If you want to sell your car to private individuals, there are a few things you need to bear in mind. There are both legal and financial risks involved.
The first step before selling is to determine the value. You can do this by researching online. To get the best price for your car, it should be in good technical condition and clean. The condition can be documented with photos—for example, for newspaper advertisements, on online portals, at dealer purchase services or on classified ad portals.
Draw up a written sales contract
Before a test drive, sellers should ask to see the driving licence of potential buyers. If both sides agree, experts advise drawing up a written sales contract. This should include detailed information such as the personal details of the seller and buyer and an accurate description of the car, including the make, model and condition, including any defects. In addition, the contract should clearly state that there is no warranty. Forms are available from the ADAC or TÜV.
Cash payment protects against fraud
The police recommend cash payment when selling a car. There are always cases of fraud. One example is online payment systems. Here, buyers claim that they did not receive the car and freeze the money. A second example: people other than the buyers want to pick up the car. Documents such as powers of attorney or copies of ID cards could be forged.
First the money, then the papers
Sellers should only hand over all the car documents once they have received the money—whether in cash or by real-time bank transfer. They should then immediately deregister the car with the vehicle registration office and their insurance company to protect themselves legally and financially.
Checklists for selling a car:
Stiftung Warentest | Selling a used car in 10 steps
ADAC | Checklist for selling a car privately
ZDF heute | Selling a car privately
The police on payment fraud:
Police | Fraud during payment and handover
tun25080502