Legalities of private sale test drives

Hussman

Hussman

Hussman

Associate
Joined
1 Nov 2003
Posts
1,268
Location
Maidstone, Kent
Hi Fellas,

Current situation is this.

I am the registered keeper and user of Car A.

I want to buy, privately, Car B.

Currently Car A is fully legal (MOT, insurance, Tax etc.) as is Car B.

Let's say I buy Car B.

I no longer use Car A and park it on my drive. I transfer my insurance from Car A to Car B (to ensure I can use my NC discount on the new vehicle.)

I put Car A up for sale. Mr X comes along and asks, quite rightly, for a test drive.

Car A is, at this point, MOTed and Taxed. But not covered by any insurance.

Mr X and I go for test drive.

What happens if we get stopped by the Police, I'm still the registered keeper at that point??

Also, how do you get round this? I'm not trying to do anything dodgy but can't see a way to do it without having to insure one of the cars without the benefit of transferring my NCB.

I assume I will be advised to take out daily cover on Car A, but this is a ballache and will cost me money if Mr X doesn't buy.

I surely am not the only person in such a position.

Thanks

Hussman
 
Does car A remain taxed the whole time?

If so then it is a (newly created) legal requirement for you to keep it insured, or declare it SORN.
 
It has to be insured or off road (SORN). Getting caught by police will result in the car being crushed, you will be done for allowing a car to be driven without insurance and the driver for driving without insurance.

Andi.
 
Will Gill said:
declare when selling it that the car is currently SORN, this leaves the action on the buyer to insure and tax it :)
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Doesn't help them test drive it though, infact it makes it pretty impossible as it is incredibly unlikely that anyone will turn up with an insurance certificate and prepared to tax it, just to take it for a test drive.
 
Ok, thanks.

So let's say then that I declare Car A Sorn, it appears I still have to insure it.

This means that I cannot transfer my NCB to Car B until I sell Car A right?

Thus my premium will be HUGE for Car B.

Insurance companies must love this rule.
 
Hussman said:
I put Car A up for sale. Mr X comes along and asks, quite rightly, for a test drive.

Car A is, at this point, MOTed and Taxed. But not covered by any insurance.
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Why is it not insured? You just ring your existing insurer before buying the new car and tell the you are transferring the existing insurance to the new car and need 21-28 cover on the previous vehicle to allow you to sell.
 
Hussman said:
So let's say then that I declare Car A Sorn, it appears I still have to insure it.
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No, if you declare it SORN, it can be uninsured. If it's TAXED it has to be insured.

Hussman said:
This means that I cannot transfer my NCB to Car B until I sell Car A right?
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Or get your insurance switched to car B, and insure car A temporarily (a few weeks or so). This adds little (if anything) to my premium, the few times I've done it.
 
paradigm said:
No, if you declare it SORN, it can be uninsured. If it's TAXED it has to be insured.
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Ok, I see, thanks

paradigm said:
Or get your insurance switched to car B, and insure car A temporarily (a few weeks or so). This adds little (if anything) to my premium, the few times I've done it.
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JTrickle said:
Why is it not insured? You just ring your existing insurer before buying the new car and tell the you are transferring the existing insurance to the new car and need 21-28 cover on the previous vehicle to allow you to sell.
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Ok, so this doesn't cost a lot to do then, wasn't aware I could insure 2 cars on one policy for a short period of time like this. Thanks.

Only issue is it means Mr X has me over a barrel and can offer me a very low price for Car A knowing that I will accept as I can only insure it for 28 or so without having to incur more expense.
 
Hussman said:
Only issue is it means Mr X has me over a barrel and can offer me a very low price for Car A knowing that I will accept as I can only insure it for 28 or so without having to incur more expense.
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Only if you tell him. He has no idea that both aren't on separate policies, as both my cars are.
 
I'm afraid that's tough luck - Not trying to be harsh, but its a fact. If you take the car on the road without proper insurance and the police spot you, they will impound it on the spot and you will have to then get full and proper insurance, as well as pay a fine to claim it back. Unfortunately, if your buyer is aware of the situation, then yes, he has you over a bit of a barrel, but unless your willing to insure the car longer term, there's nothing you can do about that.
 
Phone your insurance company and see what they say, Direct Line gave me 7 days free cover on my old car when I transferred the policy to a new vehicle. When that ran out I insured it monthly with Direct Line until it was sold, apart from the cost it was simple and no hassle at all.
 
New law sucks

I'm going through this right now.

I rung my existing insurer Admiral and what they said is best is to change my existing insurance to the new car thus keeping my 9-months no claims so far this year (it'll cost a couple of hundred quid to change as my new car is a higher group than old car) and then add back in my old car as a temporary car for 1 month at a cost of ~£50.
If in a months time I haven’t sold the old car I’d need to ring up and buy another month temporary cover… similarly if 1 week into the 1 month I sell the old car I can ring up and get a bit of the £50 back.


This way as it's insured I won't get fined (despite it being on my driveway :mad:), and anyone wanting a test drive can either do so under DOC if they've got it or dayinsure it.
 
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paradigm said:
Doesn't help them test drive it though, infact it makes it pretty impossible as it is incredibly unlikely that anyone will turn up with an insurance certificate and prepared to tax it, just to take it for a test drive.
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I dont care I'm driving round in a shiny new car, the old one is way off my care radar :p
 
I took out 24 hours temporary fully comp insurance to test drive an Octavia that I was intending to buy privately. Cost me about £20.
 
Why would you want to insure it for someone else to test drive it? it's their responsibility to make sure it's insured and yours to check that they have valid insurance to cover it.
 
Because the law has changed - if its taxed, it must be insured. The buyer may be responsible to insure it if he wants to drive it himself, but its not reasonable to expect him to tax it for a test drive.
 
This new law is a ridiculously stupid pain that serves no purpose beyond irritating law abiding citizens.

My other car is currently SORN and it's a huge annoyance to me. I was forced to cash the tax in, very very annoying.
 
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