# Selling a car privately - Pros and Cons?



## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

There's the risk of douchebags and criminals but you can get several more thousand vs a trade-in. Lots of hassle though. I think in Ontario you need to give the government a bunch of money for a "sales" kit and taxes.

Do people leave the safety inspections up to the buyer? You don't see this in the ads anymore. Thinking of selling both our SUVs and getting an electric one.


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

Depending on the car, IMO selling privately is the only way to go. Despite the hassle, you may earn not hundreds but thousands more, seems trade-ins are mostly insults.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Pros: more money potentially 
Cons: time, pain in the ass shoppers

I have heard that with trade-ins there can be a tax benefit as well as it reduces the taxable value on your purchase...not sure how significant that works out to be.

I drive my DD's into the ground so trade-ins are never an option for me due to too high mileage...and I dont usually buy brand new either-my sweet spot is a 1-2 yr old used car.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Diablo said:


> Pros: more money potentially
> Cons: time, pain in the ass shoppers
> 
> I have heard that with trade-ins there can be a tax benefit as well as it reduces the taxable value on your purchase...not sure how significant that works out to be.
> ...


What's the most mileage you ever had on a vehicle before it became scrap metal?


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

1SweetRide said:


> bunch of money for a "sales" kit and taxes


Buyer pays taxes.


1SweetRide said:


> Do people leave the safety inspections up to the buyer?


It gives them the upper hand in negotiating. Best to at least have a printed safety inspection with a list/estimate of what it needs to certify.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

You will most likely get more money selling over a trade in, though the market is a little wacky right now. You save the sales tax on the trade amount, but they aren't going to give you retail -- they offer wholesale, and likely the low end of it. They aren't in business for you.

You will have to deal with lowballers, people who will ask for a 50 percent discount but are offering cash, etc. Don't accept anything other than bank drafts or cash.

Tax is paid by the BUYER upon registration -- plain old sales tax. You have to purchase the used vehicle info package, which costs $20. https://www.ontario.ca/page/used-vehicle-information-package#section-0

If you are selling used, getting the safety check done helps you sell. Most people want a car that is safe to drive as soon as they buy it.

Also, having the car detailed, or at least washed, waxed and getting the interior vacuumed pays for itself comfortably.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

1SweetRide said:


> What's the most mileage you ever had on a vehicle before it became scrap metal?


368K. a 91 Camry. The engine was still good...frame was toast.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

1SweetRide said:


> What's the most mileage you ever had on a vehicle before it became scrap metal?


somewhere between 250k and 300k....1 was a Durango...it still sort of ran but wasnt worth fixing (for my purposes) and the delta between scrapping and selling wasnt worth the hassle.in those days I relied on a car for work, so needed something fresher/more reliable.

the other was a Dodge Stealth Twin Turbo...it didnt scrap, it limped to its new owner in Moncton and died when it got there, but the new owner was well aware that it was going to need a rebuild-his intent was to build it up into a 700hp monster anyways. Youth.

My current Audi A5 has 195k on it, but it is running much better than the other 2 at that point. Wouldnt surprise me if it doubles that mileage...but I wont keep it around that long. It is a really well made car. But if the clutch eventually goes, the repair bill will be tough to justify. Since Covid I dont drive much so will prob keep it another couple years. It gets a break during the summer when I drive my sports car more.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Diablo said:


> Pros: more money potentially
> Cons: time, pain in the ass shoppers
> 
> I have heard that with trade-ins there can be a tax benefit as well as it reduces the taxable value on your purchase...not sure how significant that works out to be.
> ...


I've always bought brand new or demo's and drive them till all I get is a couple hundred from the junk yard. I hate buying cars so I limit my car buying to once every 10 years or so. I'm 5-6 years from retirement so likely my next purchase will be a 1 to 2 year old car.
I once privately sold a vehicle that I had driven for about 9 years and was pretty much end of life. The junk yard offered me $100 which I thought was too cheap. I wanted minimum $200. So I decided to sell. I ended up getting $800. So yes I got a bit more but it was a bit of a pain dealing with potential buyers. I'd likely not do it again.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

+1 on getting a safety and detailing. A comprehensible ad with detailed pics helps - don't post 3 blurry pictures taken from the same angle. And make full disclosure - there's nothing worse than showing up to look at a car to find out that you can only enter through the passenger door or the windows won't roll down. In the last 2+ years, I bought 2 used cars and helped my son buy one. I found most people tend to ask full dealer certified price or more for an uncertified used vehicle. Yes, you can get more than for a trade in, but don't be too greedy. In every case we ended up buying from a used dealer - cheaper and hassle free.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

guitarman2 said:


