Selling a car to someone in Europe

[C Body Bob]

A guy in Holland contacted me a week ago interested in my Polara. I wasen't even trying to sell it. Just posted pics of it on my Facebook page. He wanted pics & more info. So I sent him a few. He called me & we talked & agreed on a price. Said he wanted to check on shipping & would be back. He called me again this afternoon & said he was ready to buy it. Offered bank transfer or a check from the shipping company when they picked the car up. I also asked him about Paypal. He said he could do that too. I told him I would get back with him in a day or two. So my question is I have sold 2 cars to people in Canada & they both drove down & paid me US cash. I've never done a shipping deal. Just thought I'd run this buy you guys. 1 to make sure it's not a scam. He seems nice & sincere. 2 make sure I do this correctly. He told me he has bought cars out of Italy, but never the US. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Rwc]

Just a guess, but if he used PayPal wouldn't the currency conversion be automatic?

 

[C Body Bob]

Just a guess, but if he used PayPal wouldn't the currency conversion be automatic?

Yes I believe so

 

[Wollfen]

Just a guess, but if he used PayPal wouldn't the currency conversion be automatic?

My concern with Paypal would be the buyer could reverse the payment within 30 days?

 

[pomonamissel]

cbodybob , i've sold to people all over , and cash works the best , paypal costs everyone to use it . if his shipper is honest then cash is not out of the question . no checks , no bank transfer needed . just meet were you feel safe .

 

[C Body Bob]

My concern with Paypal would be the buyer could reverse the payment within 30 days?

Didn't know that

 

[C Body Bob]

cbodybob , i've sold to people all over , and cash works the best , paypal costs everyone to use it . if his shipper is honest then cash is not out of the question . no checks , no bank transfer needed . just meet were you feel safe .

I don't think the shipper can do cash. They are just a hired 3rd party

 

[LeBaron1973]

Maybe use a broker to handle everything - paperwork etc then you have peace of mind.

Best wishes with the sale.

 

[commando1]

Bank transfer from his bank to your bank.
Wait the required time that your bank needs for the transfer to clear.
Tell him come get it.

 

[crv]

I don't think the shipper can do cash. They are just a hired 3rd party

It's not unusual to exchange monies through a third party when buying cars overseas. My advice would be to have the cash in hand before handing the keys and registration papers over to anybody. Could be legit, could be a scam where they are after a person's details; name, address and bank details, could be from Holland Street, somewhere in Nigeria...

 

[78Brougham]

I sold my '76 T&C to a member here from Australia. He paid me with PayPal. I got my cash in US funds, he paid the PayPal fees and all the shipping. He should get the car by the 17th. The car has been paid for, for over a year. I was just waiting to help him out with shipping arrangements.

 

[LeBaron1973]

On a slightly different tangent, I used a broker to ship my car from Adelaide to Chicago and return and had no difficulties once all the paperwork was completed. Left in September, arrived in USA in November and back in Adelaide in February without a scratch.

 

[polara71]

I sold a car to a fellow in Finland, probably 14/15 years ago. The flat bed driver paid me for the car. He took it to the docks in North Jersey. The most frustrating part of the transaction was once the car was at the dock it wouldn't start and I couldn't go up to help.

It was a very easy transaction on my end.

 

[saylor]

I have been F'd by paypal both as a buyer and a seller - I say bank xfer or other method.
paypal can go blow a goat.

 

[C Body Bob]

I sold a car to a fellow in Finland, probably 14/15 years ago. The flat bed driver paid me for the car. He took it to the docks in North Jersey. The most frustrating part of the transaction was once the car was at the dock it wouldn't start and I couldn't go up to help.

It was a very easy transaction on my end.

Did he pay cash or check ?

 

[commando1]

Bank transfer from his bank to your bank.
Wait the required time that your bank needs for the transfer to clear.
Tell him come get it.

I forgot to add that this was how my Oz transaction went.
It went more smoothly than most of my domestic transactions.

 

[polara71]

Did he pay cash or check ?

As I recall the balance was in cash. The deposit was a check.

 

[ceebuddy]

I am not familiar with banking procedures in the U.S. especially concerning checks.

But I would assume that when a bank transfer is done and the money is in your account, it stays there unless you do anything with it. So the risk is on the buyer: He has to wait until he receives note from you (or his bank) that the money ended up in your account. Until you receive the money in your account you wouldn't release the car to the trucking company that will eventually come pick it up.

 

[bluefury361]

Bank transfer from his bank to your bank.
Wait the required time that your bank needs for the transfer to clear.
Tell him come get it.

this would be the safest way to do that.
PayPal would collect a pretty heavy fee for the transfer. Plus the payment reversal option they have.

 

[Carmine]

I did a bank transfer for my most recent (Australia) and other European transactions. All went smoothly, but the AUS transfer hit me for an extra $50 in fees. Buyer claims it was on my end, of course my bank differs. I didn't call Interpol over the 50 bucks, just make sure everybody knows what fees are expected up front.

What strikes me as funny is there was a near-identical red 68 300 4drhtp already 4-sale in Australia. Crikey.