Should the Payment Be Made Before or After the Transfer of a Used Car?
2 Answers
For used cars, the payment is generally made within three working days after the vehicle transfer is completed. When you pay the down payment to the used car dealer, the dealer will start processing the vehicle transfer procedures. However, this does not mean you can take the car immediately, as the dealer has not yet received the full payment. Only after the remaining payment is transferred to the dealer's account three days later will the dealer hand over the car to the owner. Typically, the method of transferring first and then mortgaging is adopted. More details are as follows: Used car loans are more complex: Used car loans are slightly more complicated than new car loans because they involve factors such as the vehicle's age and price. If the car is too old or already a yellow-label vehicle, the chances of loan approval are very low. The best age range is around 3-6 years. The newer the car, the easier it is to get a loan. Price affects the loan: Additionally, if the vehicle price is too high, it is also difficult to obtain a loan. When choosing a loan provider, it is best to opt for a bank, as private financial companies usually charge higher interest rates.
When it comes to buying a used car, whether to transfer ownership first or make the payment first, I personally think it depends on how the buyer manages risks. As a buyer myself, I just purchased a used car, and a friend reminded me not to rush into paying the full amount upfront. If the seller takes the money but doesn’t cooperate with the ownership transfer, you might end up unable to drive the car away at all. My usual approach is to pay a small deposit first, say 10%, then go to the DMV with the seller to complete the transfer process. Only after everything is confirmed do I pay the remaining balance. The whole process can also involve a third-party platform to secure the funds—services like Guazi Used Car offer this, holding the buyer’s money until the handover is complete. Scammers are everywhere these days. I once read a post on an online forum where someone impulsively paid the full amount upfront, only for the seller to delay showing up for half a month, causing a huge headache. So, from my perspective, transferring ownership first is the safer bet—don’t cut corners only to create more trouble for yourself.