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Buying well

Buying a used car privately: how to do it safely

Private sales can be good value, but you have fewer rights. The checks that keep you safe.

5 min readChecked

A car logbook with a shield and a padlock
The short version
  • From a private seller, the car only has to be as described, legally theirs to sell and roadworthy. There's no 30-day refund.
  • View the car at the address on the logbook, and check the VIN on the car matches the V5C.
  • Run a history check (about £10 to £20) for finance, write-offs and theft before you pay a penny.
  • Never pay a deposit on a car you haven't seen, however good the story.

Buying from a private seller can save you money, and plenty of island cars change hands that way. But you give up most of the protection a dealer sale brings, so the checks are on you. Here's how to do it safely.

What rights you have, and don't

From a dealer

  • Must be of satisfactory quality for its age and mileage
  • Must be fit for purpose and as described
  • Reject a faulty car for a refund within 30 days
  • Faults in the first 6 months are presumed to have been there when you bought it

From a private seller

  • Must be as described, in the advert and in what they tell you
  • The seller must have the right to sell it
  • It must be roadworthy
  • No right to a refund just because a fault appears

That's why the questions you ask matter. If a seller tells you "the cambelt was done last year" or "it's never been in an accident" and it isn't true, the car wasn't as described. Ask in writing, by text or email, so you have a record. More on dealer warranties and your rights.

Is the "private seller" really a trader?

Some traders pose as private sellers to dodge the rules. If they're really in the trade, you're entitled to the full dealer rights, but proving it later is hard. Warning signs:

  • The same phone number appears on several adverts for different cars.
  • They answer the phone "Hello, the car?" without asking which one.
  • They want to meet in a car park, a lay-by or outside a house that isn't theirs.
  • The name on the V5C isn't theirs and they're "selling it for a friend" or "just bought it".

Check the logbook (V5C)

The V5C shows who the registered keeper is. It isn't proof of ownership, but it's the best paper check you have.

The checks to make on a V5C logbook: the watermark, the keeper's name and address, the VIN, the vehicle details, the issue date and the green new keeper slip DVL 123456 Keeper's nameand address Watermark:hold to light VIN: match it tothe car, 3 places Make, model, colour,engine, first registered Issue date: veryrecent? Ask why Green slip (V5C/2)is yours to keep
Six things to check. The name and address should be the seller's, and you should be standing at that address. The VIN (17 characters) should match the car at the base of the windscreen, on the plate in the door frame and often under the bonnet. Hold the V5C up to the light: it should have a "DVL" watermark.
  • The colour and engine match the car in front of you. A change of colour should be recorded on the V5C.
  • Check the details online. GOV.UK's free vehicle enquiry service confirms the make, colour, tax and MOT status from the registration.
  • No V5C at all? "It's in the post" or "I've lost it" is a reason to wait, not to buy.

Run a history check

A paid history check, from about £10 to £20 online, shows things the V5C and MOT history can't:

It showsWhy it matters
Outstanding financeIf money is still owed on the car, it may belong to the finance company, not the seller. The law can protect private buyers who didn't know, but sorting it out is slow and stressful.
Insurance write-offA repaired write-off can be fine, but it's worth less, and some insurers charge more to cover it.
Stolen markerA stolen car will be taken back by the police, and you'll lose your money.
Plate changes and previous keepersExplains gaps, and helps spot a cloned car.

Check the MOT history too. It's free and shows the mileage at every test.

Common scams, and how to spot them

The deposit scamA car at a too-good price, a seller who's "working away" or "in the forces", and a request for a deposit or full payment before you see it. Sometimes it's "delivered by courier" or paid through a fake escrow service. The car doesn't exist. Never pay for a car you haven't seen and checked in person.
  • Cloned cars wear the plates of a similar, legal car. The VIN won't match the V5C, or the MOT history will show a different colour or model.
  • Clocked cars have had the mileage wound back. Compare the advert with the MOT history, and look at wear on the steering wheel, gear knob and pedals.
  • "Bank transfer pending" tricks work both ways. If you're selling your old car, don't hand over keys until the money has arrived and cleared in your account.
  • Pressure. "Someone else is coming at four" is the oldest line there is. If it's the right car, a genuine seller will wait an hour while you check.
Island tipThe island is small, and that helps you. A genuine island seller can almost always meet you at their home, and a ferry trip "to collect it from the mainland" is easy to arrange later if it's real. Be wary of any island advert where the car, the seller or the money is somewhere else.

At the viewing

  1. Take someone with youA second pair of eyes helps, and it's safer.
  2. Go in daylight, to the address on the V5CAsk for the car not to be driven before you arrive, so you see a cold start.
  3. Walk round, look underneath and test driveUse the buying checklist and the test drive checklist. Check your insurance covers you first.
  4. Ask your questions, then get the answers in writingService history, accidents, known faults, cambelt, number of keys. A text message counts.

Paying safely

Safer

  • A bank transfer made at the viewing, once you're happy, to an account in the keeper's name
  • A written receipt with both names, the date, the price, the registration and the mileage

Riskier

  • Large amounts of cash
  • Paying before you've seen the car
  • Paying to someone other than the keeper
  • Escrow, couriers or gift cards

Bank transfers to a stranger aren't protected the way card payments are, which is why seeing the car and the keeper first matters so much. Since October 2024, banks have to refund most victims of authorised push payment scams, up to a limit, but only when you've been tricked, and they can refuse if you ignored clear warnings. Don't count on it.

After you buy

  1. Insure it before you drive itIt must be insured in your name before it moves.
  2. Tax itTax doesn't transfer. Use the reference on the green V5C/2 slip at GOV.UK.
  3. Check the seller has told DVLAThey should do it online while you're there. The new logbook usually arrives within a week when it's done online, or a few weeks by post.
Want more protection?

Island dealers have 1115 cars and vans for sale, with full consumer rights. 120 come with a warranty.

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