Posting Your Car for Sale in Victoria, Australia

It's not hard to figure out how to sell a car in Victoria if you just follow the few rules that are in place. If you do that, the procedure will go off without a hitch; however, if you ignore them, you might be in for a bad time and end up being legally responsible for the traffic fines of other people.

Get a roadworthy

You are required to obtain a valid roadworthy certificate, or RWC, which is referred to as a Certificate of Roadworthiness in Victoria. It is required in order to complete the process of transferring the registration of a used car to a new owner.

Certificates of roadworthiness can only be acquired from a tester who has been specifically authorized by VicRoads for the purpose. Contact VicRoads through their website or at any of their offices located throughout the state to obtain information regarding the authorized roadworthy testers that are located in your area. You can also determine whether or not a tester is accredited by looking for the VicRoads plaque, which is typically hung on the door of the workshop.

Learn more about the sale of automobiles here.

The only times when you do not need a roadworthy certificate are when you transfer ownership of the vehicle to your spouse or domestic partner, to a licensed car dealer, or if the vehicle is unregistered. In the second scenario, you are required to hand in your license plates to the VicRoads office. Don't count on the buyer to take care of this; instead, remove the plates yourself before handing over the vehicle, and then file the paperwork to have them replaced.

It is possible to reach an agreement that will suspend the vehicle's registration until a roadworthy certificate can be produced, provided that the buyer agrees to obtain the certificate. However, this is not a good idea unless you know the buyer and can be absolutely certain that they will fulfill their legal requirements, including notifying VicRoads of the change in ownership within 14 days. If you do not know the buyer and cannot be absolutely certain that they will do so, then you should avoid doing so. Even so, doing so is not something that is recommended.

After being issued, a roadworthy certificate in Victoria is valid for a period of thirty days from the date it was issued.

How much does it cost to make a vehicle roadworthy?

When the industry was deregulated many years ago, individual testers were given the ability to charge whatever fee they deemed appropriate. As a result, the cost of the Victorian RWC is no longer a set amount as it once was. It can change depending on the year, make, and model of the vehicle that is being evaluated.  

It is a good idea to look around for the best deal; however, the fee will most likely be somewhere between $150 and $200 for a car that is flawless in every way.

It's possible that you'll have to pay more for an inspection if the vehicle in question has problems or is complicated in some other way.

It is important to keep in mind that in order to test a vehicle in accordance with the most recent guidelines issued by VicRoads, testers are required to take the vehicle into their workshops and take photographs of it as evidence that the test was conducted in an authentic manner. It is not surprising that the price of the roadworthy certificate has skyrocketed in recent years.

Why get a roadworthy

VicRoads requires a current roadworthy certificate in order to transfer the registration of a used vehicle to a new owner. However, it does not specify who should get the certificate.

But the most important reason why you should get the certificate yourself before you offer the car for sale is that it demonstrates to prospective buyers that they won't need to spend additional money on a roadworthy test and possible repairs after they've bought the car. This is the main reason why you should get the certificate before you offer the car for sale.

Having said that, it is essential to keep in mind that a roadworthy certificate (RWC) is not an evaluation of the vehicle's quality or overall condition; rather, it is merely a check of the car's fundamental safety functions.

By allowing the buyer to obtain the roadworthy certificate, you are also potentially liable for any parking fines or driving infractions that may be incurred while the car is still officially registered in your name. This is because the buyer will be able to obtain the certificate while the car is still officially registered in your name.

The process of selling a vehicle that is recorded as having been written off

If your car has been previously damaged in an accident or other incident (such as flooding, hailstorm, etc.), it is possible that it has been listed on one of the Written-Off Vehicle Registers, also known as the WOVR, which are maintained by each state and territory. This does not necessarily mean that the vehicle cannot be registered again, but it is something that will raise red flags for buyers who have done their research. As a consequence of this, the resale values of such vehicles are typically much lower.

If the automobile you are selling is listed on a written-off vehicle register in Victoria or in any other state or territory in Australia, it is your responsibility as the seller to disclose this information to the prospective purchaser.

Finish the necessary paperwork.

Both the seller and the buyer of a used vehicle in Victoria are required to fill out an "Application For Transfer of Registration" form. This form can be downloaded from the VicRoads website or picked up from a VicRoads office in order to complete the ownership transfer of a used vehicle.  

If you are the seller, you are required to fill out the 'Seller' section of the form, which asks for your details, details of your car, and details of the roadworthy certificate for the car. If you are the buyer, you are not required to fill out this section of the form.

The form also provides a convenient pre-transfer checklist, which you can use to double check that no important details have been overlooked.

Keep a copy of the original transfer form for your records, and give the buyer the original form.

You are also required to give the buyer a receipt for the car, which confirms the sale and includes the selling price, your name, the name of the buyer, and identifying details of the vehicle, such as the registration number, VIN number, or engine number. This receipt must be given to the buyer at the time of the sale of the vehicle.

Even though it is the responsibility of the buyer to notify VicRoads of the change in ownership, you can safeguard yourself by making this notification in your capacity as the seller. You have the ability to create a personal account on the VicRoads website and make use of this portal in order to notify of the specifics of the change. This eliminates any possibility of the previous owner's misdeeds with the vehicle being associated with you in any way.

What is the current value of my automobile?

You should find out how much your car is worth on the market before you start advertising it for sale. In this way, you won't cheat yourself out of potential sales by setting a price that is too low, nor will you deprive yourself of potential sales by setting a price that is too high.

Finding advertised prices for vehicles that are comparable to yours and using those prices as a guide, making adjustments based on factors such as the number of miles the vehicle has been driven, its overall condition, and the extra features it has installed is a good way to arrive at a price for it.

It is important to keep in mind, however, that the prices that some people are asking for automobiles do not accurately reflect the prices that are actually being paid on the open market, which is currently very volatile.

Getting your car ready for purchase and sale

When selling your car, just a little bit of preparation can go a long way. Before putting your car up for sale, make sure that both the interior and exterior have been meticulously cleaned and that any personal items have been removed. In addition to having the buyer inspect the vehicle, you should fix any minor stone chips, scratches, or blemishes, inflate the tires to the recommended pressure, and make the service book and ownership papers available for them to look over.

It is also important how and where the automobile is photographed for the advertisement. Make sure the background is clear and clean, and take pictures of the car from all different perspectives.

The wording of the advertisement is also very important. Be sure to include the number of miles driven, a description of the vehicle's overall condition, its features, and even the most fundamental details, such as whether it is a manual or automatic transmission.

You'd be surprised at how many advertisements do not contain these fundamental particulars, which causes prospective purchasers to quickly scroll past the ad.