Advice6 min read4 views
Updated 27 October 2026 · Written by the Wahanaya.lk team
Price the car firmly, screen buyers on the phone before you agree to a viewing, and take a refundable deposit once someone says yes. Anyone who won't commit to any of these three steps is a time-waster, not a buyer.
A time-waster is anyone who takes up your time on the phone, over WhatsApp, or in person without any real plan to buy at your price. It's the caller who asks you to repeat the same details three times, the person who books a viewing and never turns up, and the "buyer" who agrees a price on the phone and then goes quiet once you've taken the ad down. You can't stop every one of them, but you can cut the number of them a lot by how you list the car, how you screen calls, and how firm you are about a deposit once someone says yes.
Most fall into a few familiar types. There's the tyre-kicker who's genuinely curious about your model but has no money ready and no timeline — often someone pricing a future purchase, maybe a year or two away. There's the lowballer who opens with an offer well below your asking price just to see if you'll cave, regardless of condition or market rate. There's the serial test-driver who enjoys driving different cars and strings along several sellers at once. There's the "buying for my brother/friend" negotiator who keeps relaying questions back and forth but never puts a name or a deposit down. And there's the trader or reseller posing as a private buyer, trying to negotiate a dealer-level discount off a private listing so they can resell it.
None of these people are doing anything illegal. Your job isn't to catch them out — it's to spot the pattern early and stop giving them free access to your time.
Listen to the questions they ask. A serious buyer usually already has a shortlist and asks pointed questions: the registration year, actual mileage, whether it's had any accident repairs, service history, and why you're selling. They often mention that they've checked the going rate on a price check or worked out a monthly instalment on a leasing calculator before calling you — because they're comparing your car against real alternatives, not just asking you to educate them.
A time-waster, by contrast, tends to ask vague, open-ended questions ("so how much can you go down to?") very early, before asking anything about the car itself. They avoid giving a name, dodge a fixed viewing time, or ask you to send ten more photos and a video before they'll even say if they're interested. Neither pattern proves intent on its own, but together they're a reasonable filter.
Yes, once someone genuinely agrees to buy. A verbal "I'll take it" costs the buyer nothing, so it's worth very little to you. Taking even a modest, agreed deposit — with a short, signed note stating the amount, the balance, the date for final payment, and what happens if either side pulls out — turns a casual yes into a real commitment. There's no law in Sri Lanka that sets the size or form of this deposit; it's a private arrangement between you and the buyer, so agree the terms in writing rather than relying on memory.
If payment is by cheque, be aware that under the Bills of Exchange (Amendment) Act No. 13 of 2025, in force from 15 August 2025, writing a cheque that bounces because of the drawer's own fault can be treated as a criminal offence, carrying up to two years in prison or a fine equal to the cheque amount, as of October 2026 (Sunday Times, Newswire). That's useful to know, but it doesn't get your money back quickly — a bank transfer, or cash counted in front of you, is still the safer way to take a deposit or final payment.
Some callers aren't trying to buy your car at all — they want a free, informal valuation to compare against their own vehicle, or to use as a bargaining chip with a dealer. It's fine to answer briefly and point them to our price-check tool so they can work it out themselves. You don't owe every caller a detailed breakdown of your car's condition and history just because they asked.
Agree a specific day and time, not a loose "sometime this week." Ask the buyer to confirm by message an hour or two before, and treat a no-show without a good reason as a strike. Most sellers find it reasonable to allow one reschedule; after a second no-show, stop offering new slots to that person and move on to the next enquiry. If someone keeps pushing the time back at the last minute, that's usually a sign they were never that close to buying.
Screen first, meet smart second. Get a name and a phone number, and where it's reasonably possible, suggest meeting somewhere public and well-lit for the first viewing rather than your home address straight away. For the test drive itself, take a photo of the buyer's NIC, keep hold of your own documents, and go along in the car — our safety tips page covers this in more detail and is worth reading before your first viewing.
If you're not sure how to read a particular buyer, or want a second opinion on an offer, ask in the Wahanaya forum — other sellers who've been through the same calls are usually quick to weigh in.
You can sell it, but the leasing company is the legal owner until the facility is settled. Clear the lease (or get the finance company's written release) before any transfer at the DMT, or the buyer's money won't get them a clean CR.
Wahanaya.lk team8 min read
You transfer ownership by filling MTA 6 and MTA 8 forms, handing over the CR book and NIC copies, and the buyer lodging these at the DMT within 14 days of the sale, paying the class fee, service charge and 1% stamp duty.
Wahanaya.lk team9 min read
Compare 8-10 similar ads for the same make, model, year and mileage, then adjust for condition, service history and documents. Price slightly above your target so you have room to negotiate, and confirm the transfer fees and stamp duty before you settle on a final figure.
Wahanaya.lk team6 min read
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