> I've always bought brand new or demo's and drive them till all I get is a couple hundred from the junk yard. I hate buying cars so I limit my car buying to once every 10 years or so. I'm 5-6 years from retirement so likely my next purchase will be a 1 to 2 year old car.
> I once privately sold a vehicle that I had driven for about 9 years and was pretty much end of life. The junk yard offered me $100 which I thought was too cheap. I wanted minimum $200. So I decided to sell. I ended up getting $800. So yes I got a more but it was a bit of a pain dealing with potential buyers. I'd likely not do it again.


cars and jewelry are my least favorite things to buy.
My father used to say "i'd rather go through buying a house than a car". As much as I love cars, i agree with him.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

bw66 said:


> +1 on getting a safety and detailing. A comprehensible ad with detailed pics helps - don't post 3 blurry pictures taken from the same angle. And make full disclosure - there's nothing worse than showing up to look at a car to find out that you can only enter through the passenger door or the windows won't roll down. In the last 2+ years, I bought 2 used cars and helped my son buy one. * I found most people tend to ask full dealer certified price or more for an uncertified used vehicle.* Yes, you can get more than for a trade in, but don't be too greedy. In every case we ended up buying from a used dealer - cheaper and hassle free.



This is what I find also. People see what the lots are selling for and match that. It happens with instrument gear to. They look at reverb and ebay where sellers are trying to compensate for fees then think thats what they should ask on kijiji where there are no fees.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

@1SweetRide, May I ask what...erm...2 sweet rides you are looking to sell?


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## Hendo (Jun 19, 2021)

1SweetRide said:


> What's the most mileage you ever had on a vehicle before it became scrap metal?


I have close to 80 cargo vans and trucks in a fleet I manage and have had extremely great luck with the 05-09 GM 2500 pickups with the 6.0L. I have/have had a number of these trucks make it past 500,000 km. And these are work trucks, ridden hard!


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Dealers out here are advertising they are competing against American buyers for used, and paying top $ cash even if you don't trade. If you have any sort of relationship with anyone at a dealership, ask them what their inventory situation is like and are they looking to buy. They might just make you an offer you can live with, or surprise you with even better. Should be less hassle than a private sale.


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## Stephenlouis (Jun 24, 2019)

I've never found private sales difficult. I also prefer to buy privately. I will not pay a 4-500.00 documentation fee at a dealer..


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Rollin Hand said:


> @1SweetRide, May I ask what...erm...2 sweet rides you are looking to sell?


Lol, two 2014 Ford Escapes. One's an SE and the other's a Titanium.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Hendo said:


> I have close to 80 cargo vans and trucks in a fleet I manage and have had extremely great luck with the 05-09 GM 2500 pickups with the 6.0L. I have/have had a number of these trucks make it past 500,000 km. And these are work trucks, ridden hard!


Reminds me of taxi driver's I talk to. Many would have over 300K on their vehicles. They rattled and hummed worse than a U2 concert but they still did the job.


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## fogdart (Mar 22, 2017)

I always sell privately. I never provide the safety for liability reasons - always an as is sale. There are no taxes for you, just the $50 cost of the UVIP (which you could leave up to the buyer). Buyer pays taxes on vehicle when they register it Service Ontario.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

I hate buying and selling cars so much I'd rather maintain and repair them as long as possible.
One private sale only in 25 years, terrible experience with low ballers, and a test drive with me in the car on an 80kph road at 140+kph!
Never again. Since then, it was one for a $1000 trade in, and another went to the scrap yard.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

tomee2 said:


> I hate buying and selling cars so much I'd rather maintain and repair them as long as possible.
> One private sale only in 25 years, terrible experience with low ballers, and a test drive with me in the car on an 80kph road at 140+mph!
> Never again. Since then, it was one for a $1000 trade in, and another went to the scrap yard.


Yikes!


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

1SweetRide said:


> Lol, two 2014 Ford Escapes. One's an SE and the other's a Titanium.


That should help -- they are popular, and have the features people like. As long as they are clean and well-sorted, appropriate mileage, and you price them right, you should do fine on the sale.

I tried to trade twice. Both times, the dealer said "...eeeeeh, no thanks." Obviously these were lower value cars.

My wife traded her 2002 Sentra, and got $200. I sold her snows and rims for $250. I could have sold the car for at least a grand.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

If you can afford to trade it in, by all means. The agravation is just not worth it. Best of luck Mark .


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## Squawk (Jun 21, 2018)

Pros - more money in your pocket.

