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Guide for buyers and sellers

How safe payment works on Going Once Cars

In private car sales, the biggest risk is the payment: a deposit sent to a stranger, or cash at the handover. On Going Once Cars, the money goes through us and is held until the buyer has the car.

Updated 22 October 20263 min read

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You pay GOC, never the seller

Going Once Cars sits between buyer and seller to protect both:

  1. The buyer pays Going Once Cars: the price plus the buyer fee, within 3 business days.
  2. We hold the money while the buyer books a pickup time and collects the car.
  3. The seller is paid only after the handover, once they've entered the buyer's handover code in the app.

No cash and no side payments: paying a seller directly, or paying anything extra at the handover, isn't allowed. Money paid outside Going Once Cars isn't held by us.

How the buyer pays

  • By card: the quickest way. Payments are processed securely by Stripe and are usually confirmed within seconds. Going Once Cars never sees your full card number.
  • By bank transfer: you send the exact total in euros to Going Once Cars, with the payment reference shown in the app, for example GOC-12345. Send it early, because a transfer can take a day or more.

The deadline is 17:00 on the third business day after the auction ends. Buy Now purchases are paid by card straight away. Only ever pay to the account shown in the app.

The handover code: the buyer's confirmation

Once you've paid and booked a pickup time, your 6-character handover code appears in the app. Giving the code means: "I have the car, the keys and the documents, and I've signed the contract."

  • Keep the code secret until the moment you take the car.
  • Give it to the seller in person, only after you've checked the car and you've both signed the sale contract.
  • Don't send it by message, photo or phone call.
  • The code only works for this purchase, and only once.

If you're the seller, never hand over the keys before the buyer's code has been accepted in your app.

When the seller is paid

We pay the seller 1–2 business days after the handover, by bank transfer to the IBAN in their profile: the price minus the €50 success fee. Albanian IBANs start with AL and Kosovo IBANs with XK. If the car doesn't sell, or the buyer doesn't pay, the seller pays nothing.

What we will never ask for

Going Once Cars staff and the GOC Assistant will never ask you, by phone, email or message, for:

  • your password;
  • card numbers or the CVC code;
  • one-time codes sent by text message or email;
  • your handover code;
  • your ID document number in a chat.

Our email addresses end in @goingoncecars.com.

How to spot a scam

Be careful if:

  • someone asks you to pay a deposit or to "reserve" a car outside the app;
  • a payment link or bank account comes from anywhere other than the app;
  • someone who says they're from GOC asks for your code, password or card details;
  • a buyer shows you a "proof of payment" and asks for the keys: only the code entered in the app confirms a handover;
  • a message pushes you to act fast.

When in doubt, stop and check in the app, or ask GOC Support.

If something goes wrong

If the car isn't as described, or keys or documents are missing, don't give the code. Message GOC Support straight away from the handover. Don't renegotiate the price, don't pay and don't accept cash. If you find a problem after the handover, write to buyer@goingoncecars.com as soon as possible, with photos.

Before the handover, also read what to check when buying a used car.