Simon 3.2M
Senior member
I have had some interest from an overseas buyer however, I have never sold a car to someone overseas before - is it fraught with pitfalls and hidden gotchas?
Selling a car to someone overseas
- Thread starter Simon 3.2M
- Start date
raymond.harper
Senior member
As long as you see the buyer in person who turns up at your door with either cash, take it to the bank to check for forgery or bank transfer, I see no real problem. Most overseas countries are LHD so I wonder what a buyer would want with a RHD. A few years ago I sold a Corvette to a Frenchman and he paid cash.
No problems at all, just mark the V5 as Export.
The reason for overseas buying is that a car like yours is significantly more expensive overseas (Europe) and I for one do not care what side of the car the wheel is (I actually prefer left side as I am right handed so find the left hand shifting not so natural).
The import tax is reduced based on the number of years of the car, so as the car is 18 years old, that is very limited as well. So a good deal all around importing it.
The payment process is the same as for any buyer, if you allow bank transfer, the same caviats as when a UK person buys it.
The reason for overseas buying is that a car like yours is significantly more expensive overseas (Europe) and I for one do not care what side of the car the wheel is (I actually prefer left side as I am right handed so find the left hand shifting not so natural).
The import tax is reduced based on the number of years of the car, so as the car is 18 years old, that is very limited as well. So a good deal all around importing it.
The payment process is the same as for any buyer, if you allow bank transfer, the same caviats as when a UK person buys it.
I live 10 miles from Dover and have sold many cars to buyers to export.
Just fill out the export section on the V5 and make sure you have cleared funds before the car goes.
Also a lot of them want to pay in Euros (cash).
This can be a problem with the exchange rate when you try and change to GBP and also you get lots of questions about where you got the cash from when you exchange.
Just fill out the export section on the V5 and make sure you have cleared funds before the car goes.
Also a lot of them want to pay in Euros (cash).
This can be a problem with the exchange rate when you try and change to GBP and also you get lots of questions about where you got the cash from when you exchange.
pvr said:
Bizarre! Surely you want the weak hand doing the easy job (shifting) and the strong arm (when the left is changing gear) doing what requires a bit more strength and fine control - steering?
pvr said:No, I want my finesse hand to do the precise work of shifting whilst my left hand can do the simple job of turning a steering wheel.
Manufacturers must agree as on my British made tractor, all the gears are on the right side of the steering wheel
I really don't feel that I am using even a small fraction of the strength and skill in my weak arm when I change gear... whereas you can never have too much strength and control whilst moving the steering wheel.
What do you have on the left hand side on a tractor?
I'd imagine that tractors have very imprecise steering and strength and control is not needed in the same way as it is on a sports car driving at 60.
At the summit of the picturesque fens
Pondrew said:
I might have laid it on a bit thick talking about strength... it's the control you have that is really the thing (but I would argue that your strong arm is the good one because strength, speed, control etc etc all come together and are linked).
To me a gearstick is somewhat akin to an on / off switch - Ok it's more complex, but basically all you have to do is stick the knob in one of 7 pre-determined slots, whereas with steering at any given fraction of a second you are considering whether to make a small adjustment.
You are probably happy driving right handed (as I would call it!) because you are left handed in a right handed world, and have been forced to do things with your wrong hand constantly (like manual driver of LHD cars have been forced to drive with the steering wheel left handed)... meanwhile I suspect that I'm not the only right handed person who would really struggle if you asked us to drive just using our left hands to steer. In a hire car on holiday I drive two handed, taking the right hand off to change gear... In the UK I drive one handed a lot of the time, because unless it's sharp or fast corner one hand is plenty.
enuff_zed said:You'd have sufficient control if you weren't trying to change gear whilst changing direction.
Surely the point at which you are about to floor it is PRECISELY the point you need to be changing gear? And 90% of the fun of flooring a car comes by flooring it on a corner? No bloody point going fast in a straight line is there?
Am I missing something ?!?!!?
But back to the original question 
Overseas where? How are they proposing to pay you? Will they be sending their courier to collect it?
Overseas where? How are they proposing to pay you? Will they be sending their courier to collect it?
I sold my 3.0si coupe to a lovely French chap. I sent him loads of pics, a massive spreadsheet of all the work I'd done to the car in the 55k I'd owned it etc. He paid me the full amount before taking the ferry over - arrived, looked around the car, signed the V5 and then took it on a long weekend road trip around the West country before driving it home!
It's often cheaper for Europeans to buy a UK car and import it, so not uncommon for enthusiasts to buy fun stuff over here in RHD and import
Simon, I would suggest arranging for a substantial deposit via bank transfer (once the money is in your account they can't recall it), and the rest cash on collection. I would also make it perfectly clear to the potential buyer that you're happy to do any video calls/videos/pictures beforehand and answer all his questions, but that you will categorically not entertain haggling upon his arrival to collect. Just my thoughts anyway - hope it's not the MC you're selling, as obviously that's mine :lol:
It's often cheaper for Europeans to buy a UK car and import it, so not uncommon for enthusiasts to buy fun stuff over here in RHD and import
Simon, I would suggest arranging for a substantial deposit via bank transfer (once the money is in your account they can't recall it), and the rest cash on collection. I would also make it perfectly clear to the potential buyer that you're happy to do any video calls/videos/pictures beforehand and answer all his questions, but that you will categorically not entertain haggling upon his arrival to collect. Just my thoughts anyway - hope it's not the MC you're selling, as obviously that's mine :lol:
Ah sorry, brought up on RWD cars in the 70s and 80s. Was taught to select the correct gear before entering the corner.Fred Smith said:enuff_zed said:You'd have sufficient control if you weren't trying to change gear whilst changing direction.
Surely the point at which you are about to floor it is PRECISELY the point you need to be changing gear? And 90% of the fun of flooring a car comes by flooring it on a corner? No bloody point going fast in a straight line is there?
Am I missing something ?!?!!?
Simon 3.2M
Senior member
Thanks for the replies guys - much appreciated.
The interested party is from Germany so no issues there and he is a very genuine guy - I’m sure he would be happy to pay a substantial deposit. He says it’s easier on his side to send me euros for me to exchange however, this is something I’ve never done so I’m not too keen.
I will be speaking with him again shortly so I will suggest bank transfer is the way forwards.
The interested party is from Germany so no issues there and he is a very genuine guy - I’m sure he would be happy to pay a substantial deposit. He says it’s easier on his side to send me euros for me to exchange however, this is something I’ve never done so I’m not too keen.
I will be speaking with him again shortly so I will suggest bank transfer is the way forwards.
Send Euros you don’t mean cash, do you? Half my business trades in Euros so I transfer those all the time, goes straight into a UK bank account and converts upon entry.
When I transfer euros it tells me exactly how many gbp will be received, so if you want say 12k, you will get 12k and it will tell him how many euros he has to send.
He will need your iban number though as that is required
When I transfer euros it tells me exactly how many gbp will be received, so if you want say 12k, you will get 12k and it will tell him how many euros he has to send.
He will need your iban number though as that is required