How to sell a car

Check what you are entitled to sell

Make sure you have the right to hand over the car and that any ownership or finance restrictions have been resolved.

• Hire purchase still ongoing: find out the remaining debt from the finance company. If the finance company is the owner, agree the sale and repayment of the debt with them before handing over the car. Tell the buyer about the arrangement.
• Estate or joint ownership: make sure you have the consent of all required owners. Arrange any necessary signatures and powers of attorney.

Check the register details

Write the make, model, model year, fuel type and registration number from the registration certificate or Traficom’s up-to-date details, not from memory. At the same time, check road use, inspection status and any driving or use bans.

Mileage

State the reading shown on the odometer correctly. Do not present it as the car’s actual mileage if you know the reading is uncertain.

If the odometer has been replaced or the mileage is uncertain, say so in the listing. A replaced odometer does not prevent a sale, but the buyer must be told. Deliberate misleading information may also lead to criminal liability.

Inspection and registration status

State the latest inspection, the next due inspection date, and any driving or use ban and removal from road use. These affect the price, test drive and transporting the car.

Also state any inspection advisories and reasons for rejection. Rejection does not always mean an immediate driving ban: the conditions for driving must be checked from the inspection certificate and Traficom’s guidance.

Faults, repairs and servicing

State any known faults and material defects. The general wording “sold as is” in a listing does not remove liability for incorrect information or for concealing known material facts.

Also mention repairs and servicing carried out: for example, the timing belt, clutch, brakes and new tyres. Say whether the service book is available, and keep the receipts. The buyer will assess the car’s condition based on this information.

Images

Take photos in good light and also show the car where it is not perfect. A good set of photos includes at least:

• The exterior from four angles.
• The front and rear of the interior.
• The instrument cluster started up, with the reading and warning lights visible.
• Moottoritilan.
• The tyre tread.
• Rust spots, dents and scratches.

Showing the damage saves unnecessary viewing trips. The buyer knows in advance what they are coming to see. Use your own up-to-date photos of the car in the listing.

Price

Ilmoita selkeä kokonaishinta ja mahdolliset lisämaksut. Yritysmyyjän on kuvattava arvonlisäveron käsittely oikein; veron sisältyminen hintaan ja vähennyskelpoisuus ovat eri asioita. Yksityishenkilön oman auton myyntiin ei tavallisesti lisätä arvonlisäveroa.

On Vaihtokaista, you can list as a private seller or as a business. Business account details are filled in under My account, and the seller type appears in the listing.

The Sale of Goods Act applies to sales between private individuals. The right to cancel under the Consumer Protection Act does not apply to such sales, but the seller may still be liable for defects.

Kun yritys myy auton kuluttajalle, sovelletaan kuluttajansuojalakia. Etä- ja kotimyynnissä ostajalla on yleensä 14 päivän peruuttamisoikeus; sen ehdot ja poikkeukset on selvitettävä ennen sopimusta.

Choosing the account type does not alone determine the nature of the activity. Professional or regular sales aimed at generating income may count as business activity. The annual number of cars alone does not define the limit.

Test drive

Let the buyer test drive the car. Check their driving licence and the car’s roadworthiness and insurance cover. Also check the terms of your own insurance for test drives.

Go along on the test drive. Agree the route and timing in advance. Do not hand over the keys or the car to a stranger without checking their identity.

Bill of sale

Draw up the bill of sale in two copies, one for each party. Include at least:

• The seller’s and buyer’s names, identification details and contact information.
• Make, model, registration number and vehicle identification number (VIN).
• Mileage at the time of sale and any uncertainty about the mileage.
• Sale price and payment method.
• Handover date and time, and signatures.
• Known faults, information given about the car’s condition, and any tyres and keys included.

Kirjaa viat täsmällisesti. Tämä auttaa osoittamaan, mitä ostaja tiesi kaupantekohetkellä. Henkilö- tai Y-tunnusta tarvitaan luovutusilmoitukseen; käsittele tunnistetietoja huolellisesti, äläkä julkaise niitä ilmoituksessa.

Payment

Make sure payment has arrived before handing over the car and keys. Check the money with your own bank. A receipt or screenshot shown on the buyer’s phone is not proof that the money has arrived.

Vaihtokaista does not process car sale payments and is not a party to the car sales contract. The buyer and seller agree the payment between themselves. If the car has finance, follow the payment arrangement agreed with the finance company.

Change of ownership and insurance

Submit the handover notice to Traficom immediately after the sale and keep the confirmation. The buyer must register the change of ownership within seven days of the sale.

Check with your own insurance company that the sale notification has been received and that your own insurance policies and payments end correctly. The buyer is responsible for their own insurance.

If a car is a scrapped vehicle and is discarded as waste, different rules apply to its processing than to the sale of a roadworthy used car. Deliver a scrapped car or van to an official collection point and ask for a Certificate of Destruction. A listing note such as “for dismantling” does not replace proper scrapping.

• Check the details from the register, not from memory.
• Enter the mileage correctly and say if the mileage is uncertain.
• State the inspection, registration status and financing restrictions.
• Describe any faults, including rust and dents.
• Record the mileage, condition and agreed terms in the bill of sale.
• Make sure payment has been received before handing over the keys.
• Submit a transfer notification and check when the insurance ends.