Viewing car before arranging how you are paying for it?

[flyingjase]

Just wondered what the etiquette is here. If you are buying a car privately surely you would check that you could afford it before viewing it?

Certainly that's what I've done when I've bought privately.

I put my Vantage on classifieds, bloke interested (and not just the usual Nigerians that offer me more than I'm asking for it!), car viewed, deal done, deposit left. 2 weeks later bloke still can't get finance arranged and now it looks like I have to start process of selling all over again.

Wishful thinking on his part? Next time I'll take a bigger deposit as time wasted all round.

Is this normal?

[HTP99]

He sounds like a prize Bell-End, no I wouldn't have thought this was usual on a private sale, surely you would know if you had the dosh or not, particularly on a car like that with the associated costs involved.

I hope you took a sizeable deposit, that you will be keeping?

[flyingjase]

HTP99 said:

He sounds like a prize Bell-End, no I wouldn't have thought this was usual on a private sale, surely you would know if you had the dosh or not, particularly on a car like that with the associated costs involved.

I hope you took a sizeable deposit, that you will be keeping?

Thanks and that's what I thought but wanted to sanity check it

Deposit was only £100 as 'that's all he had on him' which in hindsight should have rang alarm bells

Feel like a bit of a mug now, but always had normal straight up people buy my cars / bikes before.