Selling Car in Switzerland - AutoScout24

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
Dear Forum Members

I will be selling my car soon and am beginning to market it. I have spoken with garages I use and got some quotes. I am also considering selling on AutoScout24.

I wondered if anyone could advise me:

1. If doing a private sale, how does payment work? Do you hand-over the car once funds are cleared in your bank account? The car is worth around 20,000 chf so surely people don't buy cars in this sum with physical cash?

2. I have read that some people use Cash Sentinal - is this good? How does it work? Is it time-consuming and costly to set up?

3. How does it work with the insurance? Does the buyer need to have his insurance ready to go on risk before the sale concludes?

Many thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.

RASZ

2
1. You would be surprised. A lot of the car deals here are done in cash. You might actually get your buyer paying it all in cash.

2. It is good. It is like an escrow service which holds the money for both the parties and you (seller) will get it once everything is clear.

3. Yes, the buyer will have to get his insurance and plates before he/she picks up the car. Lot of information about that on the forum For example - https://www.englishforum.ch/transpor...logistics.html

3
Yes, they do, though the most I have done was 15k.

No, he just needs it before getting the plates.

Tom

4
The buyer does not need their own plates. I bought a car last month, and the seller let me drive the car away with their plates. The seller did not plan to buy a new car for several months, so they told me to hand them in when I got my own. This worked even though I bought the car in one canton, and live in another.

For me, as a buyer, I did the following:

1. Viewed the car, grey card, log books etc, agreed the price, got a hand written sale agreement, left a small deposit, and agreed to collect the car the next day.

2. Arranged my insurance

3. Handed over the rest of the cash, got the keys and grey card. The seller noted down my work permit Id.

4. Drove by the service des autos, removed the seller's plates, handed them in along with the grey card. In return I was given my own set of plates for my canton, and a new grey card.

The process surprised me, but it works.

5
I've done this before with a scooter, but it's reliant on the goodwill of the seller and I certainly wouldn't let someone drive off on my plates - you're liable for the insurance and tax until they hand the plates in, plus any fines will head your way too.

I sold my last car here privately on tutti.ch and the buyer turned up with 27k CHF in cash which he handed over after the test drive, then went home to register the car in their name before collecting the following week. I understand this is fairly normal, although I found it quite strange!

6
We bought one car where the seller dropped off the car at my work, took the plates and cash, left me a photocopy of the grey-card (as he had to pay off his leasing and have it cancelled), and we got the grey card next day in the post, by which time I had already organized the insurance and went immediately to pick up the plates!

Tom

7
It's also how Swiss get robbed at gun point!

8
I must have an honest face then.

I guess if things had gone sour, the seller would have got the police involved and that is why he noted down my residence permit id.

9
Or seller was a German dude. They do it that way back home.

As a seller I would only do it so that the buyer can drive the car to his place and then immediately collect the plates. Getting new plates is simple, easy and can be done fast. The longest time it takes is to get to the local StVA/SAN in case you have no plates from a previous car.