I am thinking of buying a used car. I am looking at the listings on autoscout and there are few options for the criteria combination I want (year, km, price etc.). This means that most of the cars I find are in different cantons, some 2-3 hours away.


Any help with making it simpler to buy the car?


- how can i easily check the car owned by garage / individual?
- if I decide to buy the car, what is the sale process (paperwork, money transfer)?
- any services to deliver the car to my door?
- what happens to the plates? do I need to change them and if yes, what is the process?



I don't have an issue with traveling to see the car. However, ideally I would like to make one trip instead of two or three.

Ask em to drive the car to you.

Some informative threads:

Logistics of buying a car
Logistics of selling a car privately to someone in a different canton
Buying a used car
Consumer rights used car
Buying a Company Car as a private person
buying a used car
Buying a car from another canton

Basically no difference from buying from your neighbor.

Tom

Thanks for the links.


I read a great part of them. I understand a summary of the steps are:


1) Travel where the seller is to see the car and check it in a local garage.
2) Reserve the car with a down-payment
3) Get a copy of the grey card, call insurance to provide coverage
4) Travel back to the seller, pay the remaining amount, take gray card, plates, keys
5) Go back to your canton in "Service des automobiles et de la navigation" and receive the new grey card and plates
6) take the new plates and grey card and travel (3rd time) to the seller to get the car.

7) Seller to come pick up the old plates or buyer to go to the seller. Seller has to go to his "Service des automobiles et de la navigation" to cancel the plates



Let me know if my understanding is correct. Also, a few questions:
- with regards to 1, is a new MFK obligatory, recommended or simply applicable to old cars
- with regards to 2, is there a special document as "receipt" for the payment?
- with regards to 4, if you do not want to carry cash around (because the amount is >5-10k) how can you make the payment and the seller to confirm he has received it?
- with regards to 4, is there a special sales contract to sign or can it be a simple document?

- with regards to 5, do you receive the new grey card / plates on the same day?

- with regards to 7, can you send the plates via courier?

Get your plates before collecting the car, nobody will let you take the car with their plates. (well I did when I sold my Porsche 911, I did know the buyer)

I've done this twice over past decade, it's very straightforward - no different than if you bought it from across the street from where you live

You don't take someone else's plates.

Tom

All steps are correct.
I've done the similar in June but buying from private seller with the exception of 4) where I asked the seller to send me cancelled gray card so I didn't travel 3 times there.

S.

The seller should cancel the grey card and hand in the plates before giving them to you.

Tom

Just go with the seller to the office, hand in your plates & he can get his.
I did this with 1 motorbike I sold, the other one I followed the person home 1km & took removed my plate.

- with regards to 1, is a new MFK obligatory, recommended or simply applicable to old cars

Not obligatory. Car gets its next MFK invite when it is due. Regular schedule is 5-6, 3, 2, 2, 2 .. years. If next MFK is invite is within 12 months or less a fresh MFK is customary. Be aware that the MFK is not interested in the service history of the car. The car will pass the MFK even if there is barely oil in the engine or last changes has been decades ago.


- with regards to 2, is there a special document as "receipt" for the payment?
No receipt or any formalities needed. But why do yo not pay in full / skip this step?

- with regards to 4, is there a special sales contract to sign or can it be a simple document?
No written contract or formalities needed. Here a contract template from TCS
https://www.tcs.ch/mam/Digital-Media...aufvertrag.pdf

- with regards to 4, if you do not want to carry cash around (because the amount is >5-10k) how can you make the payment and the seller to confirm he has received it?
You do not have to be ashamed when you are poor. You send it using regular bank transfer. The rest is a bit of trust.

- with regards to 5, do you receive the new grey card / plates on the same day?
Yes. On weekdays.

- with regards to 7, can you send the plates via courier?
You leave the old plates with the seller. It is their plates, their problem, and the plates are not needed.

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These days the insurance companies send notifiication to the Traffic Office electronically, so no waiting for or picking up an insurance certificate...