‘Mr.Shark’ coming to view my vehicle for sale. Advice?

[0500hours]

My husband died in April leaving some business debts. I have to sell his work truck.

’Mr Shark’ is driving from an hour away to view at half 3 today - does anyone have advice that’s done this before?

It’s parked outside my house. Like 99% of others who enquired he wants it for Ukraine he said.

Its taxed/MOT’d/insured/alarmed etc but how does he test drive it? Does he bring his driving licence and paperwork from his own insurer to prove he’s insured? He’s just come over from Ukraine he said and wants to drive it back there for the war. What if he damages it on driving?

Should I drive it instead with him as passenger?

I’m still waiting for the DVLA new owner papers to come back so it can’t be sold today anyway, he’s just viewing it.

He wants to leave a small deposit to secure it, but then how can I be sure he’d pay the balance?

Any advice welcome. There’s nobody I can call today to help me when he views.

Thankyou so much
posted on chat for traffic

Anyone else getting a bit worried that OP is ok after car man due???
hopefully she’ll come back soon to update

FAcebook is the worst place to sell anything like this

Find a reputable dealer

Why not try Motorway or similar with a focus on commercial vehicles?

Me! I keep checking back even though I’ve not had a notification.

I hope all is ok.
If its a work truck/van there will be a local dealer who will buy it from you. I work in insurance claims, we regularly have claims for theft by deception and sadly its excluded from cover.
I always flog my cars to we buy any car. Yes it's less but you know the money will arrive on the account.

Hope all is well OP

Assuming you have managed to get rid of him by now, sell it through a reputable website - webuyanycar or Motorway - or a dealership. Don't put yourself in this position again.

Hope you're okay

Please come back @0500hours and let us know if everything is OK, or if it's gone pear shaped then perhaps people on here can advise you what to do.

I hope all is ok? I also hope this is a fake story, by a poster who's messing with us.

Same....

Weren’t very successful with that not being racist thing then were they.

i suggest they stop telling that story because it’s fucking offensive.

This sounds like a scam to me. I sold my old car on Webuyanycar.com and got a good price and it was very quick and easy. There’s no need to waste your time with internet weirdos.

What?!

Your right. I am going to request a delete.

Same thing happened to us. Three men showed up, my partner showed them the car and I was inside behind the net curtains with the children.
Two distracted my partner at the back of the vehicle and I watched the third take a bottle of oil from his crotch and top it in to the engine. I banged on the window and went out to confront them. One of them hit me, we called the police - they were never caught, of course despite having a great video of them and their vehicle.

Omg
what a nightmare for OP
really hope she didn’t open the door …
sounds like really intimidating situation
🙏

I just remember Mr Kipper and the name Mr Shark has given me the shivers. I hope OP is safe.

The GCSEs finished yesterday

Only read the first page and am quite shocked at the sexist and quite frankly insane attitude towards a perfectly normal vehicle sale.

Have I missed a huge chunk from a previous thread

I have been the buyer and the seller many times and this is all perfectly normal
The guy has asked if he can listen to the engine etc.

If you are say in the drivers seat and revving the engine how can some one jump in and drive off.
If someone wanted to steal your vehicle it would be gone. They wouldn’t go making appointments and turning up and showing their face.

Usually when buying a vehicle the owner drives it around for 10 minutes and then I have a drive.
The only thing I would have a problem with is him wanting to leave a deposit. Think I would have waited to gain ownership then put it up for sale and everything would have been done on the day.

All I can say is make sure you are getting a fair price for the vehicle and do your research after that just start acting like a grown up.

I have never found we buy any car particularly good.

You have to sit through hours of paperwork and the guy telling you why they can only give you £2.50 for your slightly older vehicle
and not the £1500 it said it was worth on line

I do hope this post isn't real. Some of the stories from other posters are scary and disturbing in how brazen these scammers and thieves are.

We have to be so so very careful these days.

Nice to meet you Mr Shark.

This is the vehicle & mot & whatever details.

The price is £Xxx and the price is firm. Do not buckle to time pressure.

Sorry Shark, I’m not in a hurry. I’ll be selling this car by the book. If he wants make a deposit - tell him no, others are coming to look.

If he wants to test drive.

1. if you don’t like the looks of him, tell him u need to arrange another day if he’s serious to pay asking price. You need advise your insurance company of his driving. If he’s dodgy you can never arrange it.
2. I need your license & take photo & (mail to friend ) and Mr Shark, did you arrive in your own vehicle? I need proof that you are an insured driver for your own insurance.
3. Be sure you lock your house before departure..
4. You must go in the car with him, for the test drive. Local, no motor way.

Act like you do this every day and be bitchy if u need.
Do not feel intimidated.

If you agree to sell, FULL bank transfer only. Cancel insurance give him paperwork & keys ONLY after you have the cash, and cancel insurance sign it over.
You can make a receipt “as seen” - you can find templates online.

Online you can find what to do “ how to sell car privately”

By the way. My widowed mother. Had a fictional husband- he had manly names. Bruno, Dino, Rocco. He had scary hobbies - gun cleaning, oiling chain saw, welding.

When cold callers came - she would say “oh you need to come back and talk to Rocco, he’s cleaning his guns right now, I shouldn’t like to disturb him”
Same for deliveries or Enquiries for handyman etc - she would use name Mrs Rocco. My husband Rocco was called away for urgent business, I can get a quote from you. Rocco decides.

A big man’s coat, boots in entry hall for anyone peering inside.

She never wanted anyone to know there wasn’t a big mean man looking out for her.

i never gave him my address he found it because he looked at my Facebook profile and just tracked down the address of my husband’s business then saw the truck parked outside our house on Google earth!

This 👆🏻part of your update OP is rather scary!
I think I’d be looking at my security settings on FB. I think once I’d found out he’d done this to get my details all the alarm bells would be ringing and I wouldn’t have accepted him coming over.
The Ukraine story is another red flag - hopefully your son or a neighbour can be with you.
I would, as PP have said tell him it’s now sold.
and then get your FB settings looked at to remove and links to your personal details. Check what can be seen by the public & lock it all down.

Hope we are all being over cautious and he’s a genuine buyer, OP.

I think it’s more the ‘buying it for Ukraine’ and how he got her address that people are alarmed at.

This. And selling it to a dealer is what I'd do in your position.