Wednesday, Sep 17, 2014 at 18:04
I've sold substantial amounts of vehicles and items from
home over about 4 decades without too many problems.
There are basically only a few problems that you need to sort out from the word go.
1. Watch out for buyers who only use text or email and offer excuses such as "working offshore" or "working up North" to avoid voice or face-to-face contact. These are usually scammers.
They won't query the asking price or make offers. They will want you accept some kind of funny payment, or overpayment. Don't give them the time of day.
You will get emails from foreign country internet name domains. Delete them.
You will get emails from Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail addresses.
Verify the owners ID (that they are Australian), before treating them seriously.
Google any names or information you get in emails, scammers use the same dodgy names all the time.
Often, you can copy and paste whole sentences into Google only to find the exact same sentence has been used in a scam email to scam someone.
Matespotter is a good site to find info on Australian people. You only need a name.
2. If a buyer turns up in person and wants the vehicle or van examined for roadworthiness, it can be done by a mobile inspector.
Don't get involved in moving the vehicle or van to an examination centre.
This will possibly amount to a waste of your time when a buyer backs out because he believes the report is unfavourable.
Ensure the buyer pays for the inspection and he loses his inspection cost monies if he doesn't buy.
3. Ensure that if a group turns up to buy your car and want to take it for a drive, you have friends or family who jump in as
well. There have been cases of a group of thugs who turn up, want to
test drive, they all jump in and outnumber the owner - then they pull a knife on him, throw him out, and steal the vehicle.
Always ask for, sight, and copy down the
test drivers MDL details (
pic with a smartphone is good). He may be under licence
suspension. This also ID's the person 100% correctly (unless he's produced a superb forgery, in which case you're stuffed!)
4. Never let the keys out of your sight. Thieves will ferret keys from view, then use plastidough to get an imprint of the key and make a reproduction key and come back at night to nick the car.
5. Keep your exact address from public view in ads until you have a callers phone number at the very least, and preferably all HIS/HER details - before you hand out exact address details.
If you hand out a complete, full address in an ad on the 'net, you may get a visit from Midnight Spares or Midnight Caravan Lifters.
6. Keep the van and vehicle secured, preferably in a locked garage. Be like a copper, eternally suspicious of potential buyers until you have proof of their bona fides.
7. When a deal is made with a satisfactory price, with a reasonable buyer - produce a simple written "buyer agreement" (two copies - one each) which contains the precise details of the item being sold - the DATE - the agreed price (written and in figures) - the deposit amount - and any other agreed terms.
The agreement must also state a date when the full amount is to be paid.
Failure to pay by the due date renders the transaction
invalid.
Once a deal is cut, a DEPOSIT - in cash - MUST change hands for the deal to be sealed. Make this clear to a buyer.
5-10% is a common amount for a deposit, but even $100 will do. The buyer must understand the deposit amount is NON-REFUNDABLE if he/she backs out of the deal.
This is to compensate you for stuffing you around.
If you do not get a deposit, the following is liable to happen;
You will get buyers who agree to buy and who don't ever come back - because they found a better deal.
You will get buyers who promise to come back with a deposit and they never return.
You will get waffley buyers who stuff you around for 2 weeks, and make you lose genuine buyers.
Make it clear that NO DEAL has been fixed in place until a deposit changes hands.
This is BASIC business modus operandi. It is amazing the number of people who do not understand this.
Also make sure that nothing leaves your possession until funds are in your account and cleared.
Be wary of PayPal payments. PayPal payments can be cancelled and the funds whipped from your account if a buyer decides to cancel the deal.
If a payment is made by PayPal, ensure the PayPal funds are transferred to your bank before the vehicle or van is handed over.
Place ads in as many
well-known sites and publications as possible, to get maximum exposure.
Suitable sites are; Gumtree, Cockymart, AussieTraders, Dinkos, the Quokka, the Trading Post, and even eBay. eBay will get you huge exposure.
With eBay, you can set a reserve price and ask for offers. It will cost you listing fees to advertise it on eBay and around 10% cut to eBay if it sells. eBay is full of scammers, be alert to them.
Make sure you do your research and place reasonable prices on items - with a small margin for negotiating.
High asking prices just means people will be instantly put off, and skip to the next ad.
You will always get chiselers who want to keep chiseling you down on price.
Set your bottom line selling price, and walk away if the buyer won't meet it.
99% of people are reasonable, honest people - it's the 1% that cause all the heartburn and crap. You just need to sort out the 1% if they happen to turn up with deviousness in mind.
If you feel that all of the above is beyond your skills and capabilities, you should investigate giving the vehicle and van to an auction house or dealer to sell.
Make sure you receive an agreement that they are selling as an agent on your behalf and that you retain ownership of the vehicle/van, until a sale takes place.
You can put a reserve price on both vehicle and van. An auction house will take around 15% cut on average, and auction prices are generally lower than negotiated deals.
Good luck, and I trust this bit of advice helps you out.
AnswerID:
539221
Follow Up By: Member -Shakeejob - Wednesday, Sep 17, 2014 at 18:46
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2014 at 18:46
Thanks Ron,
That's a very comprehensive
check list, and full of sound advice.
i'm much obliged.
Cheers
Les
FollowupID:
823828
Follow Up By: AlanTH - Thursday, Sep 18, 2014 at 09:10
Thursday, Sep 18, 2014 at 09:10
Yes all good stuff but it'll protect you and your property. You'll get all sorts of reasons given for why you shouldn't take their licence details but stick with it.
When I sold a Prado a couple of years ago one bloke said to me when asked for ID......"but I'm a copper"!
"So you say" I responded "but no ID no ride".
He was a cop and did give a deposit and then stuffed me around so much I called it off and returned his money less the readvertising cost.
There's all sorts out there but generally if you explain things most are not bad.
Good luck.
AlanH.
FollowupID:
823845
Follow Up By: davet - Thursday, Sep 18, 2014 at 09:11
Thursday, Sep 18, 2014 at 09:11
Thanks for this. I like matespotter, that's a good one
FollowupID:
823846