Best method for paying private seller cash or draft?

What is the best method for paying a private seller for a used car?
Cash, bank draft or some other method? Cash seems good idea but cant
be traced and no proof.

With bankers drafts how do the sellers make sure its genuine before
they let you have the car? Also with a draft how do you allow for the
possibility of haggling for a lower price? Can you get some kind of
variable draft where you can alter the amount up to a set limit?

Do they have to sign something to say they have received the money, or
is there some forms to fill in to confirm the sale/purchase?

"Tony R" <TR> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What is the best method for paying a private seller for a used car?
> Cash, bank draft or some other method? Cash seems good idea but cant
> be traced and no proof.
>
> With bankers drafts how do the sellers make sure its genuine before
> they let you have the car? Also with a draft how do you allow for the
> possibility of haggling for a lower price? Can you get some kind of
> variable draft where you can alter the amount up to a set limit?

Do the haggling before getting the draft made out......

>
> Do they have to sign something to say they have received the money, or
> is there some forms to fill in to confirm the sale/purchase?

You're within your rights to get them to sign a receipt.

depends on the amount but it is surprising what a wad of cash waved in the
face does for the price if "thats all I have"


"Tony R" <TR> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What is the best method for paying a private seller for a used car?
> Cash, bank draft or some other method? Cash seems good idea but cant
> be traced and no proof.
>
> With bankers drafts how do the sellers make sure its genuine before
> they let you have the car? Also with a draft how do you allow for the
> possibility of haggling for a lower price? Can you get some kind of
> variable draft where you can alter the amount up to a set limit?
>
> Do they have to sign something to say they have received the money, or
> is there some forms to fill in to confirm the sale/purchase?

DougP wrote:
<SNIP>
>
>>Do they have to sign something to say they have received the money, or
>>is there some forms to fill in to confirm the sale/purchase?
>
>
> You're within your rights to get them to sign a receipt.
>
>
Not only that but, if your talking in the UK then, the seller has to
complete part of the V5 document notifying DVLA that the vehicle has
been sold.

Personally I'd go armed with a wad of cash and use it's visual power to
haggle the price a bit and, as DougP says, get a signed receipt.

Whenever I've bought a car privately I've always prepared my own receipt
with blank spaces for the seller to fill in the date, his/her name and
address plus the agreed amount (in words and figures). The receipt
always has a paragraph along the lines of "I am the legal owner of the
vehicle and have have the right to sell it" unless you can get an HPI
check done before handing over the money. You need two copies of the
receipt; one for the seller and one for yourself.

Regards

Steve G

"Hirsty's" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:7J5Sd.2889$%[email protected]...
>

Also (when taking cash), take only what you want to pay, taking slightly
less than the asking price. That way you won't be inclined to spend 'that
little bit more'

Last car I bought was 17k and I took 16k draft and 1k in cash.

He'd already come down quite a bit to 17k so the grand was the haggle money.

Best of luck
C