Selling a car - another thread

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
Hi all,

I've read most of topics here, but would still have a couple of questions/maybe some scenarios.

In the end we decided to sell our car, since it's better to buy a new one here, considering the garage prices for certain services and would like a bit of advice.

Initially I would post it on different "free" sites and some companies that would, in "theory", but it for you.

If this fails, will post it directly on autoscout.

So, scenarios :

1. Some random guy, which probably owns a garage, would come and see it and let's say he would like to buy it (I had some similar experiences when i tried to sell my Eu registered car, a couple of guys came, no english, was an adventure to communicate) -->

I should NEVER give the car with my licence plates I guess / I could drive it to their garage and remove the licence plates there ???

What do I exactly do with the grey card --> do I give it to him / or give him a copy .. or just go to the STVA and actually I don't know what to do there (cancel it I guess, but if I do this, how can the next person register it) ...

The idea is that I should initially get the money (cash or transfer) and them give him both keys +/- grey card ?

2. A private person wants to buy it --> again what do I do in the scenario he/she wants to drive off with the car ? I am considering he will not have a set of spare licence plates with him/her ... what would be the appropriate steps here ?

Regarding a contract , what would be the "german" term for "no warranty" since I can not give this ?

And final question --> I just payed for 2024 --> city tax + insurance for the car --> if let's say I sell it soon --> can I get some money back from the insurance company ? maybe even from Zh city ?

Thank you in advance,

Alex

2
In both cases, take cash, keep plates, and hand over keys and grey card.

In second case, drive it to his place, and remove plates.

Simple.

Tom

3

“Ab Platz, ohne jegliche Garantie”

City tax? You mean cantons road tax? You will get it back and insurance too, from the date the gray card is either canceled or registered under a new name.

A copy is o.k. to sort out insurance etc. but not valid for registration. They need the original. They register it in there name by simple presenting the gray card at the registration office (or mail it) Canceled is fine, it just means the car cannot be used on public roads and insurance as stopped. If the buyer never cancels the card nor register it in his name you still have to pay insurance and road tax. Therefore it is better to hand over the cancelled card.

The rest has been explained in numerous other car selling/buying threads:
selling a car - actual logistics of…
Logistics of selling a car privately to someone in a different canton
Logistics of buying a car
Buying a Second Hand Car
Selling car - transfer ownership
Selling car - contract?
selling car and receiving cash
Warranty rules when selling second hand cars in Switzerland
Selling a car, is this person scamming?

4
First cancel your gray card and then hand it over to the buyer once s/he pays you. And of course don’t let them drive with your plates.

Each time I’ve bought a car here, I’ve notified my insurance, they have issued a temporary insurance certificate with which I can drive the car to the canton’s SAN and get it registered/get a grey card in my name.

If the sale happens during the weekend and you need to drive the car, you’re obliged to mail your gray card to SAN in order to have it cancelled.

Regarding insurance and city tax, you’ll be reimbursed on a pro rata basis.

5
No need to cancel it, just keep the plates and hand them in, same thing legally.

Tom

6
Not if you hand in the plates.

Tom

7
I bought a car from a private seller.

I paid a "deposit" because they said they had been burned before.

Technically, it should not be necessary.

On the day of the sale, the seller delivered the car to my place, then removed the plates and went to the StVA to invalidate the grey card.

At the same time, I went to the bank and withdrew money.

Seller returned, we signed the contract (boiler-plate contract from autoscout24) handed over the keys, the card. I handed over the money.

Next day, I went to the StVA and got my plates.

(For which I secured insurance beforehand).

Cash is really great for these kinds of transactions.

8
Yeah, you’re right and it makes sense. I’ve always just put them on my new car as a buyer and as a seller both times the cars were exported.

Small note, at the canton of Vaud, even if you cancel your gray card you can keep your plates for a period of 14 days should you want to put them on another car. Otherwise, you have to hand them in.

9
Another note:

If you have a "no transfer" restriction on the grey card, that has to be cleared (we bough a car with such a restriction once, seller cleared it the next day using the money we paid to pay off the lease).

Tom

10
Bought mine from DE, so I don't think this will apply.

Thanks you all for the answers.

Resume for me : Get cash / transfer --> give everything besides the licence plates. Next thing, go to the STVA with the plates and get the money back from the city/road tax and insurance (probably will call them after finishing at the STVA).

Thanks, again

Alex