friend. Usually, they’re talking about someone who knows cars and can help you figure out what you’re dealing with. But we’re talking about someone who can help you figure out who you’re dealing with and keep an eye on any unsavoury characters. Your friend’s job is to pay attention to the seller while you investigate the car. Simple.
   
• Don’t deal with any middle men. There’s almost no reason for a genuine seller to have someone dealing with you on their behalf. Check the car’s registration details, check the seller’s license details and be sure they match up. If they don’t, we recommend you take a step back. You want to be sure the person selling the car is the actual owner of the car (imagine buying a car that was being sold without the owner’s permission). You do not want to get burned, and middle men are the most common form of scam artist when it comes to car sales.
   
• Meet somewhere public. You want to meet the seller somewhere busy and visible. The car park of your local police station is a great option. Or a Maccas. Or anywhere that’s high-traffic. Choose a time during daylight hours, where there are plenty of people coming and going. It’s also a good idea to avoid telling the seller too many details about yourself before you arrive - this allows you to give them and their surroundings an anonymous eyeballing before you even engage.
   
• Cash handling. You do not want to walk into this situation with a wad of hundreds curled up in your clammy little palm. It puts you in a potentially dangerous position - you become a prime target for opportunistic robbery! Along those same lines, it’s a good idea to leave conspicuous jewellery and valuables at home.

Some tips for sellers

The above tips hold true for sellers, with a few other things to keep in mind. 

• If you’re offering test drives, check that your insurance covers the person who’ll be driving (most policies these days cover anyone who drives your car).
   
• Write down all the buyer’s details, including their address and phone number. If you can get a home phone number, give it a call and ask for the buyer by name. 
   
• It’s especially important to meet somewhere other than your own residence when you’re the seller. Spending time in the car and seeing where it’s kept, makes it relatively easy for a car thief to return to your house in the wee hours and help themselves to your car (and anything else, really).
   
• Before finalising the sale, ask for a second form of identification, like a Medicare card.

List your car here on Autotrader.com.au.