Test drives..

Sukh · 19 Apr 2009 at 17:24

When selling a car privately, how do you go about test drives?

Obviously the person coming to view the car isn't going to have insurance on the car, so if he knocks something, you are out of pocket.

But at the same time, if you want to sell the car, its a bit odd you just driving around with them in the passenger seat, whats the usual thing to do?

Sorry if it is a bit of an obvious question, but how is it done?

SaBBz · 19 Apr 2009 at 17:29

I always get day insurance when I go to test drive private cars.

Concrete · 19 Apr 2009 at 17:29

If they are willing to give you the value of the car in cash before hand then you let them test drive it at their own risk. Otherwise they can get an idea of what the car is like from the passenger seat.

Lopéz · 19 Apr 2009 at 17:34

I'd never even consider buying a car I intended to keep for more than 5 minutes without driving it first.

iaind · 19 Apr 2009 at 18:08

You shouldnt be letting anyone drive a car you're selling without insurance, nor should you be driving a car you know you're not insured on.

Some policies cover you third party on other cars, which at least means its legal but still leaves you out of pocket if they dent it. Day insurance is normally the best bet, if a buyer is serious they wont mind shelling out a tenner

Peerzy · 19 Apr 2009 at 18:09

Lopéz said:
I'd never even consider buying a car I intended to keep for more than 5 minutes without driving it first.

A family just came and brought my mums old car (M reg Rover 215SLi) without even really looking at it. They were buying it for their 17 year old son who was with them but had got in a strop on the way over and refused to get out the car. They knocked on the door, offered £400 (was up for £500) paid and said they would pick it up tomorrow.

I would never buy a car without test driving it for a reasonable length of time (20mins+) and spending another 20mins just looking over the car and playing with the buttons and looking for faults.

I've never asked for insurance or if anyones insured when people have come to buy cars and I've test driven two cars uninsured.

Sukh · 19 Apr 2009 at 18:19

Yeh I understand that it would be a bit off buying a car without a decent test drive, but how do you get around the no insurance/3rd party insurance bit?

Asking them to leave the balance of the car is probably the best way so far, but who turns up to buy a car with the cash?

iaind · 19 Apr 2009 at 18:22

Sukh said:
Yeh I understand that it would be a bit off buying a car without a decent test drive, but how do you get around the no insurance/3rd party insurance bit?

SaBBz said:
I always get day insurance when I go to test drive private cars.

iaind said:
Day insurance is normally the best bet, if a buyer is serious they wont mind shelling out a tenner

Dorje · 19 Apr 2009 at 18:26

Every time I've bought a car privately I've rang my insurance and asked for 1 days insurance on the car in question.

I normally have a couple hundred on me as a deposit, but I always ring a local branch to the buyer and let them know I might pop in to withdraw £XXXX amount of money. I let the buyer know this too, and will put any doubt of the transaction in his/her mind at rest. I normally sort the V5 with the seller at this point too, as there will be a post box near the to the bank.

[TW]Fox · 19 Apr 2009 at 18:28

Lopéz said:
I'd never even consider buying a car I intended to keep for more than 5 minutes without driving it first.

Sold the FTO to a guy who had never driven it, or any other FTO. The only experience of an FTO he had was a 15 minute drive with me at the wheel.

Amazed me really, I would never do that. Paid asking price as well and didnt even ask us to tax it..

Barks · 19 Apr 2009 at 18:48

Have you forgotten the fact it's illegal to drive without insurance?

Don't most people have DOC on their policy anyway though, in which case it's not a problem.

Hxc · 19 Apr 2009 at 18:51

scott212 said:
Have you forgotten the fact it's illegal to drive without insurance?

Don't most people have DOC on their policy anyway though, in which case it's not a problem.

Most people don't have DOC, it's an optional extra that most do not need.

Most people also ignore the legality of driving without insurance when test driving a privately sold car. It's dangerous and stupid, but most do it nonetheless.

shifty_uk · 19 Apr 2009 at 18:54

I've had two private test drives, both of which the owners never even mentioned insurance. Also had one with a dealer but I'm certain they'll be covered.

Concrete · 19 Apr 2009 at 18:54

My cousins boyfriend took a Lotus out for a test drive and wrote it off, he was only covered third party. Luckily he is a city trader and could afford to do the right thing and reimburse the owner, but I know most would have done a runner.

I'm simply not prepared to risk the same happening with me as my car is reasonably high powered, for a normal car I imagine there is less of a risk.

Sukh · 19 Apr 2009 at 19:23

Bloke didn't turn up,,, now I remember why parents trade their cars in instead of being faffed about. Thanks for the advice chaps

Barks · 19 Apr 2009 at 19:24

Concrete said:
My cousins boyfriend took a Lotus out for a test drive and wrote it off, he was only covered third party. Luckily he is a city trader and could afford to do the right thing and reimburse the owner, but I know most would have done a runner.

I'm simply not prepared to risk the same happening with me as my car is reasonably high powered, for a normal car I imagine there is less of a risk.

That most have been horrifically embarrassing, at least he did the right thing.

Housey · 19 Apr 2009 at 19:29

I know of someone who had his 300k plus hyper car written off on a test driver recently. The purchaser was insured.

Peerzy · 19 Apr 2009 at 19:39

Hxc said:
Most people also ignore the legality of driving without insurance when test driving a privately sold car. It's dangerous and stupid, but most do it nonetheless.

So is speeding, so is eating whilst driving, so is not wearing a seatbelt, etc.... It's a risk but I'm not going to phone up and pay day insurance for a car which may be a wreck.

If I was buying something private that was say £5k+ I would probs get some sort of cover but the usual private £2k car or £1k tax and test job I'm never going to bother with.

Just make sure I stick to residentual roads and don't hoon it.

Barks · 19 Apr 2009 at 19:47

If you did get stopped by police and claimed you had DOC on your policy would they actually follow it up? A mate of mine who's 20 drives his dad's E46 M3 via DOC and I dread to think what trouble he could be in if the police stopped him.

Skeeter · 19 Apr 2009 at 19:49

If I was selling a car:

If its the kind of ca thats only worth TPFT cover, then DOC on the other guys insurance would be fine.

If its the kind of car that requires Fully Comp insurance, then Day Insure, or possibly DOC and the other guys cradit card details should he prang it

And likewise, if buyign a car the same would apply. Although offering to be fully comp insured on day insure still wasnt enough for some tool to let me drive his car this weekend.