Why does it matter, cancel your insurance on the Monday morning first thing. There's no need to cancel immediately if they are shut, then they're shut. You commit no offences and are liable for no offences once the new owner buys the car. Just date and time the receipt and have them sign it.

It can matter though - see above posts.

I have sold plenty of cars to someone that gives me a name and address that i know or suspect is snide.

(But it is someone's address maybe or where the Tin Tents are parked up.)

When i buy i take the sellers picture, the picture of the property and the ID they show me.

(Having been accused of reset in the past from what i believed was a straight vehicle i was buying.)

 

As to letting a buyer just pay the money and drive away, cancel the Insurance later,

i have in the past received the Speeding Tickets, Parking Tickets and the Penalty from the DVLA for not notifying of change of keeper.  PITA when the DVLA send a £80 penalty, then threaten the £1,000 and keep not listening, 

even in the not so far past where they had refunded Road Tax,, and would still say you had not notified them of Change of Keeper.

 

Its up to anyone to do what they feel happy doing, 

but advice from Police Officers is as much use as a chocolate fire guard because unless they are the one dealing

with you when you are suspected of having said a car was sold as an excuse for something done using that vehicle you can be well stuffed.

Edited 21 January, 201610 yr by GoneOffskiroottoot

From someone I know who recently had exactly this happen to them (as a seller):

Buyer crashes car.

Police go to MID and get details of whichever company has issued insurance for the car. Note insurance company, not driver, registered keeper or owner.

Claim is put against the insurer, the same as normal. You deal with the insurer, right? You don't talk with the person who hit you.

Insurer has to pay, as that is what their purpose is.

Insurer then contacts the person who took out the insurance.

Finds they are not the current owner.

Seller now gets a tag of cancelled insurance they have to declare forever.

Seller gets into other legal and financial bother.

Fortunately, the person who had crashed it did have their own insurance so the process stopped before they paid out, but they did explain this process.

Police won't go to MID and give out their registered insurance details. Police will demand production of insurance for the driver of the car at the time of the collision.

I have sold plenty of cars to someone that gives me a name and address that i know or suspect is snide.

(But it is someone's address maybe or where the Tin Tents are parked up.)

When i buy i take the sellers picture, the picture of the property and the ID they show me.

(Having been accused of reset in the past from what i believed was a straight vehicle i was buying.)

As to letting a buyer just pay the money and drive away, cancel the Insurance later,

i have in the past received the Speeding Tickets, Parking Tickets and the Penalty from the DVLA for not notifying of change of keeper.

Its up to anyone to do what they feel happy doing,

but advice from Police Officers is as much use as a chocolate fire guard because unless they are the one dealing

with you when you are suspected of having said a car was sold as an excuse for something done using that vehicle you can be well stuffed.

And all tickets for speeding parking etc will still be sent to your address regardless if you cancel your insurance the minute you sell the car or 18 hours later. The V5 is dated and once processed will show you sold the car on and will be reassigned to the new RK. This is just a fact of life that DVLA generally take two weeks to update and reregister vehicles with new keeper details.

Of coarse cancelling the Insurance does not change the Ticket Situation.

What it does is end your Insurance Cover then and there if someone else is leaving witrh your Ex Vehicle.

These days if someone is buying and near enough, you driving the vehicle to their address after doing the business can be an idea, 

then cancel your insurance before you depart.

 

As to generally, maybe, might do, should do, that is what you decide,  are you one of those that never have problems, lucky white heather,

or someone that the only luck they have is bad luck.

 

Do you think people never write up V5's and date changes at times later, 

or even do it when they are trying to make out an offence was nothing to do with them, sold the car, 

gone, not me, or my brother or my mate.

Edited 21 January, 201610 yr by GoneOffskiroottoot

Police won't go to MID and give out their registered insurance details. Police will demand production of insurance for the driver of the car at the time of the collision.