Cons - getting murdered by psychopaths.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

1SweetRide said:


> Reminds me of taxi driver's I talk to. Many would have over 300K on their vehicles. They rattled and hummed worse than a U2 concert but they still did the job.


IME, cars that are driven regularly rack up more miles by end-of-life than grannys weekend grocery getter.
One example, batteries. most of my cars i have been able to go 10 years before replacing the battery. People I know with infrequently used cars usually have to replace them by 3-4 years. 
The sitting and light use is often harder on cars than being driven 100kms daily, 5-7 days per week.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Squawk said:


> Pros - more money in your pocket.
> 
> Cons - getting murdered by psychopaths.


No truer words. A few years ago a man from Ancaster, Ontario (just 15 minutes from me), who was selling a dodge pickup. Two guys showed up and he took them for a test drive and never returned. He ended up being murdered and burned up in an incinerator.


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

fogdart said:


> I always sell privately. I never provide the safety for liability reasons - always an as is sale. There are no taxes for you, just the $50 cost of the UVIP (which you could leave up to the buyer).


You are required to provide the UVIP as a seller (at least officially). Don't think a buyer can even apply to get one. All you can do is inflate your price by $20 (not 50) to cover the cost. But like don't be a cheapskate and just do the damn thing.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/buy-or-sell-used-vehicle-ontario#section-0





Used vehicle information package


How to order a used vehicle information package (UVIP) — it contains a description of a vehicle and its Ontario history. As the seller, you are legally required to provide this package to a buyer when you sell a pre-owned vehicle.




www.ontario.ca





There is no liability for showing a previous cert; you can still sell 'as is' by not giving the seller the cert (or if no longer valid). They expire so merely showing that it passed recently (or didn't and why - what needs to be done and cost estimate) makes buyers feel at ease. But people can have buddy mechs (or the seller can be a mech - walked away from a sale like that), so I likely wouldn't provide one either. However, do be prepared to have buyers ask you to let them take the car to a local mechanic of their choosing (meet you there sort of thing); dealership of the make for sale is usually best/safest and it's only like $150 (I'd rather be out that much if I need to wak away from the deal vs a couple thousand if I buy uninspected and the car needs serious repairs or is an outright lemon; also helps inform the haggling process). Let the buyer pay for it (so their name on the cert if it passes, and that's better for you anyway cuz mo money). If it doesn't pass, the cert will likely be no extra charge if the buyer does the work at that dealership. Which is handy cuz you can't drive the thing home after buying anyway, so leave it there.

I just bought private sale for the first time ever (4th car, previous 3 from used dealers, 2nd one used as trade in for the 3rd; regret that but it was quick/easy at the time). Took me forever to find the car (I had a specific desire) and I walked away from quite a few candidates. A dealer car where the breaks were shot (new parts in the trunk) when I test drove and dealer would not fix til I put down money and the price was a tad high IMO. Admitted that it was a wholesale buyout from the manufacturer (never good if they don't want it) and it had too much rust for it's age (in weird spots, like up high, not low). Another guy dicked me around for a bit on the phone but when I finally booked an inspection (certification - don't just waste your time on an inspection - get the cert inspection or you pay again for a cert later) on my dime at his local dealer he said he didn't want to let me do it - major red flag. Told him GLWS and moved on.

Finally scored from a seller who was reasonable and somehow had 2 other dudes walk away from the buy (seems suspect, I know, but I assume at least one lowballer and another who likely was too cheap to take to a mech; old car but reasonable milage... UVIP says owned by an insurance company for a bit so may have been written off and scared me a bit too). Anyway, the dealer, as well as the mech I took it to after purchase to double check something (didn't even charge me - he knows Ima be back for a timing belt in the next 10k), both said the car was in pristine shape (I swear the dealer mech nearly cried) - had to come back the next day tho because the dealer wouldn't cert right off because the rear headrests weren't there and 1 bulb was out (no biggie and no extra charge when came back next day). The kid I got it off had changed out everything; it was like his 5th one apparently. I told him I wouldn't even haggle his price (not bad, coulda maybe talked him down a bit but not much - he knew what he had) if he changed the bulb for me and came back to the dealer next day - worth it because I live downtown and he was way out in the sticks. Turns out he had tonnes of parts, threw in a bunch of spare bulbs for the various lights, a spare quarter panel, and wanted to give me 2 spare hatchbacks, but I told him to just give me the nicer of the 2; nowhere to keep em and wouldn't all fit in the trunk at once anyway).


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Diablo said:


> IME, cars that are driven regularly rack up more miles by end-of-life than grannys weekend grocery getter.
> One example, batteries. most of my cars i have been able to go 10 years before replacing the battery. People I know with infrequently used cars usually have to replace them by 3-4 years.
> The sitting and light use is often harder on cars than being driven 100kms daily, 5-7 days per week.


