selling a used car

[Taxman10]

Did anyone ever sell a used car? and if you did, did you and the buyer sign a bill of sale??

I'm trying to sell my wife's car (shhh don't tell her), so I posted in on Craigslist and got some response, but no-one has looked it yet.

The last time I sold a car (1998) the buyer wrote up a little bill of sale, just saying I was selling him the car.

I thought I should write something, maybe a couple sentences, just saying, "as is, no warranty, etc"

thanks!

[Deleted]

I sell our company's older cars. I have a bill of sale I wrote up in a word document. Also, the back of the title (Connecticut) is a bill of sale that you can use.

[Gardening Grandma]

Did anyone ever sell a used car? and if you did, did you and the buyer sign a bill of sale??

It's been a few years, but I did. Did not sign a bill of sale. Just signed over the pink slip to the buyer. I can't imagine anyone buying a used car from a private party having any expectation other than "as is"....

[zibazinski]

I go to the DMV with the buyer.

[midjd]

We've sold several cars over Craigslist, never a bill of sale. Like GG, I'd imagine "as-is" goes without saying.

[Deleted]

The attachment is what I use.

Attachments:

Vehicle Bill of SaleTemplate.doc.jpg (34.5 KB)

[Taxman10]

You're the man Arch!

thanks

Yes, I know re: of course it's "as is" but i don't want to end up on Judge Judy and not have a signed piece of paper!

the car shouldn't have any issues, <<knock on wood>>, but i guess better safe than sorry, right?

[Colleenz]

We just went to the BMV and exchanged a cashiers check as we had them notarize the title change.

[tskeeter]

Tax, I'd do a bill of sale, with a copy for each of you. If they kill someone while driving their purchase home, the bill of sale helps prove you were not the owner of the car at the time of the accident. A bill of sale also helps prove you are not the owner of the car if the buyer does not transfer the title out of your name and the DMV comes after you for having an unregistered vehicle or if the police show up at your door investigating an accident or a crime (the last car I sold went to a buyer who lives in a neighboring state, 125 miles from here). A bill of sale that states the vehicle is sold in as-is condition gives you a defense if the buyer sues you to make repairs to the car (we seem to live in a society where everyone wants someone else to be responsible for any misfortune they experience).

I found a bill of sale form on my state DMV web site.

[busymom]

I agree with Zib. We take our title & the buyers over to the DMV. That way, the sale is "official", and if they use the car to commit a crime, or whatever, the police don't come looking for YOU instead.

[zibazinski]

There's too many people out there with no valid drivers license and no insurance. Not going to be MY issue.

[reader79]

My sister sold her car over Craigslist, they met in a mall parking lot to do the exchange. She had a hand-written bill of sale with AS-IS highlighted, and they gave her $5500 cash. I couldn't believe that she took it, but she went to her bank after and they told her it was legit money. The buyer was a teenage girl whose father came with her to check it out and pay. I am not that trusting, and would have gone to the bank with them before I accepted the cash.

[Deleted]

Jun 17, 2011 12:04:22 GMT -5 reader79 said:

My sister sold her car over Craigslist, they met in a mall parking lot to do the exchange. She had a hand-written bill of sale with AS-IS highlighted, and they gave her $5500 cash. I couldn't believe that she took it, but she went to her bank after and they told her it was legit money. The buyer was a teenage girl whose father came with her to check it out and pay. I am not that trusting, and would have gone to the bank with them before I accepted the cash.

Cash is king. Unless you think she was making it in her basement?

[maui1]

i make a photo copy of both of our drivers lic and note that "i sold my-------to john doe on this date" with a copy to both of us.
then sign the title over and that is it.

[zibazinski]

You give someone a copy of your drivers license?

[Taxman10]

In PA, you have to do the title transfer with a notory, so i'm not concerned with the unregistered/commit a crime aspect. Like Tskeeter said, i'm more worried about something breaking on the way home and being sued that i didn't tell them about it.

[maui1]

You give someone a copy of your drivers license?

yes