I'm looking for a little friendly advice. We are selling a vehicle - 2019 Toyota Sienna with wheelchair conversion. A pretty valuable vehicle. We are trying to sell it on our own. Based on similar vehicles we are asking $37.5k. My question is this: How can we safely complete this transaction without getting ripped off, scammed or worse? We listed it on facebook and a wheelchair van site. Taking a personal check could be risky, even a certified check could be risky. I had one person say they would take it sight unsigned and he would bring cash, this kinda raised some red flags. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
The village where I live’s police department has an area for handling transactions exactly like this. You meet there it’s a public place. The police are nearby. Personally I think a cash transaction in this environment might be the best way to go.
Easiest/safest way to do the transaction is at the bank of the person you're buying it from... Plenty of cameras and you can watch them withdraw the payment in whatever form you want it in. Of course, this forum is for questions related to Prius Prime... And if you think you're gonna sell a 5 year-old mini van for $37K you obviously have no plan to sell it because there's no way somebody is going to spend that much on something that old, regardless of its conversions.
thanks for your advice and yes, I know this is a prime forum. but as I mentioned, I was just looking for some friendly advice. I will delete the question if you find it out-of bounce. p.s. $37k is priced well below market value
I wouldn't worry about the post being in the wrong place. You are a Prime owner and this is the forum you ordinarily use... Kelly Blue book puts price of a 2019 Sienna in the upper $20K, low $30K range...
I agree it's a lot of money to ask but there is not a single 2019 Toyota wheelchair van with under 30k miles for under 40k ANYWHERE in the country
If there's any way you can look into your financial planning to get your money back by donating it to a charity? There's so many non-profits that could help so many handicapped people with a vehicle like this.
I think the poster is correct. I looked up used handicap vans, and a 2013 Sienna is worth about 37-40K. He is offering a bargain. PriusCamper's advice to do the transaction at the buyer's bank makes a lot of sense.
If you don't know anything about the value of a car you shouldn't comment on it. Wheelchair conversions are unbelievably expensive and add tens of thousands of dollars to the value. 37k is a steal for this car.
I think banks will have a problem with cash transactions over $10K. Ideally, meet at their bank and get a cashier's check, which you take directly to your bank. Perhaps a wire transfer of funds, which you verify. Then take the car directly to the motor vehicle department. Remove the license plates after transferring the title and you keep them.
Lol... I used to run an entire shop that did van conversions in the early 1990's and I research and referenced my opinion in my comment. There's lots of different types of wheelchair conversions and some are cheaper than others. If you knew how little shops pay for the kits compared to the scam they play on disabled people you'd realize that what you call "unbelievably expensive" has more to do with people who run a dishonest shop than actual cost.
One time I know someone who did this and it turned out they both banked at the same bank.... Made it real easy...
Just a quick follow up. Things worked out well. Got tons of action on the van. An out-of -state dealer bought it. Wired the funds and sent a truck to pick it up. Thanks for the advice guys.
You never get your money back. If you itemize tax deductions you'll get a fraction back. Donate because it's the right thing to do. The bank must file paperwork with the IRS after verifying your identity. They will also be looking for counterfeit bills. This varies by state. I sold a truck from my late mother-in-law's estate. My wife was the executor. I advertised it on Craig's list, found a good buyer, and agreed that we'd do the transaction in the vehicle licensing agency office (county auditor in this state) to be sure we got it all correct. We explained everything, had all the paperwork, got it done...then the buyer phoned me the next day saying the worker there forgot one form. I took care of it that day. Do check the I.D. of the buyer to be sure you put the right name on a bill of sale.