That’s me. A new battery is needed every 3-4 yrs exactly like you said.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

guitarman2 said:


> No truer words. A few years ago a man from Ancaster, Ontario (just 15 minutes from me), who was selling a dodge pickup. Two guys showed up and he took them for a test drive and never returned. He ended up being murdered and burned up in an incinerator.


Remember that.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> No truer words. A few years ago a man from Ancaster, Ontario (just 15 minutes from me), who was selling a dodge pickup. Two guys showed up and he took them for a test drive and never returned. He ended up being murdered and burned up in an incinerator.


You should complete your post with "YMMV" - this doesn't happen to every seller


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## fogdart (Mar 22, 2017)

@Granny Gremlin
I’ve bought three used vehicles this past year and none of them included the UVIP. I was obligated to buy at Service Ontario when registering the ownership. No big deal.

As a seller I like to have it on hand as one less bargaining


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## Granny Gremlin (Jun 3, 2016)

fogdart said:


> @Granny Gremlin
> I’ve bought three used vehicles this past year and none of them included the UVIP. I was obligated to buy at Service Ontario when registering the ownership. No big deal.
> 
> As a seller I like to have it on hand as one less bargaining


 Like I know it happens, but by the regs the seller should provide (see the links I posted). Frankly as a buyer, if no UVIP then it's a negative point on the deal (has vehicle history on it, not quite as good as a carfax, which themselves are far from perfect but something, but cheaper/easier).

When I said I dunno if the buyer can even do it I meant before sale (vs when you go to reg; obviously you can then as the new owner) so you can look at the history before purchase. But then you have to waste more time at the ministry doing that because can't order online if vehicle not registerred to you.

I mean as a seller it's $20 and can order online (no need to stand in line at the Service ON); it doesn't get easier than that and makes the sale more enticing for the buyer (esp if noob); easy thing that makes you stand out from other sellers and look less sketchy.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

guitarman2 said:


> No truer words. A few years ago a man from Ancaster, Ontario (just 15 minutes from me), who was selling a dodge pickup. Two guys showed up and he took them for a test drive and never returned. He ended up being murdered and burned up in an incinerator.


Thats the Dellen Millard story.
Highly irregular.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

I'd rather burn a car than sell it privately. The last two I got rid of I had a friend in the car business take them to auction.


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## Squawk (Jun 21, 2018)

allthumbs56 said:


> You should complete your post with "YMMV" - this doesn't happen to every seller


True. Your Murder May Vary... 😆


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

1SweetRide said:


> Yikes!


Corrected mph to mph... 140km/hr was still pretty scary on this little back road. I told the guy slow down right now and he did, and said he needed to see "how it felt at speed"


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Selling privately is such a pain. If the difference is $1500 or less I would trade it in.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

fogdart said:


> I always sell privately. I never provide the safety for liability reasons - always an as is sale. There are no taxes for you, just the $50 cost of the UVIP (which you could leave up to the buyer). Buyer pays taxes on vehicle when they register it Service Ontario.


Legally the seller has to provide the UVIP.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

If you do sell privately what my mechanic said to do was to get everything done it would need to pass certification and then wait for a solid offer to actually certify it as it's only good for 31 days. I would also pay for a carfax yourself and include it in your ads.

That being said we spent a bunch of money to get a vehicle ready to sell a few months ago and this lady bought it in cash and shipped it to Ethiopia and couldn't have cared less about whether the vehicle was certified or not.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

tomee2 said:


> said he needed to see "how it felt at speed"


I did that on a test drive, however, I asked/warned the owner prior to opening it up. Only did it for 1/2 a klik.
It was a Subaru Outback that I was checking out for my nephew.
The ad made one think that it was a good car at a reasonable price. It was up for 3 weeks before I replied, thinking, 'what's wrong with this that it hasn't sold'? After contact, I made arrangements to meet up with the owner at his place of work during his lunch break. I suspect that this is what scared many away .. it was at the 'Watch Tower' in Georgetown (Jehovah's compound). Nice guy, nice car, I bought it.
Two days later, my neph comes up from St Kitts. We meet at Service Ontario to change ownership and get plates. He leaves his old car with me to take to the scrap yard (EMS Crown Vicky (cop car). Super fast, but everything rotting out around the low mileage engine). We get back to my place to put the new plates on and looking at them, jars my brain. I go downstairs to get my old plates ..


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## John123 (Jul 22, 2020)

I always buy used and sell my old car privately. Dealers are there to make money. They make it on used cars and service...I've never had any issues and always got a good deal, if not a great one!!


