I bought the last and only car I have ever owned in 2000 and sold it nine months later so I am not too clued up on this!

Having agreed a price for a vehicle you are happy with from a private seller that also has an MOT but no tax what are the next steps?

The vehicle is being bought on my behalf by my brother (it is a long way away from me). He has fully comp insurance on his own car so presumably that helps with the driving it away bit.

Any tips appreciated.

You will need to get the car insured first then taxed before you (or your brother) can drive it away

Even if your Brother can drive another car 3rd party, the car has to be insured and then you can buy the tax online.

You might be able to tax it with just the log book.

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax

you can tax it on the internet now

Get the car insured for yourself, then your brother may be able to drive it on his own policy.

However, fully comp insurance often doesn’t cover other vehicles any more, we are so price focused that lots of extras such as courtesy cars and driving other vehicles are not a ‘standard’ feature anymore.

Ask the seller for the 11 digit number on the green new keeper section of the V5. Yout can use this to tax the car. Usually, you’re only insured to drive other cars on your policy if the car is insured by the current owner.

If the seller still has the car insured, you could ask them not to cancel it until your brother gets the car home.

If they’ve already cancelled the insurance then you’ll have to insure it so your brother can drive it.

Thanks all, very useful.

Any tips on how to handle the money side? Cash/credit card/bank transfer/receipts?

Just another quick point – 3rd party insurance on fully comp policies (if you have it – I still do) won’t cover you for driving cars you own. Is it going to be registered to you? You’ll need to get in insured anyway – I’m fairly sure you need to do that to get the tax – so just do that.

How much are you paying? The last car I bought privately over 20 years ago I paid £3000 in cash. Though understandably people are more nervous about forged notes now – one option is to meet in a bank and pay the cash straight in which checks that one. Bank transfer seems a good option to me, given you can just do that online fairly instantly now. Yes, get a receipt (if the seller is switched on he’ll be keen to make sure you have one pointing out it’s sold as seen).

If the seller still has the car insured, you could ask them not to cancel it until your brother gets the car home.

If the seller has any brains he’ll tell you to do one: http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/fife-man-faces-crippling-costs-after-motorbike-he-sold-was-involved-in-fatal-accident

You might be able to tax it with just the log book.

I think regardless of how you tax it, an online check of the motor insurance database is done and if the car doesn’t show up you can’t tax. Easiest thing would be for you to sort out your insurance then tax it online using the V5C/2 New Keeper Supplement. Your brother may then be able to drive it depending on the wording of his insurance policy; some do still allow driving other cars with 3rd party cover only.

Yes car would be owned and insured by me.

My brother would only be picking it up and driving it to me.

Understood on taxing and insuring it before moving it and also checking my brothers fully comp does allow him to drive other cars.

You could always add him temporarily as a named driver on your policy – a long time since I’ve done that so it’s probably changed, but when I last did that it didn’t cost too much.

I think you’ve got most things covered now – congratulations on not just winging it!

Adding him as a named driver might be a good way to go, he might be interested in borrowing it as the vehicle in question is a (very) small campervan.

Might be easier for your brother to drive to you, and give you a lift back to the car for you to drive away.

That might be easier in terms of paperwork but not in terms of time.

Just to add, assuming everyone involved isn’t a just passed their test teenager, adding your brother to your policy is probably only a tenner or something. Generally pretty cheap IME.

Nope, both in our 30’s. Sounds like a good way to do it.

OK, making progress on this!

Can anyone suggest a website to do checks for HPI, insurance write-off, outstanding finance etc?

There seem to be a huge range of prices £3-20 and all I really need is the essentials.

Also as far as paying a private buyer do I have any realistic options apart from cash payment or bank transfer?