The Ethics of Selling Your Car - Considering the Buyers Safety
I'd like to bring to your attention a matter of Ethics that many people don't even think about when they sell their car - the safety of the buyer.
As the seller of a vehicle, you have several obligations to the buyer, arguably the most important of which is doing what you can to make sure they get home safely.
Selling an unsafe vehicle, without providing full disclosure to the purchaser is not only potentially dangerous, but can expose you to unnecessary liability.
When we drive a vehicle every day, we tend to forget about its "quirks".
Take a couple minutes and think about the problems your car has, that you tend to overlook.
Those very things that you take for granted, and sometimes compensate for without even thinking about it, can be a real danger to the buyer.
Yes, you know that the brakes are nearly worn out, and it takes a good long time to stop, but did you tell the buyer that? How about that annoying habit your car has of dying under sudden acceleration? Easy to deal with if you know that you shouldn't pull out in front of speeding semis, right? No one wants a call from a lawyer that's asking pesky little questions of you, on behalf of their client, who is dismayed that you didn't disclose something about the car you sold them - and got them into an accident.
Worse yet, would be the weight on your conscience, if you read in the paper the next day that your former car got flattened by a truck, killing all the occupants.
Ethically speaking, the right thing to do is to disclose to the buyer known safety issues, or mechanical problems that could lead to unreliable performance.
Legally, you may not have a requirement to do this, but it is best for all parties involved.
Another way to deal with this, is to fix the safety issues ahead of time.
Sure, it will cost you a bit of money, but will almost always translate into a better sale price and a satisfied buyer, when they know you have both taken care of the vehicle and are looking out for their safety.
Finally, in order to protect yourself from unneeded liability, follow the lead of the car dealerships.
You can prepare a simple statement that you have not misrepresented the condition of the vehicle, and that the vehicle is being sold "As-Is" with no guarantee or warranty as to its condition.
Ask yourself the following questions before you sell your car yourself, if the answer to any of them is no, you need to fix it or disclose it to the buyer: Will my car stop like it's supposed to? Will my car go like it's supposed to? Will my car steer like it's supposed to? Can the driver see out the windows clearly? Would I let my Grandmother drive on those tires? No reasonable person wants to be responsible for harm to another person, or to make themselves the target of a lawsuit.
If you know how to sell your car yourself, do it right and consider the safety of your buyer.
As the seller of a vehicle, you have several obligations to the buyer, arguably the most important of which is doing what you can to make sure they get home safely.
Selling an unsafe vehicle, without providing full disclosure to the purchaser is not only potentially dangerous, but can expose you to unnecessary liability.
When we drive a vehicle every day, we tend to forget about its "quirks".
Take a couple minutes and think about the problems your car has, that you tend to overlook.
Those very things that you take for granted, and sometimes compensate for without even thinking about it, can be a real danger to the buyer.
Yes, you know that the brakes are nearly worn out, and it takes a good long time to stop, but did you tell the buyer that? How about that annoying habit your car has of dying under sudden acceleration? Easy to deal with if you know that you shouldn't pull out in front of speeding semis, right? No one wants a call from a lawyer that's asking pesky little questions of you, on behalf of their client, who is dismayed that you didn't disclose something about the car you sold them - and got them into an accident.
Worse yet, would be the weight on your conscience, if you read in the paper the next day that your former car got flattened by a truck, killing all the occupants.
Ethically speaking, the right thing to do is to disclose to the buyer known safety issues, or mechanical problems that could lead to unreliable performance.
Legally, you may not have a requirement to do this, but it is best for all parties involved.
Another way to deal with this, is to fix the safety issues ahead of time.
Sure, it will cost you a bit of money, but will almost always translate into a better sale price and a satisfied buyer, when they know you have both taken care of the vehicle and are looking out for their safety.
Finally, in order to protect yourself from unneeded liability, follow the lead of the car dealerships.
You can prepare a simple statement that you have not misrepresented the condition of the vehicle, and that the vehicle is being sold "As-Is" with no guarantee or warranty as to its condition.
Ask yourself the following questions before you sell your car yourself, if the answer to any of them is no, you need to fix it or disclose it to the buyer: Will my car stop like it's supposed to? Will my car go like it's supposed to? Will my car steer like it's supposed to? Can the driver see out the windows clearly? Would I let my Grandmother drive on those tires? No reasonable person wants to be responsible for harm to another person, or to make themselves the target of a lawsuit.
If you know how to sell your car yourself, do it right and consider the safety of your buyer.