Answers to common questions about using Skoot, completing a private vehicle sale, payment, pricing, identity verification, documents and support.
Before the transaction can continue, both the buyer and seller complete an online identity check through Skoot.
You’ll be asked to confirm some basic details, including your registered address. The secure ID check may check your details against sources such as the electoral roll, so it is important that the information you enter is accurate.
You’ll also be asked to provide a photo of an identity document and complete a quick face check. We recommend using a photo driving licence if you have one.
The check is carried out securely by Skoot’s verification partner. The buyer or seller you are transacting with does not see your ID document or the information you submit for the check.
Once both parties have completed identity verification, Skoot can continue to the next steps, including payment preparation, documents and handover.
Private vehicle sales often involve a valuable vehicle, a large payment and two people who may never have met before.
Identity verification helps make sure the buyer and seller names and addresses used in the sales contract are correct.
It also supports payment security. Skoot uses verified identity details to help match money coming into Skoot from the buyer, and to check that the seller payout is being sent to the correct, verified seller.
For buyers, Skoot provides the seller’s ID-verified name and address so they can compare those details with the registered keeper information on the V5C logbook before completion. This gives the buyer an additional check on who they are buying from and reduces the awkwardness of asking the seller directly for ID at handover.
For sellers, completing identity verification helps give the buyer greater confidence in who is selling the vehicle and in proceeding with the sale.
Identity verification does not prove that someone is genuine or replace the checks either side would normally make.
Yes. Skoot provides the buyer with the seller’s ID-verified name and address, so the buyer can compare them with the name and address shown on the V5C before completion.
This helps reduce the awkwardness of asking the seller directly for ID at handover.
No. The buyer or seller you are transacting with will not see your ID documents or the other verification material you submit.
They will only see the verified name and address needed for the transaction documents.
Griffin is Skoot’s banking partner, a fully regulated UK bank.
Griffin Bank Ltd (“Griffin”) is a company registered in England and Wales (No. 10842931). Griffin is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Griffin’s firm reference number is 970920.
When a buyer transfers money to their Skoot wallet, the money is held by Griffin in separate, dedicated bank accounts for each transaction.
Griffin also supports the secure checks used by Skoot, including identity verification.
Yes. When the buyer transfers money to their Skoot wallet, the funds are held in a dedicated bank account for that transaction.
Each Skoot transaction is allocated its own account, so the money for that sale is kept separate from other Skoot transactions. It is not held in Skoot’s general business accounts or in a general buyer account.
While the money is held in the buyer’s Skoot Wallet, eligible deposits of up to £120,000 per depositor are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), the UK’s deposit guarantee scheme. This is a single limit across all accounts the depositor holds with Griffin, not £120,000 for each Skoot transaction.
If the transaction is cancelled before completion, money held with Skoot is automatically refunded in full to the buyer.
Skoot uses the vehicle registration number to retrieve vehicle details from DVLA data.
This helps the buyer compare the key details before completion: the vehicle should match the information on the V5C, and the V5C should match the DVLA-held vehicle details retrieved by Skoot.
Skoot does not replace the buyer’s own vehicle checks. Buyers should still inspect the vehicle, check the paperwork, review the MOT history, consider any vehicle history or finance checks they need, and make sure they are happy before completing the sale.
If you are buying or selling privately and want to understand whether Skoot is right for your transaction, we’re here to help.
No percentage fees and no hidden charges. Most importantly, fees are only payable once the transaction successfully completes.