Selling guide

You've sold the car but now the buyer's unhappy?

If the buyer comes back to you and is unhappy with the car after the sale, you should try to resolve the issue together.

Hopefully, you’ve sold your car and everything went smoothly. If for some reason, the car buyer comes back to you and says they’re unhappy with the car after the sale, you should try to resolve the issue together.

If there’s a genuine reason for their discontent – a problem with the car that you knew about but didn’t inform them – then they may choose to take it further, and they’d be within their rights not to pay you.

As a private seller, these are your primary responsibilities:

Answer all questions honestly and let the buyer know any faults, wear and tear, previous accidents or issues with the car.
Fix any problems that you and the buyer have agreed upon before the sale.
Pay or arrange for the sale proceeds to clear any fines, debt or fees owed on the car.
Allow the buyer to get the car professionally checked.
Fill in the change of ownership forms.
Get a current rego and Warrant of Fitness (WoF).

To avoid any issues after you sell your car, make sure you’re a responsible seller. The car should be in good quality before selling it. Any misleading statements or faults you didn’t tell the buyer about could land you in hot water!

Think there’s a bigger issue with the sale? We have some top tips for dealing with bigger issues. Also, our Trust and Safety Team is here to help. Alternatively, bigger issues can be dealt with through the Disputes Tribunal.