Buying a 981, red flags?

[981Boxess]

AndyDubbya said:

I’d say it’s the other way round! The Cayman’s interior temperature with a roof stays consistent (so you can set the heater temp & fan speed & leave it), but in a Boxster you have (for example) the heater temp & fan up high while on the move on a chilly day, then when you get into traffic, the fan’s still woofing out lots of heat when you don’t want it! The more sophisticated version where you can set the temperature in the cabin would do all that for you.

Fair point - I would only want a convertible sportscar and now that I have succumbed to the masterpiece of engineering known as PDK I can use my unused mental capacity to adjust the heating controls instead, if need be. Convenient, probably, essential, no (for me).

Edited by 981Boxess on Friday 5th April 07:59

[ATM]

paulguitar said:

Just a practical question regarding payment.

I will be collecting tomorrow and intend to pay the private seller for the car using my phone banking app. It's just under £25k. Should that be straightforward or do I need to do anything in advance?

A few years ago my bank surprised me with a 15k daily transfer limit. So I was at the sellers house around 7pm on the phone to someone in a far away country telling me this. I had to pay some that evening and then come back the next day to pay the remainder. If you have more than 1 bank account perhaps move some today between your accounts so you can do 15 from one and 10 from another. You could of course just check with your bank today I'm pretty sure I did and I was told there was no limit. So they might not have access to this information if the never get asked this and again are in a far away country. Banks have a lot more 'safety' checks now to prevent you accessing your money [because once it goes into the bank it is no longer your money and is now their money but most people dont understand this]. Also you can get their bank details today and send a test payment of say 1.45 and then ask them if they received and get them to tell you the amount. Good double check. Do this from both of your accounts if you intend to use 2. Or if you dont and have a wife or good friend or parent who can do some for You. Then come time tomorrow you know the faster payment system is instant and working. A few years ago all banks did not work with faster payments so some needed to transact overnight. I sold a car once and saw the buyer send funds from his banking app and then it did not arrive until the next day. The buyer insisted he should take the car obviously and I let him. But obviously you are not supposed to let the car go without payment in full.

[981Boxess]

elan362 said:

paulguitar said:

Just a practical question regarding payment.

I will be collecting tomorrow and intend to pay the private seller for the car using my phone banking app. It's just under £25k. Should that be straightforward or do I need to do anything in advance?

Just check your particular bank’s daily transfer limits if you are below it then it should be straightforward
If you are over the limits, be prepared to split the payment over 2 days or use a second account for the balance over the limit
Send a test transfer of a small amount (£1-£10) to the recipient account from each account to be used for the purchase and confirm receipt before sending the principal amount - to make sure there are no mistakes with the account details and you send the money to the correct recipient

Santander (eg) get the hump at £25k and over, but no problem with £24k x 4 in a day - you picked the right priced car.

[GT3Manthey]

elan362 said:

Just check your particular bank’s daily transfer limits if you are below it then it should be straightforward
If you are over the limits, be prepared to split the payment over 2 days or use a second account for the balance over the limit
Send a test transfer of a small amount (£1-£10) to the recipient account from each account to be used for the purchase and confirm receipt before sending the principal amount - to make sure there are no mistakes with the account details and you send the money to the correct recipient

I always do this . I've made a few payments for my car keeping under the 20k a day .

[ATM]

GT3Manthey said:

I always do this . I've made a few payments for my car keeping under the 20k a day .

I dont think its fair we give the seller all the trust. So they get a day or more with some of the money and the car while we have to wait. The money or the car could still go missing while we are waiting to complete all transfers.

So I would prefer to do all the money at the same time while I am there with the person.

Then there is also those logbook loan dramas. They can have fake V5 now from the internet too. Property could be Airbnb etc etc etc.

There is still risk as a buyer, however you do it you can never be risk free.

[GT3Manthey]

981Boxess said:

I did have some reservations about going PDK, but having lived with one in all driving scenarios I would never go back to a manual now.

I could not be doing with the spyder roof, I see that as going backwards, admittedly faster

I had reservations too but once I tried it I was hooked .
Still love manual cars but very happy with my choice.


Just to add, loving this forum group , very helpful and insightful.

Cheers all

[paulguitar]

Thanks, everyone.

I did a quick online chat with my bank and I am okay up to £25k. I am also going to send £1 to the seller today to set him up as a new payee. Will be taking my phone, laptop, debit card and card reader (remember those) tomorrow.

[elan362]

ATM said:

I dont think its fair we give the seller all the trust. So they get a day or more with some of the money and the car while we have to wait. The money or the car could still go missing while we are waiting to complete all transfers.

So I would prefer to do all the money at the same time while I am there with the person.

