How to Sell your Car Safely?

One of the genuine concerns while selling your car is of safety and it becomes even more critical in case you are dealing with a buyer directly. By showcasing your car to unknown individuals, you are exposed to unscrupulous elements that might have an ulterior motive of committing a crime. While it is impossible to eliminate this safety risk completely, there are certain steps you can take to reduce their occurrence. We list down important guidelines that you should follow in order to sell your car safely.

1) Scan the potential buyers
Before meeting the prospective buyer, it is a good practice to do a little background check. Inquire about particulars like name, contact number, residential address, etc. of the interested party and then cross check to ascertain whether the details given are correct or not. In case you find any discrepancy, we suggest you not to continue with the discussion. Also, try to observe the person’s behaviour minutely and if you feel something fishy or dubious about it, abort the negotiations and discontinue the deal.

2) Selecting a meeting place
While it might be convenient to meet the prospective buyers at your home, the practice is not considered a safe option as it leaves you vulnerable to attempts of robbery or theft. To minimize this risk, choose a public place like a restaurant, cafeteria, or coffee shop. Venues like these are usually crowded and act as a deterrent for any kind of mischievous activity. It’s better to take someone along for a meeting and you can select anyone from your family, relatives, or friends to accompany you. By adopting this measure, you’ll feel safe and negotiate confidently during the interaction.

3) Test drive precautions
It’s quite natural for the prospective buyers to ask for a test drive before they finally make their mind on the deal. However, you need to be particularly cautious during the test drive. First of all, ask for a copy of the person’s driving license and keep it safe in your records. God forbid, if something goes wrong, this document will act as evidence and help the police to investigate the case. Also, it is preferred that you decide the route of the test drive rather than being driven to the location chosen by the buyer and exposing yourself to the risk of robbery or theft. Again, it is recommended to have someone known tag along with you on a test drive.

4) Sharing the information
There is no harm in sharing the basic information with the prospective buyer but refrain from divulging any kind of sensitive detail, be it personal or related to your vehicle. Keep in mind that many criminal elements are interested in stealing information and hence, you need to decide judiciously what data needs to be shared and more importantly, what needs to be withheld. By taking a little precaution while sharing the data, you can save yourself from risks of identity theft in the future.

Also Read:- 10 Steps to Selling Your Car