Sell Your Car

Tips on selling your car quickly and safely

1. Prepare your car for sale by removing your personal belongings and addressing any issues that would deter potential buyers. Body work, mechanical issues etc.
   
2. Thoroughly clean your car and shampoo the interior and the engine and have it buffed and polished so that the car not only shows in it’s best light, but also because it becomes easier for the buyer to asses it’s condition.
   
3. Advertise your vehicle, making sure to include a lot of pictures and any pertinent details that could affect the buyers purchasing decision. This will help minimize wasting your time by addressing questions that are certain to come up.
   
4. Carefully screen any callers that are interested in coming out to inspect your vehicle. This will help minimize any prospective buyers who take up a lot of your time, only to make unreasonably low offers. Find out whether they will be requiring time to find financing and whether the car would be for them selves and if they are in a position to make a buying decision.
   
5. Avoid inviting people to your home, instead arrange to meet them in a public place, like a gas station or shopping mall.
   
6. Before agreeing to a test drive, have a look at their Driver’s License noting the expiry date to confirm it is valid. Have a good look at the picture and confirm that the bearer is the same person presenting the license. Take a picture of the driver’s license and email it to yourself or a friend. Try and check a second document i.e. insurance slip, vehicle ownership etc. to confirm identity.
   
7. Be sure to accompany them on the test drive and choose a route yourself through populated areas.
   

If the prospective buyer would like to proceed and would like to leave a deposit, write up a receipt including the following;

• Date
  
• Name of the buyer
  
• Name of the seller
  
• Vehicle Year, Make, Model, colour & V.I.N.
  
• The total amount and how it is to be paid (certified funds, currency etc.)
  
• The amount of the deposit and how it was paid
  
• Whether the price includes safety certification and emissions testing
  
• When the transaction is to be completed by and the consequences of not complying with the contract
  
• Similarly, complete another receipt when vehicle is to be picked up.
  
• When the deal is being finalized, ideally meet the buyer at the MTO office and make certain it is transferred to their name. At the very least complete the transfer of ownership section on the back of the registration.
  
• Refuse any unusual requests such as the prospective buyer forwarding you funds and subsequently shipping the car. Also be aware of wire transfer fraud.  
  

 If the idea of selling your car privately is not appealing due to time constraints or the effort required or if you would like to take advantage of the tax benefit of trading in your vehicle, contact Icon Autosport. We are always on the look out for quality pre-owned vehicles and we also receive a lot of requests from our customers for winter vehicles and vehicles for their kids, so we may already have someone looking for your vehicle.