Before the day
- Book it. Choose collection when you accept your price and tell us where the car is. We arrange the day with you.
- No rush. Your price is guaranteed for 7 days if the vehicle is as you described it.
- Tell us if anything has changed since you described the car, such as a new mark or a warning light that has come on.
- Get your documents ready. The checklist is below.
- Take your things out of the car. Check the glovebox, door pockets, boot and under the seats, and take out anything you’ve fitted and want to keep, such as a dashcam.
- Clear your personal data. Unpair your phone and clear any saved addresses from the car’s sat nav or media system, if it has one.
- Keeping your private plate? Take it off with DVLA before you sell: see our guide to keeping your private plate.
What to have ready
Photo ID that matches the name on the V5C, such as a driving licence or passport
Bank details for an account in your own name
The V5C logbook
All the keys
The service history: service book, receipts and invoices
The locking wheel nut key
The charging cables, if the car is electric or a plug-in hybrid
The settlement letter, if there’s finance on the car
A VAT invoice, if you’re a VAT-registered business and VAT applies to the sale
More detail: documents you need to sell your car.
On the day, step by step
- Our driver arrives at the address you gave us. They’re one of our own drivers.
- The checks. Our driver checks the car against what you told us, and checks your photo ID against the name on the V5C.
- The price. We only change the price if the car isn’t as you described, and we show you what and why before you decide.
- Finance, if there is any. We settle it directly with your lender and pay you the difference. If the settlement figure is more than our offer, you’ll need to cover the difference before we can complete. That doesn’t stop your instant price: your price page shows the exact figures.
- Payment. You’re paid by bank transfer before the car leaves you, into an account in your own name.
- Handover. You give our driver the V5C, including the green “new keeper” slip, all the keys, the service history, the locking wheel nut key and any charging cables.
- Our driver takes the car, and all that’s left is to tell DVLA.
After the car has gone: tell DVLA
gov.uk says to tell DVLA online that you’ve sold the car to a motor trader, using the 11-digit reference number from your latest V5C, so note it before you hand the V5C over. Then destroy the yellow “sell, transfer or part-exchange your vehicle to the motor trade” section. Our documents guide has the steps, and the post route.
What happens next, according to gov.uk: DVLA cancels your vehicle tax once you tell them you no longer own the car, and sends a refund cheque for any full months left, worked out from the date DVLA gets your information. A Direct Debit is cancelled automatically. You get an email confirmation, if you gave your email address, and a letter confirming you’re no longer the keeper. gov.uk says to contact DVLA if you haven’t had your refund cheque after 8 weeks.
What if the car doesn’t run, or you’d rather bring it to us?
- A car that doesn’t run: tell us when you describe the car. We can arrange collection for non-runners, and our non-runner guide explains more.
- Bringing it to us instead: you can drop the car off at 256 Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove B61 0EZ. Please call or WhatsApp 07737 531183 before you set off, so someone is there to meet you.
General information only, not advice about your own situation. gov.uk has DVLA’s full rules for telling them you’ve sold a vehicle.