‘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

Tbh that’s on the o/p for essentially putting her address online.

presumably the van is marked up for the business? One stop at companies house or a quick google will give you the registered address.

Second this. Was easy to do.

From personal experience If someone wants a vehicle then they won’t let a little thing like keys not being available stop them. They won’t go to the effort to make an appointment and travel an hour, show their face just to steal it.
It would be gone before you had chance to advertise it.

I have travelled 2.5 hours to buy a car if it looks on paper like it is a genuine reason for sale and it ticks all my boxes, low mileage, full service history and only 1 or 2 owners from new Etc
I have bought and sold vans and trucks before now. I have gotten quizzical looks when now exh would drive me to view a vehicle and the owner would talk to exh over my head (I am quite short) about the vehicle and exh would say to talk to me as I was the one with the hgv licence)

I’m horrified that the OP KNOWS he stalked her, didn’t give him her address but has agreed to a) make a time /date to see him b) say that because he’s on his way she will still do the appt.
Are there really women out there who don’t know the danger stranger men pose? Especially ones which sound like scammers who find your address by -at best -nefarious means??
Im simply amazed at the naivety. No wonder scamming/fraud is the most prevalent crime in the UK.

For those saying she should get her son involved.

She said he is a young teenager. I am guessing 13-15. Don't put the kid in danger also.

Really hope OP is ok

I am afraid that you are the naïve one, especially if two 'buyers' turn up. Once you have the car engine started and the key in the car all they have to do is distract you so that you get out of the car for some reason ('I need you to look at this') then the other one hops in and they are gone. Or verbally threatens you to get you out of the car, or physically pushes or pulls you out of the open door...

We were once walking through a hotel car park attached to a large family leisure attraction. This place is known to be quite expensive to visit, so there were a lot of large family cars in the car park. A man was standing by the open bonnet of a car that was parked on one of the roadways, jump leads in hand, asking if we would mind giving him a jump start. My DH said no and wouldn't engage. I spun him a random reason and we walked on. Why? There was just something 'off' about it - the car was not parked in a space (it was a hotel car park, so why would it need a jump start if it hadn't been parked?), the car was far older than the other vehicles in the car park and, frankly, the man didn't seem like a typical visitor to this family attraction. The scenario just didn't fit the situation.

One possibility is that this was a guy who needed a bit of help with his car and we were wrong to refuse. The other possibility is that he suddenly jumps into the driver's seat of your car once you have it pulled up, engine still running of course...

It's just not worth the risk.

It's how most people sell/buy vehicles for goodness sake..you're all being ridiculous. If the OP is so nervous she should have arranged for her son to be with her. If he's prepared to leave a substantial deposit what's the issue.
Of course he wants to hear it running, you just get in and do it yourself. Sell it for the money you're asking, if he wants to knock you down refuse. It's not difficult.

Agree. These all seem perfectly normal steps for a sale. Suddenly every buyer now is only out to steal, rape, rob, etc. Just take common sense precautions.

As for the stalking element, I'll wager OP has underpriced the vehicle, either doesn't know its worth/wants rid of it.
If her hesitations in this thread are anything like in real life, the buyer is probably desperate to buy this if it is indeed underpriced - but she's not giving him her address.
He seems business name on side of van. Looks it up. Gets an address. Double-checks Google Earth to make sure it's the right address and decided to head over there to buy it before someone else does.

The only fishy thing for me is the Ukraine piece - but as others have said, that's a line that's being fed to negotiate lower.

I am too wondering what happened

Just explain he can’t drive it today if he arrives. My husband sold his on a car auction site. It felt safe and he got a relatively good deal

Tbh the last van I bought I tracked down the address because I had seen a fly on the wall documentary the night before and noticed the van when the camera crew had done a wide angled shot of the house and the van was parked on the driveway of the adjacent house

I might have faceblindness but when I saw the van advertised on FBMP and saw the section of the house the driveway and wall, I knew immediately where it was.

I was already on my way to see it. (Very rarely find this type of van so didn’t want anyone else to get there first.) when I made contact with the owner who was very surprised when I asked if I could confirm his address. Think he thought I was a little weird but explained I had seen the van the night before parked on his driveway when watching an episode of Don’t Pay … when they had gone into the house next door.

He remembered the incident and the film crew

It was the most brilliant van till Sadiq Kahn decided he didn’t want people with vans to frequent even the outer edges of London and made it too expensive to keep

welfare check OP - all okay?

How did it go?

@0500hours how did it go?

Hoping you're ok.

I got a great price for my car with WeBuyAnyCar. Gave it a thorough clean and wax beforehand. They transferred the ownership there and then and I got notification very quickly from the DVLA that I was no longer the owner.

I hope all went well. If of any interest I had a good experience selling a car on CarWow, and a friend of mine also did.

@Mama52 best to start your own thread.

I don’t think even a bank transfer is safe. DH was scammed a few years ago selling a high end car when the bank transfer turned out to be fake, even though the bank had initially confirmed the payment.
i hope everything is OK OP.

trying to picture this.

when I’ve jump started a car you pull up, facing the dead car. switch the engine off this is key, because you’re about to touch the live terminal of a battery. Connect the batteries with your jump leads.

you get back in your car and start the engine. He gets in his car and starts the engine. Run for 10 mins then switch off engines before disconnecting. At no point do you leave your vehicle empty and running. And even if you did, what’s he going to do, leap in and reverse away with the bonnet up so no forward vision and jump leads connected to another car?

Op can you let us know you’re okay so I don’t go to bed wondering if you’ve been kidnapped in the trunk and taken to the Russian border ?

You didn’t give him your address but he found you on Google earth?! Eek!

Also worrying about OP ....

If you’re using webuyanycar.com or similar take their first offer - if you go away it reduces by a few thousand

Er..