Buying a car from another canton

Transportation, Travel and Trips
21
Potentially you could get fined by the police as you need to carry the original.

22
I'd rather get fined than have someone steal my precious C1!!!

23
Hi! Sorry for recycling an older thread with this question of mine:

I'm about to buy a used car for the first time and after a long research I've found one.

The seller told me the car is leased and he has to clear the leasing contract first, but he only wants to do it if I'm really buying the car.

I will check and test-drive the car and then make my final decision. The seller proposed the following:

If I decide to buy the car, I pay upfront half of it in cash* and we would make a sealing contract that tells:

- advance of the payment

- settle of the leasing and cancel of the grey card

Once the car is "free", I'll pay the rest of it and then the owner will send me stamped grey card so I can get insurance and plates. Once I get the plates I will go get the car and it's done.

Is this process OK or is there a risk involved? Sorry for this silly question

* - I pay in cash since it will be weekend

24
Sounds dodgy to me. You'd really need it to be a notarised contract with the cash held in escrow. You don't say how much it is, but what earthly reason could the seller have to demand 50% up front, apart from running off with your precious cash?

I'd run a mile, personally.

25
Actually it's more like 35%...

Reason is that the seller doesn't want to free the leasing if I suddenly back off and don't want to buy the car so it's more like a guarantee for him

26
ITS NOT HIS CAR TO SELL, until he pays off the finance, so don't give him 50%. 100CHF would be OK.

27
Sounds like a scam to me. He could be in the process of losing the car and trying to make a quick buck before declaring bankruptcy or something.

28
Let's say you pay that upfront sum, only to see the seller change his mind. Let's say he refuses to return the upfront payment. What are you gonna do? You'll have to drag him before the courts, which is likely to cost a lot and will definitely take considerable time and lots of effort.

Set up the contract now, include a clause that automatically and unconditionally nullifies the contract if the car hasn't been delivered within X days; both sign now. The seller then ends the lease and buys the car. Then cash the cash is exchanged for the car plus grey card. If you change your mind he can sue you based on the contract, but the onus will be on him rather than on you.

Walk away if that's not good enough.

29
Its probably not a scam but quite simply the guy needs the $$ to pay off the car before he can sell it on !

However, how you protect yourself is the question.

Ask him to hand over to you something of equivalent value to hold as security until the deal is completed maybe, a watch, jewellery or similar ?

30
We did that once, but the guy gave us the car as collateral.

We got the cancelled grey card the next day in the mail.

Tom

31
Why would you do that That gives the seller the option to walk away and sell to a higher bidder

32
Regrettably, I am in need of replacing my Prius much sooner than the Tesla Y will be available so going to get another 2nd hand hybrid in the interim

When I've bought 2nd hand cars before, I was always without a vehicle - this time I have the old grey card & plates. Curious if I go to another canton and visit a dealer for a 2nd hand car, can I view it and decide on it there on the spot - pay in cash, notify my insurance (in advance?) of new car and drive off with plates of my old car?

33
No, you have to take the grey card to the cantonal DMV and get a new one issued. even buying in the same canton, you (or the dealer) still has to do this (we've done it where the dealer got the new grey card for our transferable plates for us, as they also needed to do the MFK)

Tom

34
Yes. Draw back: You cannot drive abroad until you get the gray card by mail.

See here for details (Canton Vaud, in French):

https://www.vd.ch/prestation-detail/...e-de-circuler/

Short example in English:

Print two forms 1311

Fill in details.

Call insurance to get quote.

Address envelope to SAN, put an A-post stamp on it.

Put gray car of old vehicle into envelope (if not stamped invalid).

Put gray card or form. 13.20 a of new vehicle into envelope.

Put one of the filled in and signed copies of form 1311 in the envelope.

Close and seal envelope, and post letter.

Mount old license plate on new car.

Keep other signed copy of form 1311 in vehicle.

Drive.

35
If I sell the old car for export (grey card stamped invalid) and keep the old plates to use for the new one to purchase, would I still include the grey card if stamped invalid (Step 4)?

Print two forms 1311

1) Fill in details.

2) Call insurance to get quote.

3) Address envelope to SAN, put an A-post stamp on it.

4) Put gray car of old vehicle into envelope (if not stamped invalid).

5) Put gray card or form 13.20 a of new vehicle into envelope.

6) Put one of the filled in and signed copies of form 1311 in the envelope.

7) Close and seal envelope, and post letter.

8) Mount old license plate on new car.

9) Keep other signed copy of form 1311 in vehicle.

36
If you sell a car, the new owner gets the grey card, not you!

Tom

37
If the old car's gray card is already invalid you do not have to sent it in. But be aware, you can keep the old plates only for so many days. I think it is 14. Afterwards you must hand them in if you do not use them on a new car.

PS: Instead of mailing the letter with A-Post you can also fill in the two copies of the forms and drive to the SAN, at very the same day, and get a new gray card on the spot. This allows you to drive abroad sooner. Draw back: it is not possible on weekend days and you must do it on the same day as you mounted the plates.