Just got hit by the "head gasket scam"

and, you can pick a public place, which might be more safe when dealing with significant amounts of money. Depends how isolated you live.
Walmart parking lots are public, and the friend is so you’ve got at least two criminal deterrents (wink wink) on your side in case they try any funny business. Pretty sure Europe can’t have those deterrents, but even just the presence of additional people is a good measure. 👍🏻
 
This is why I don’t ever sell cars privately anymore. Too many scumbags out there now 😡
The last 3 cars I’ve sold have all gone to Carvana. They tell me up front what they’ll give me, they come to my house with all the paperwork done & pick up the car, and the money is in my account that day. Always a flawless, painless transaction!
 
I agree there are circumstances where the buyers have been quite shaky. The worst one I had was a guy and his kid test drove my 1990 Ford F-150 that I was selling. It was a nice truck, 4x4 with the 300 inline 6 and a manual transmission. The idiot kid broke the glove box latch to the point where it wouldn't close. The guy then said sorry we broke the glovebox and not really interested in the truck after they test drove it and he left. I still sell vehicles and the last one was a Chevy Cruze and 5 people had to go to different cash machines to get the $6000 cash to buy the car. I sat outside with one of the gentlemen for about 45 minutes in 20 degree weather waiting for them to get the cash. They didn't trust me enough for all 5 of them to leave and come back. If you trade in a vehicle you are not going to get as much money as if you sold it outright to a private buyer. That's almost guaranteed. Car dealerships on not your friends.
 
I agree there are circumstances where the buyers have been quite shaky. The worst one I had was a guy and his kid test drove my 1990 Ford F-150 that I was selling. It was a nice truck, 4x4 with the 300 inline 6 and a manual transmission. The idiot kid broke the glove box latch to the point where it wouldn't close. The guy then said sorry we broke the glovebox and not really interested in the truck after they test drove it and he left. I still sell vehicles and the last one was a Chevy Cruze and 5 people had to go to different cash machines to get the $6000 cash to buy the car. I sat outside with one of the gentlemen for about 45 minutes in 20 degree weather waiting for them to get the cash. They didn't trust me enough for all 5 of them to leave and come back. If you trade in a vehicle you are not going to get as much money as if you sold it outright to a private buyer. That's almost guaranteed. Car dealerships on not your friends.
Yeah but sometimes that can be made up with the taxes you're not paying on the purchase...if you're getting another vehicle, that is, making it less of a hit and worth it for the easier transaction.
 
I was selling my hand-painted w123 diesel Mercedes for $1500. These four dudes from Worcester, MA showed up, a 2.5 hour drive for them, in a flashy Beemer. I got the perception they wanted a flashy Mercedes for not much money. They start it up, drive it 1/2 mile up the block, come back pointing at the gauges and speaking to each other in Haitian. They say the car was overheating per the gauge. I look at the gauge, it's normal, and explain that there's no way any car could possibly overheat in the short drive they had just made so if anything it must have been a wiring glitch (that I had never seen before.) The four of them surrounded me and expressed disappointment at all the time and gas they wasted coming to look at that car. "Well have a good drive home" I cheerfully replied, took my key, and wandered inside nonchalantly, while mentally scanning my 6.
 
I will not do private sales anymore whether buying or selling unless I know the person. I’m tired of dealing with all the losers and tightwads. I can get my fill of those types at family gatherings.
The last private sale that I did was when I sold my 2005 Corvette but I sold it to the cousin of a good friend (and fellow Corvette owner) who I’ve known for 15+ years and the transaction went perfectly. But I will never sell a car privately to a complete stranger anymore. I remember when I had my 84 Corvette up for sale in the Auto Trader back in 1991 and had at least 100 phone calls, most of them time wasters and most of the people showing up at my house were tire kickers too.
 
The last private sale that I did was when I sold my 2005 Corvette but I sold it to the cousin of a good friend (and fellow Corvette owner) who I’ve known for 15+ years and the transaction went perfectly. But I will never sell a car privately to a complete stranger.
We got the Hyundai for my daughter from an extended family member. We knew all the needed repairs and issues up front to get it road ready and had good idea of the maintenance history. It definitely can keep shenanigans to a minimum.
 
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