Straight answers to practical questions about driving, travelling, parking and getting around Northern Ireland.
Yes, a change to the motor trade must be reported; keep confirmation that DVLA has been notified.
Remove it before sale if you intend to keep the number.
Yes. Showing the original for checking is sensible; GOV.UK advises against sharing photographs, copies or the document reference number.
Give the buyer the green V5C new-keeper slip and the agreed documents and keys, then notify DVLA yourself.
The sale itself can be agreed, but the buyer must not drive it away uninsured.
You should not represent a finance-owned car as yours to sell without the lender's consent or settlement.
Include the date, seller and buyer details, registration, VIN, agreed price, mileage and payment confirmation.
Normally when the parties have agreed the terms and completed the payment and handover required by their agreement.
No. Buyer and seller can agree a payment method; a seller does not have to accept cash.
It carries theft and insurance risk; verify the driver's identity and adequate cover before any test drive.
Look for multiple vehicles advertised, repeated sales, business facilities or a seller acting commercially.
No. Misrepresenting mileage can give rise to legal consequences; nidirect warns against odometer clocking.
A breakdown alone does not guarantee a refund from a genuine private seller.
A private sale normally has fewer buyer remedies than a dealer sale, but the seller still must not misrepresent the car.
Not simply by relying on 'non-refundable' wording if the seller has materially misdescribed the car or breached the agreement.
It should identify the car, seller, amount, purpose of the deposit and the agreed refund conditions.
No. Paying a deposit can create a contract, and changing your mind does not automatically entitle you to a refund.
Start with the selling trader; Consumerline can advise on consumer rights and complaints.
Not always, but an independent report can be valuable if the dealer disputes the defect.
Yes, a misleading or inaccurate description can support a consumer claim if it matters to the purchase.
Potentially yes, because a vehicle should match the description used to sell it.
Only normal wear appropriate to the car's age, mileage, price and condition falls outside the expected standard.
In some final-rejection cases, a deduction for use may be lawful; the initial short-term rejection right is treated differently.
A failed repair can trigger further statutory remedies, including potential final rejection or a price reduction.
Not automatically. Satisfactory quality is assessed in context, including age, price, mileage and disclosed condition.
You may still have statutory remedies; a repair or replacement is normally the first route after the initial rejection period.
No. The consumer short-term rejection right applies to qualifying purchases from traders, not ordinary private-to-private sales.
Potentially yes, if it fails the legal standards of satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose or description.
No. A voluntary or paid warranty is additional to your statutory rights against the selling trader.
That wording does not remove statutory consumer rights when a trader sells to a consumer.
