Yes, you can sell a machine that's still on finance. On hire purchase or conditional sale the lender owns it until the agreement is paid off, and most PCP deals work the same way. So the finance must be settled when you sell. Ask your lender for a settlement figure. We settle with the lender ourselves, and the balance is yours.
Can you sell it?
Yes, but how depends on the type of finance. What matters is who owns the machine right now.
On hire purchase (HP) and conditional sale, the lender owns the machine until you've made the final payment. You're allowed to use it, but it isn't yours to sell. Selling it without settling the finance is a breach of the agreement. Your lender can pursue you for the money, and in some cases it can become a criminal matter.
It's also a real problem for the buyer. There's a legal protection for private buyers who unknowingly buy a vehicle on HP, under section 27 of the Hire Purchase Act 1964, but it doesn't protect trade buyers, and the same section makes clear the seller stays liable.
So settle the finance within the sale. Once the lender is paid in full, ownership passes. From then on it sells like any other machine.
HP vs PCP vs personal loan
Your paperwork names the type of agreement at the top.
| Type | Who owns it now | Can you sell it? |
|---|---|---|
| Hire purchase (HP) | The lender, until the last payment | Only by settling the finance |
| Conditional sale | The lender, until the last payment | Only by settling the finance |
| PCP | Usually the lender, until the final 'balloon' payment | Only by settling the finance |
| Personal loan | You | Yes, but you still owe the loan |
| Credit card | You | Yes, but you still owe the card |
With a personal loan or credit card, the money was lent to you, not secured on the machine, so it was yours from day one.
Dealer finance on a quad or a UTV or side-by-side is most likely HP or PCP. Check the agreement to be sure. An electric dirt bike bought on finance, such as a Sur-Ron Ultra Bee, is no different.
Most Sur-Ron, Talaria, Stark Varg and E Ride Pro models are not road legal. They're for private land with the landowner's permission, and tracks. We never suggest riding a non-road-legal bike on public roads.
Farm business finance works on the same principle: if the lender owns it, it must be settled first.
Getting a settlement figure
A settlement figure is the amount needed to pay the agreement off in full today. Ask your lender for one. Most will give it online or over the phone, and many have an app.
On a regulated consumer credit agreement it's your right: the lender must give you a settlement statement when you ask, under section 97 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Expect it to be less than the total left to pay, because settling early normally cuts the interest you'd have paid over the rest of the term. Some agreements add a charge for settling early. Each figure is valid until a set date. After that, ask for an updated one.
Get it in writing. The agreement number should be on it, along with the lender's payment details.
Business finance agreements may not carry the same consumer rights, but lenders still give settlement figures on request.
How we pay it off
When there's finance on the machine, we clear it with the lender and the remainder comes to you. Step by step:
- Mention the finance in your offer request, with the lender's name.
- We make our offer within 24 hours, as normal.
- You get a written settlement figure from your lender and send it to us.
- We pay the settlement amount straight to the lender. We use the lender's own payment details, never ones sent from anywhere else.
- The balance comes to you by bank transfer. It shows in your own banking app before the machine goes on the trailer.
- Your lender closes the agreement and should confirm it's been settled. Keep that confirmation.
Your ID gets checked first, as on every machine. Then we match the paperwork to the frame number. Your finance agreement is often useful proof of ownership in itself, because it links you to the machine. A machine that won't start works the same way (our non-runner guide covers the rest). See our collection steps for the day itself, or the wider FAQ for other questions.
If you owe more than it's worth
This is called negative equity, and it's most likely early in a finance deal. If the settlement figure is higher than our offer, the difference has to come from somewhere before the lender will close the agreement.
One way is to pay the shortfall yourself. Our offer goes to the lender, and you pay the lender the rest, so the full settlement is met. We'll show you the numbers so you can see exactly what you'd need to find.
Or wait. Each payment brings the settlement figure down, so selling later might mean no shortfall.
Last, there's voluntary termination. On a regulated HP or conditional sale agreement, you usually have the right to end it and hand the machine back once you've paid half the total amount payable, under section 100 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. You may owe more if the machine hasn't been looked after. Speak to your lender before you decide.
If the numbers don't add up, we'll say so. Ready? Start your offer and note the lender's name in the form.
The Hire Purchase Act and Consumer Credit Act sections linked above were checked on legislation.gov.uk on 27 September 2026. Your agreement and your lender have the final say on your figures. It's general information only. It isn't legal or financial advice.