skibud Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Hi Could I get advice on buying a motorhome from a private seller and the best way to leave a deposit. Supposing we are happy with the van, but want to do an HPI, arrange insurance etc, I presume the seller will request a deposit. Maybe our purchase is dependent on some kind of check etc being carried out. How much deposit is reasonable and what should we get in writing that would provide some degree of legal redress should it all go pear shaped? So say we agree a price dependent on HPI and the seller doing a habitation check/service, how would you advise we proceed in such circumstances? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 When I sold our previous motorhome on e-bay I offered to pay for a HPI check , the buyer sent me £500 deposit which I promised to refund if he was not happy with the motorhome as we lived in Lincolnshire and he had to come from Cornwall to see it as he had only the e-bay photo's and my description to go by . once he and his wife had seen and decided the motorhome was as advertised and they both agreed it was what they wanted , we all went to our local branch of his bank did an immediate money transfer checked my account to check the money was there did the relivent paperwork handed over the keys and away they went , both parties were happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Leaving a deposit with a private seller leaves you very vulnerable, what could you do if they STILL sold it to someone else ?? sue them ? If they are genuine they should allow you to get checks carried out, provided it doesn't cost them anything. Far better to let this particular van 'get away' than lose a deposit. There are always more Vans 'Out there' looking for buyers. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 It's conventional for you to pay a modest deposit, usually in cash, to show your commitment, but not a big one. There are no fixed rules that I know of. Agree the basis of the deposit at the time if necessary (is the deposit refundable if you pull out later, how long do you get to complete your enquiries) but remember that a private sale is done on the basis of mutual trust, so take care not to give the impression that you think you are are dealing with a crook or you will provoke suspicion. Presumably you have met at the seller's home and you have seen the V5 with his name on it - if not ask to do so. Not a good idea to buy simplly on the basis of a meeting in a car park of course. The amount of the deposit might depend to some extent on the sale price but If the buyer wants more than a couple of hundred pounds as a deposit you might wonder why and ask, especially if it's not refundable. Likewise if you want a period of much more than a week to complete your enquiries, his eyebrows might go up. I have bought and sold a motorhome privately (bought for £24,000, sold for £16,000 and £19,000) and these all went smoothly. These were over 10 years ago so the amounts today would be higher I suppose. The seller was keen to make sure his payment had gone through before releasing the vehicle and as i recall we did it using a banker's draft which the seller got his bank to verify and i did something similar. banker's drafts do get forged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 StuartO - 2014-08-16 5:01 PM.............. banker's drafts do get forged. As do bulding society cheques. I think Kelly's approach is best. Agree a small cash deposit as an expression of intent. Clear your checks quickly, arrange insurance, and when it comes to paying the balance, go to the nearest branch of your bank, make an electronic transfer (sometimes needs to be before 12:00 if on a Friday, to be sure it is completed within the day - but easily checked) and go with the seller to his bank where, within a hour or so (maybe sooner) he will be able to see the money in his account. You then collect the keys, his receipt, and the V5C, current MoT if relevant, manuals etc, and away you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 When I sold my last van a few months ago the buyer gave me a £250 deposit by bank transfer, when she picked the van up paid the balance by bank transfer online using her phone, money was in my account in seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibud Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Many thanks for all your advice. So check V5, HPI check, viewed at home address, View full service history and recent habitation check results, test drive, check everything works, mains, 12v gas, heating, water, body work. What have I missed? This is so stressful ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 skibud - 2014-08-18 4:57 PM Many thanks for all your advice. So check V5, HPI check, viewed at home address, View full service history and recent habitation check results, test drive, check everything works, mains, 12v gas, heating, water, body work. What have I missed? This is so stressful ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Few people continue to shell out for full services once out of warranty so i wouldn't worry too much about that if it is an older or 'out of warranty' van you are looking at. But what is important is proof of regular maintenance along with MOT records. For example, if there was any advisories given you need to know what they were. The other thing which many many people ignore, let go of, or simply just don't bother about is vehicle ownership history itself. I may be a bit different to other folk in this but i've always gone to great lengths to track down previous owners to build up a history file. When you come to sell, you'd be amazed at peoples response to something like this. When i bought my van i spent weeks tracking every owner back to the original. Everyone with the exception of the chap who bought it from new responded. Look out also for the original van manual which should be with the van, but often isn't as owners are in the habit of taking them out and losing them. Also, if the van has ever been through a Dealership, check for anything missing as they will often whip bits out of one van to stick in another to get a sale. That's how my A/S crockery set got 'lost'! View the van and all documents at the registered keepers address and take photos of whatever you are buying. If you leave a deposit £100 is ample and the seller must give you a receipt. Alternatively if you decide there and then to complete the transaction, it's possible to do it on the spot if you are both with the same Bank/BS.....if not it might take a couple of days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 It's pretty straightforward, but a lot is on trust, and there are eBay scams out there. If the seller is abroad, confined to barracks, or otherwise unavailable........ Walk away. If they ask you to pay onto a "secure" account.....walk away If the deal seems too good to be true....... You know the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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