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

laristotle said:


> I did that on a test drive, however, I asked/warned the owner prior to opening it up. Only did it for 1/2 a klik.
> It was a Subaru Outback that I was checking out for my nephew.
> The ad made one think that it was a good car at a reasonable price. It was up for 3 weeks before I replied, thinking, 'what's wrong with this that it hasn't sold'? After contact, I made arrangements to meet up with the owner at his place of work during his lunch break. I suspect that this is what scared many away .. it was at the 'Watch Tower' in Georgetown (Jehovah's compound). Nice guy, nice car, I bought it.
> Two days later, my neph comes up from St Kitts. We meet at Service Ontario to change ownership and get plates. He leaves his old car with me to take to the scrap yard (EMS Crown Vicky (cop car). Super fast, but everything rotting out around the low mileage engine). We get back to my place to put the new plates on and looking at them, jars my brain. I go downstairs to get my old plates ..
> View attachment 371952


That's weird.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

1SweetRide said:


> That's weird.


No shit, eh?!


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

sometimes i feel myself missing canada. then i read a thread like this one, and it reminds me of all the stuff i DON'T miss. when i sell a car, the buyer hands me money, i sign the title and hand it to him with the keys. i detach a small slip from the bottom of the title, fill out a few lines, and mail it to the dmv.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

cheezyridr said:


> sometimes i feel myself missing canada. then i read a thread like this one, and it reminds me of all the stuff i DON'T miss. when i sell a car, the buyer hands me money, i sign the title and hand it to him with the keys. i detach a small slip from the bottom of the title, fill out a few lines, and mail it to the dmv.


Everything is better with bureaucracy


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

cheezyridr said:


> sometimes i feel myself missing canada. then i read a thread like this one, and it reminds me of all the stuff i DON'T miss. when i sell a car, the buyer hands me money, i sign the title and hand it to him with the keys. i detach a small slip from the bottom of the title, fill out a few lines, and mail it to the dmv.


That's still basically what happens here, as the seller. The buyer has to jump through most of the hoops.


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## GeorgeMich (Jun 6, 2013)

I’ve had great luck selling cars privately. More people than you think know a mechanic or have the ability to safety themselves. 2 summers ago I sold my mint 99 Cherokee and a 2013 Golf 2.5 unsafetied and both sold in less than 24 hours. More desirable cars yes, but like guitars, if you price it right it sells.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

When my wife sold her (beloved) 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the young kid who came to test drive it was basically in love at first site, and the test drive was a formality. He was gone for 15-20min. Just as my wife was on the edge of freak-out, and that he was never coming back (even though he left his _other_ car at our house) he shows up. I have no idea where he went, but every square inch of that thing was caked in mud, and there was steam billowing out from under the hood. My wife is a fairly calm, non confrontational type person, but.... "WHAT THE F*CK DID YOU DO TO MY JEEP!?!?!?!?!?". It was actually pretty hysterical. 

He got out, apologized, handed her the full asking price in cash, and said he'd be back tomorrow to fix the blown hose. 

That was my one & only private sale experience. I'm like a lot of you guys, I drive mine into the ground. Then go buy something else.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

SWLABR said:


> When my wife sold her (beloved) 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the young kid who came to test drive it was basically in love at first site, and the test drive was a formality. He was gone for 15-20min. Just as my wife was on the edge of freak-out, and that he was never coming back (even though he left his _other_ car at our house) he shows up. I have no idea where he went, but every square inch of that thing was caked in mud, and there was steam billowing out from under the hood. My wife is a fairly calm, non confrontational type person, but.... "WHAT THE F*CK DID YOU DO TO MY JEEP!?!?!?!?!?". It was actually pretty hysterical.
> 
> He got out, apologized, handed her the full asking price in cash, and said he'd be back tomorrow to fix the blown hose.
> 
> That was my one & only private sale experience. I'm like a lot of you guys, *I drive mine into the ground*. Then go buy something else.


The difference here is that a stranger tried to drive yours into the ground. That takes a lot of nerve.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

1SweetRide said:


> The difference here is that a stranger tried to drive yours into the ground. That takes a lot of nerve.


I have a certain respect and sentimentality for the vehicles I have owned. I would not have let that kid buy my car no matter how much cash he tossed at me.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Wife posted the ad for her car. Within a few minutes the responses started. 90% wanted us to log into some sketchy website, the rest were telling us they couldn't pick it up in person but their agent would come get it. Probably 50 scam messages over two days. What a huge waste of time. No wonder people take the loss and just trade it in.


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