- For buyers
Buying a car privately?
Skoot helps you complete the purchase safely, securely and transparently.
Found a car, motorbike or motorhome through a private seller? Skoot helps you verify who you’re buying from, get payment sorted before collection day and follow a clear process through to handover.
- Good to know
Before sending thousands to a private seller.
Buying privately can be a great way to find the right vehicle, but it can also leave you dealing with a large payment, seller checks, vehicle details and paperwork by yourself.
Skoot brings the key parts of a private purchase into one clear process
01 Who am I buying from?
Both you and the seller verify your identity and address before the transaction continues. Skoot then shows you the seller’s ID-verified name and address so you can compare them with the registered keeper details on the V5C logbook. This gives you an additional check on who you are buying from before the sale completes.
02 Are the vehicle details correct?
Skoot uses the vehicle registration to retrieve vehicle details using DVLA data, helping you check that the transaction matches the vehicle being bought.
03 How should I handle payment?
You transfer payment to your Skoot wallet before collection day, giving you time to deal with bank checks, transfer limits and funding over several days if needed.
04 What if something does not feel right?
You do not have to complete the purchase just because payment has been prepared with Skoot. If something does not feel right before completion, the transaction can be cancelled.
05 What record will I have?
Once the sale is complete, you receive a receipt and a copy of the agreement as a clear record of the transaction.
Buying privately can feel uncertain if you have not done it before.
What should you check? When should you pay? What paperwork should you expect? How do you know when it is safe to complete the sale?
Skoot gives you a clear process to follow from transaction setup to handover. You are guided through the key steps, including vehicle details, identity verification, payment preparation, documentation and completion.
That means you are not left trying to work everything out for yourself on collection day.
- Before Handover
Get payment sorted before handover.
Buying a vehicle privately often means moving a large amount of money to someone you may never have met before.
With a normal bank transfer, that payment usually happens during handover. That can create problems if your bank applies a daily limit, asks for additional security checks or delays the transfer.
Skoot changes the timing.
You transfer payment to your Skoot wallet before collection day. This gives you time to complete bank checks, deal with transfer limits and build up your balance over several days if needed.
So when you arrive to complete the purchase, the payment side is already organised.
Benefit 1
Deal with bank checks in advance
Avoid discovering payment delays at the point of handover.
Benefit 2
Build up your balance over time
Useful if the vehicle price is higher than your daily banking limit.
Benefit 3
Arrive ready to complete
Spend less time waiting for transfers and more time focusing on the vehicle, paperwork and handover.
You stay in control before completion.
Preparing payment with Skoot does not mean you have to complete the purchase if something does not feel right.
If the vehicle details do not match, the seller becomes difficult, you feel pressured or you simply decide not to proceed before completion, the transaction can be cancelled through Skoot.
If the transaction is cancelled before completion, any money held with Skoot is automatically refunded to the buyer.
This helps you avoid being rushed into completing a private sale before you are ready.
How Skoot Helps
Find answers to the most common questions about how Skoot keeps your car purchase secure, simple, and stress-free.
You don’t pay the seller using bank details sent by message.
In a typical private sale, the seller may send bank details by text, email or marketplace message. That can create risk if details are mistyped, changed, intercepted or misunderstood.
With Skoot, you are not asked to send the purchase price to the seller’s bank details.
You transfer payment to Skoot before handover. The seller’s payout details stay within Skoot and are not shared with you.
Once the sale is complete, Skoot sends the agreed payment to the seller’s verified bank account.
This gives buyers a clearer and safer payment route than relying on account details shared outside the transaction.
What about deposits?
Skoot is deliberately designed so you and the seller do not need to rely on a separate holding deposit.
Instead, you send the agreed price to your Skoot Wallet before handover, demonstrating your commitment to proceeding with the transaction. The seller is notified once the money is in place, so you can both arrange handover without the need for a deposit.
Buyers should be cautious about sending a deposit directly to someone they haven’t met or relying on screenshots of bank transfers and informal payment arrangements outside Skoot
Read more about deposits in our FAQ
Check the vehicle details before handover.
Skoot starts with the vehicle registration so the transaction is built around the vehicle being bought.
Skoot retrieves vehicle details using DVLA data, helping you compare the details with the vehicle and the V5C. Skoot also shows you the seller’s ID-verified name and address so you can compare them with the registered keeper information on the V5C before completion.
This should support your usual buyer checks. You should still inspect the vehicle, review the paperwork and make sure you are happy before completing the transaction.
Start with the vehicle registration, not a generic payment request.
1. Vehicle registration lookup
Start with the vehicle registration, not a generic payment request.
2. DVLA vehicle details
Check the details retrieved against the vehicle being sold.
1. Buyer responsibility
Skoot supports the transaction process, but you should still complete your own vehicle checks before handover.
- 4 easy steps
How buying with Skoot works.
Start Your Transaction
Enter the registration of the vehicle you want to buy, agree the price and invite the seller — or join a transaction if the seller has already invited you.
Verify Who You're Dealing With
Once both parties have accepted the transaction, you’ll each verify your ID using bank-grade identity verification, so everyone can be clearer about who they are dealing with.
Prepare For Handover
Transfer funds to your Skoot wallet before collection day. This gives you time to deal with bank checks, transfer limits and funding over several days if needed.
Skoot also prepares the transaction documentation for both parties to review before you meet.
Complete the sale
Buyer and seller review the details, sign the agreement and confirm completion.
Once the sale is complete, the money held with Skoot is sent to the seller’s verified account and both parties receive a receipt and a copy of the agreement as a clear record of the transaction.
Why buyers use Skoot.
Skoot helps buyers complete private vehicle purchases with more structure, clarity and protection than arranging everything informally.
Know who you’re dealing with
Both parties verify their identity before the transaction continues.
Follow a clear process
Skoot guides you through the key steps needed to complete the private sale properly.
Prepare payment before collection day
Get the payment side organised before handover, rather than trying to move a large amount on the day.
Avoid paying using bank details sent by message
You do not send money using bank details shared by text, email or marketplace message.
Complete purchases above daily limits
Build up your Skoot wallet balance over several days if the vehicle price is higher than your daily banking limit.
Cancel before completion if something feels wrong
If the transaction is cancelled before completion, any money held with Skoot is automatically refunded to the buyer.
- Pricing
One clear fee.
No percentage fees and no hidden charges. Most importantly, fees are only payable once the transaction successfully completes.
Whether you’re buying a £5,000 vehicle or a £50,000 vehicle, the Skoot fee remains the same.
£75
Each for buyer and seller.
- Fixed fee
- No percentage charges
- No hidden charges
- Only payable on successful completion
- Built For
Buying privately? Read these next.
Helpful guides for buyers who want to complete a private vehicle purchase properly.
01 Before You Meet Checklist
What to prepare and confirm before meeting the seller to complete your purchase.
- View Guide
02 Avoiding Private Sale Scams
Common private-sale risks and practical steps you can take to reduce them.
- View Guide
03 How To Pay Safely When Buying Privately
What to consider before sending a large payment to a private seller.
- View Guide
04 Handover Checklist
What to review before signing and completing the sale.
- View Guide