PinkSlipBrowse swaps

Swap safely

Pink Slip never takes custody of a vehicle or holds money. Both owners stay responsible for their own checks. This is the routine that keeps a private swap clean.

Check the paperwork before you commit

  • Ask to see the V5C logbook and confirm the registered keeper's name and address match the person you are meeting.
  • Check the MOT and mileage history free on the GOV.UK MOT history service — sudden mileage drops are a red flag.
  • Run a paid history check (HPI or equivalent) to reveal outstanding finance, write-off markers, theft records and plate changes.
  • A vehicle with outstanding finance is not the seller's to swap. Walk away.

Inspect and drive both vehicles

  • Inspect in daylight, in dry conditions. Wet paintwork hides a lot.
  • Check tyre tread, uneven wear, panel gaps, service book stamps and warning lights on the dash.
  • Test drive both cars, cold-start included. Listen for the noises nobody mentions in the ad.
  • Consider a paid independent inspection (AA, RAC) for higher-value swaps. Split the cost between both parties.

Meet safely

  • Meet in a public, well-lit place — a supermarket car park or a police station car park.
  • Bring someone with you and tell a third person where you are going.
  • Keep the conversation inside Pink Slip messaging until you are comfortable. It leaves a record.
  • Never hand over keys or documents before you are satisfied with the checks.

Complete the swap correctly

  • Write a simple two-way swap agreement listing both vehicles, VINs, mileage, any cash adjustment and both signatures.
  • Notify DVLA of the change of keeper for your outgoing vehicle immediately — online is instant and free.
  • Arrange insurance for the incoming vehicle before you drive it away. Cover must be live from the moment of the swap.
  • Any cash adjustment should move by bank transfer, never cash in an envelope.

Scam warning signs

  • Pressure to complete quickly, or to move off-platform immediately.
  • A seller who won't show the V5C, or whose name doesn't match it.
  • Requests for a deposit before you have seen the vehicle.
  • A swap that looks far too generous. It usually is.

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