Selling a Vehicle? Be Smart, Be Safe

It’s time to sell your car or truck or motorcycle? It’s exciting (because you’re looking ahead to some extra cash or getting your next vehicle!) but not without its own set of stresses. When selling your vehicle, there are some common sense rule to go by. M&G Body Shop wants Cincinnati to be smart and be safe when it comes to this type of business transaction!

There are a lot of resources out there to help you sell your vehicle safely. DMV.org shares some very good tips:

1. “Trust your gut.” If someone seems to not be on the up-and-up – don’t bother. You hear every day about scammers or worse when people want to meet to buy/sell an item. If you get a bad feeling, trust yourself and say no thanks,
2. Gauge the person’s interest by phone before agreeing to meet to show them the vehicle. That way, you have their phone number and name, etc., and also you can get a good feel of what the person is really looking for. This, too, gives the other party a good run-down of what you are selling, giving that person the chance to say no thanks, if need be. Saves a wasted trip for you both.
3. Be wary of pushy people. If someone seems super pushy or starts trying to haggle before they have even seen the car, that is a definite red flag. Like mentioned above, “trust your gut.”
4. Know the name of you are meeting for the test drive. Perhaps have them send you a picture of their driver’s license beforehand, even! If a group of people show up or it’s not the person you thought you were communicating with by phone or text – drive away. It’s better to lose a sale than to endanger yourself.
5. It’s perfectly acceptable to ask to see a driver’s license before you let someone test drive your vehicle. If they are up to no good, chances are they won’t want to show you their license.
6. Meet in a populated area or parking lot. Some cities/states even have designated “buy/sell” lots, usually located near a police station. Do a little research about a good place to meet – remember, safety should be your first priority.
7. Pre-plan the test drive route. Let the interested party know of it beforehand to keep him/her from driving somewhere you are not familiar.

These are just a few common-sense tips from DMV.org. We suggest you check out their suggestions for more tips and ideas to help your transaction go as smoothly, AND as safely, as possible.