Thread: Cars on Trademe

A friend is selling her car on Trademe. Never done it before myself. What is the process?
She advertises car, someone wins the auction. Do they pay before picking car up or pay on collection?
What if they see car and want to take for test drive before handing over money?

cash ,deposit into bank account or bank cheque are the normal methods of payment. Payment before or at collection always. Test drives always go with them and if a women owner, take a male friend also.

If they've bid and won, that's it, they've bought it. There's no "I've won the auction but now I want you to fix all this stuff" etc, especially on $1 reserve auctions. It's usually an 'as is, where is' scenario. If they want to get a vehicle checked out, then they get it done before the auction closes. If they don't, tough titties.

I get a couple of people a week come into my workshop and want cars inspected, post-auction. THEN they want to negotiate with the seller before they pay. It does my head in.

if its a performance car or something special and they take it for a test drive and pull over during the test drive and ask you to hop out of the car to check a noise or anything don't get out of the car they get out may be put in your add the you recommend people inpsect it before bidding I sold one but did it as a classified add would that be easier

Yeah depends on how trustworthy they look and their TM history. If they are an established bidder with some years of bidding I wouldnt be worried but a brand new bidder I wouldnt allow them to bid. I think you can pick verified only? Its been years since Ive sold something substantial.

I sold one the other week and did it as a classified, 'or near offer' type deal. Buyers contacted me by phone and email and we negotiated directly. Cash received on pick up. I prefer that method over the auction... but it does depend on the car I guess. Classified fee was nearly $60 from memory. Trade Me is good as it reached a lot of people. I let both the people who came round take it for a drive without me, but if it was a decent car or if they looked a bit dodgy I would have gone with them.

Thinking of putting my '98 accord on $1 reserve as is where is but cant be bothered driving out to my parents house to show silly old gits kicking tyres with no intention of buying it honestly.

Sold a couple of TM.
Try to avoid putting your number up there otherwise you will be vetting calls and texts till all hours. One guy offered me his play stations with lots of games and his life savings of 400 or so dollars to buy my better half's older car! WTF
One guy bought my old Mu wagon, 5 speed and cracking little thing, probably still going and running on air. He called, we negotiated on the phone put a buy now up and he bought it subject to it being the way i photographed and described it. No problems, he got the bus up from Palmy and paid cash done and dusted.
You quickly get a feel for the person and easy enough to back out.
As others have said you bid, you win, you pay.
Be aware of people who are winning the bid and near closing say oh remove my bid as i found another, it can be very frustrating.
Give it a whirl, put plenty photos up, describe it honestly and see what you get. You may be surprised.

Make sure change of ownership is done before letting the car go.
It can be done on line when they arrive to pick the car up. Get them to do it in front of you so you know its been done. All that is needed is a credit card and drivers licence.
Transaction Centre | NZ Transport Agency

If they don't want to do it that way, send them to the nearest Post Shop to do it and take the change of ownership card off them when they return.

Originally Posted by cambo

Make sure change of ownership is done before letting the car go.
It can be done on line when they arrive to pick the car up. Get them to do it in front of you so you know its been done. All that is needed is a credit card and drivers licence.
Transaction Centre | NZ Transport Agency

If they don't want to do it that way, send them to the nearest Post Shop to do it and take the change of ownership card off them when they return.

You only need to do your part of it which is going on line and putting in who you sold it to if I recall correctly. The rest is their part and if they don't there aren't any hassles at your end as you've done your bit. You just need a copy of their licence

Sent from my workbench

Thanks for your help

Car is nothing flash - 2000 Primera manual

Originally Posted by smidey

You only need to do your part of it which is going on line and putting in who you sold it to if I recall correctly. The rest is their part and if they don't there aren't any hassles at your end as you've done your bit. You just need a copy of their licence

Sent from my workbench

The buyer still has to do a change of ownership, or the vehicle is still in your name regardless.
Have been caught out before. I filled out my seller part and sent it off etc, but the buyer didn't do the change of ownership until I threatened to dereg the vehicle and report it stolen. Just as well he didn't get any fines in the time or I would have been liable according to the authorities.

Best is not to let vehicle out of your sight unless they have done the change of ownership either at the Postshop or online.

Ja, all vehicles that I've bought / sold privately we've done the change of ownership online then and there. So convenient.

Damn right - my best mate sold his car and the bastard did a driveaway with a tank of gas at a servo and my mate was on the hook for it

Trust your intuition and if you smell a rat GTFO

Originally Posted by cambo

The buyer still has to do a change of ownership, or the vehicle is still in your name regardless.
Have been caught out before. I filled out my seller part and sent it off etc, but the buyer didn't do the change of ownership until I threatened to dereg the vehicle and report it stolen. Just as well he didn't get any fines in the time or I would have been liable according to the authorities.

Best is not to let vehicle out of your sight unless they have done the change of ownership either at the Postshop or online.

be ready for the stupidist most inane questions about the car , regardless of how much info you put in the auction , some dink will ask something that doesn't matter and means nothing , ... like how much air is in the tyres , and how often have you rotated them , as mentioned , people will offer all sorts of shit in trade