A 'producer' is pretty much a thing of the past - the first thing the police will do is check the MID - if there are any insurance discrepancies they will check with the Motor Insurers' Bureau who can then contact the insurer (or the police may make contact directly). If it's outside office hours and a vehicle isn't on the MID (or they think the driver isn't entitled to driver under a live policy on the MID) the police may issue a 'producer' (unless the insured can provide some documentation on the spot e.g. a motor trade certificate if the driver is in the trade) but more often than not they'll seize the vehicle and ask questions later.

Edited 22 January, 201610 yr by Brian69

A 'producer' is pretty much a thing of the past - the first thing the police will do is check the MID - if there are any insurance discrepancies they will check with the Motor Insurers' Bureau who can then contact the insurer (or the police may make contact directly). If it's outside office hours and a vehicle isn't on the MID (or they think the driver isn't entitled to driver under a live policy on the MID) the police may issue a 'producer' (unless the insured can provide some documentation on the spot e.g. a motor trade certificate if the driver is in the trade) but more often than not they'll seize the vehicle and ask questions later.

correct, but it was suggested that if the database still shows the previous keeper details as being insured that they would be shared with the other party in the event of a collision and they could claim off that policy. That just simply isn't the case.

correct, but it was suggested that if the database still shows the previous keeper details as being insured that they would be shared with the other party in the event of a collision and they could claim off that policy. That just simply isn't the case.

Roger.

I was with the person when they got the call and that was how it was explained to them and why they were calling him.

Edited 22 January, 201610 yr by Huskoda

The third party's insurer will be able to get the seller's insurance details via the MIB (if the car is still showing as insured by the seller under MID).

I've sold a car privately and my insurers weren't open at the weekend. The friday before I called them to say I was likely selling the car and they made a note. When I sold it I had the buyer sign and date a receipt for the car. I then sent an email off to the insurer to confirm the sale. I think thats about as much as I could have done.

When I last bought a car privately, I did make two trips, once to view and once to collect with all paperwork so that I was covered.

Surely this ^^^^^^ is the 'best answer' to the original post

Summarised as follows -

1. Inform insurers of potential sale (noted)

2. Signed & dated receipt from buyer

3. email insurer immediately purchase complete.

4. Call as soon as open & request confirmation email

Edited 22 January, 201610 yr by 999pooch

This solicitor's explanation of the law relating to selling a vehicle and not immediately cancelling the insurance on it is worth reading.

http://www.whitedalton.co.uk/motorbike-blog/2014/12/dont-leave-yourself-liable/

Edited 22 January, 201610 yr by DGW

You will be expected to inform the insurance company in a prompt fashion, and like most terms in UK law, unless something is explicitly defined then it's what an ordinary person would consider that to mean. Should it come to court they will look at what you've done and make a decision, using case law if applicable as a guide.

If you've sold a vehicle outside of an insurance company's normal hours and phoned them first thing the next day, that would almost certainly be seen as meeting your responsibilities. If you took a week or two, probably not.

I will hold my hands up and admit I was unaware that not cancelling could cause such a big problem, and end up being very costly.

 

Having read the rest of the link I see the issue.

 

Totally unfair though for the seller, but I guess the world has never really been a fair place.

Re my Off Topic, (sorry)

Abandoned car from October, MOT expired 9th November, no insurance.

The Police Scotland Officer called. she has done what she can do, filled in the forms as she was instructed.

No more to be done, maybe the DVLA will act, or the Council.

So the DVLA can only contact Police Scotland or the Council, both of whom already know.

Car has Valid VED according to the DVLA check, but no valid MOT and is parked getting on for 3 months now on the road.

Well i sold my runabout and my insurance company are shut until 10am tomorrow (Esure). Sent them an email with the sale receipt that i made up with the date and time of sale on it. Already done the V5 online and changed the owner/cancelled tax etc already so that's done.

 

Just hope he isn't involved in any accidents until i can officially cancel my insurnace!

Sister in law handed back her car and the collecting driver totalled it.

The 3rd party came after her as she had valid insurance on it at the time of the accident as she wasn't due to get her new car until the following day.

Took a bit of effort to send them after the collecting agents who even tried to claim they picked it up damaged! Driver also got a speeding ticket and parking fine which all initially came her way too.

The manufacturer finance Co picked up the bill for everything though from the start without any fuss at all which was quite refreshing.