Payment, test drives and handover: selling safely

A sale is less stressful when everyone knows how it will work. Before the appointment, agree on the location, payment and what needs to be settled before handover. It also makes an unusual request easier to spot.

Prepare the viewing

Choose a place and time that allow the car to be examined properly. Keep useful documents close at hand and prepare an honest account of its condition. You will save time if known faults and service details have already been disclosed.

For a test drive, check the driving licence and find out which insurance cover applies. Agree on the route and accompany the buyer when possible. A test drive should let them discover the car within a clear arrangement understood by both sides.

Check the payment yourself

A screenshot or message saying a transfer has been sent is not proof that the money has arrived. Check your account through your usual channel and ask your bank directly if you have doubts about a transaction. Use contact details you know, rather than details supplied by the buyer to supposedly release the payment.

Cybercrimepolice describes fake buyers who send fabricated bank documents and then ask the seller to pay fees to receive the money. Some also claim a transport company will collect the vehicle. Do not pay such fees solely on the basis of a message or document from a stranger.

Keep the same agreement through to the end

If the person paying, signing and collecting the car are not the same, clarify the situation before handover. A last-minute change deserves checking even if the initial conversation went well.

Put the price, payment method, handover date and included accessories in writing. If you accept a reservation, specify its terms. The aim is for everyone to be able to read the same agreement without relying on a phone call or scattered messages.

Hand over the right document at the right time

Fribourg’s OCN recommends cancelling the vehicle registration once payment has been made in full, then giving the cancelled document to the buyer. The plates must be removed from the vehicle. Check with your canton for the procedure that applies to you.

Also arrange how the car will leave: registration by the buyer or agreed transport. Once the sale is complete, keep the contract, proof of payment and a record of the handover of the keys and documents.

If in doubt, pause

You don’t have to hand over the car because a transporter is waiting or a buyer says they’re in a hurry. Complete the necessary checks before continuing. If you have already sent money in a suspicious situation, Cybercrimepolice recommends contacting your bank immediately and then the police.

Official sources and procedures

Cybercrimepolice: beware of fake buyers

OCN: payment, registration and plates when selling