Then there is also those logbook loan dramas. They can have fake V5 now from the internet too. Property could be Airbnb etc etc etc.

There is still risk as a buyer, however you do it you can never be risk free.

It's not about trusting the seller more than the buyer.
It is the sellers responsibility to be able to pay the full amount for the car before the keys are handed over and papers signed.

If the seller cannot make arrangements for full payment on the day, then the car would not move until the balance was paid. Full stop. No negotiations. That is the sellers problem to resolve

If the buyer is not happy with that arrangement, they can do one and buy another car or buy from a dealer with more comeback.

[CanAm]

My bank had no problem with a £20k payment to a new payee but refused £25 to the DVLA.

[ATM]

elan362 said:

It's not about trusting the seller more than the buyer.
It is the sellers responsibility to be able to pay the full amount for the car before the keys are handed over and papers signed.

If the seller cannot make arrangements for full payment on the day, then the car would not move until the balance was paid. Full stop. No negotiations. That is the sellers problem to resolve

If the buyer is not happy with that arrangement, they can do one and buy another car or buy from a dealer with more comeback.

I understand the current status quo

But it kind of implies all sellers are trustworthy but all buyers are potential scammers

It's all one sided

[SV_WDC]

paulguitar said:

Thanks, everyone.

I did a quick online chat with my bank and I am okay up to £25k. I am also going to send £1 to the seller today to set him up as a new payee. Will be taking my phone, laptop, debit card and card reader (remember those) tomorrow.

Faster payments can take 2 hours to process, so if it doesn't show up right away then you might have to wait for a little bit.

Thought I'd say as there's nothing worse than seeing the money 'gone' from your account & not received in the other!

[ATM]

SV_WDC said:

Faster payments can take 2 hours to process, so if it doesn't show up right away then you might have to wait for a little bit.

Thought I'd say as there's nothing worse than seeing the money 'gone' from your account & not received in the other!

Exactly why we suggest a token amount test payment now. Proves the payment is fast enabled. Also bypasses some of the fraud alerts as it's an existing payee. Also allows you to record seller details with a third party just in case something criminal happens on the day. All upside without any downsides. Ideally you send an arbitrary amount with reference, keep them to yourself and then ask seller to give you both to confirm. Most people nowadays get an alert on their phone when an amount hits their account unless they have some random dodgy Cyprus bank account. If they do then run away. I bought a car once and sent funds to Cayman Islands as seller was hiding money from his spouse going through divorce. That was his story.

[Youforreal.]

paulguitar said:

Thanks, everyone.

I did a quick online chat with my bank and I am okay up to £25k. I am also going to send £1 to the seller today to set him up as a new payee. Will be taking my phone, laptop, debit card and card reader (remember those) tomorrow.

lol, that’s what I do to make sure you don’t make the wrong persons day.

[paulguitar]

Youforreal. said:

paulguitar said:

Thanks, everyone.

I did a quick online chat with my bank and I am okay up to £25k. I am also going to send £1 to the seller today to set him up as a new payee. Will be taking my phone, laptop, debit card and card reader (remember those) tomorrow.

lol, that’s what I do to make sure you don’t make the wrong persons day.

[NRG1976]

paulguitar said:

Thanks, everyone.

I did a quick online chat with my bank and I am okay up to £25k. I am also going to send £1 to the seller today to set him up as a new payee. Will be taking my phone, laptop, debit card and card reader (remember those) tomorrow.

Take a passport or driving licence, just in case things cock up and you have to go to a branch.

[Hol]

I hope it all goes well tomorrow.

[ATM]

Hol said:

I hope it all goes well tomorrow.

Yes lets hope the seller is a Straight Shooter. Good Luck. Dont forget the Petrol Station forecourt pics.

[paulguitar]

Thanks all for some excellent advice. I will take my driving license and tomorrow a forecourt photo will be posted to comply with Pistonheads law.

[ATM]

paulguitar said:

Thanks all for some excellent advice. I will take my driving license and tomorrow a forecourt photo will be posted to comply with Pistonheads law.

Don't be cheap

Get yourself a Yorkie too

[Ed.Neumann]

Also, I go online and start to do the transfer to make sure the V5 the seller has is the current one, you don't have to complete the transfer until after you have paid, but it makes sure there is no log book loan and that the V5 is the current one.

Many banks will now call you on the phone number you have with your bank for payments over £20k as a security check, so make sure you have signal when you do the transfer.


I bought something a couple of Sundays ago and this happened, no signal, good enough to ring but then cut off. It was then a 2 hour ordeal to get in touch with them. Monies left my account but was sat in the ether somewhere. I then had to go through some proper BS about service history, was it MOTd etc. etc.
They really, really want to know what you are spending your (their) money on these days.