Selling my Z - Should I let people test drive it?

[tomedwards]

Whats the norm here? I am happy to take people out, but clearly most people won't be insured on the vehicle, just 3rd party. Would anyone here let someone take the wheel if they were just 3rd party?

 

Your opinions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[introspect]

Personally, I wouldn't let anyone drive it unless they had fully comprehensive insurance for the car. Not worth the risk in my opinion.If anything happened, they could just walk away and you would be left out of pocket.

[Trev-the-Rev]

If you make it clear in the ad that test drives will only be permitted with proof of fully comp insurance, you shouldn't have any problems. That will elimate the test pilots and anyone that is a geniune buyer will arrange the necessary cover.

[ian.lewkowicz]

I agree, I wouldn't let someone test drive the car without insurance. If it was a friend or someone you at least knew it is one thing, but a total strange is a definate no-no.

 

When I was buying mine Nissan wouldn't even let me test drive it without me first agreeing to buy it following a successful test drive. This being me having to sign the paperwork saying I would buy it. I wasn't about to do this as I wanted to test drive one to ensure I wanted one, before having them to get the colour and spec I wanted in. I wasn't about to sign saying that if the test drive was good I'd buy the one they had in, so I left it thinking well a garage will probably let me test drive one. Nissan then rang me about a week later and said I could test drive one

[beng]

You can usually tell fairly quickly if someone is seriously interested in buying or just looking for a joyride. When I was selling my car I didnt let people test drive it if I didnt think they were likely to buy it. And then there was no way I wasnt going with them to make sure they bought it back.

If you did let someone take it for a test drive and didnt make sure that they were insured before you let them drive your car you would be in trouble with the Police and could be looking at points if they were pulled over on the test drive.

[nixy]

Its a tricky one. In the past with other cars i've taken people out in it myself and then let them drive a short way third party. I'm not keen but who will buy a car without driving it first? And how do you get fully comp to test drive a car? Is this possible?

[ARphotographs]

Make it obvious to them, If they break it they buy it! even get them to just sign a bit of paper stating this.

 

I personally wouldn't go to the hassle to arrange fully comp insurance on a car that i'm just going to see and if i like it give a deposit and return to pay rest and pick it up later. As unless its 100+ miles away and if i like it, i'll drive it home that day.

 

I'd only let them out in a car if i was in the passenger seat and they knew the above rule. Also maybe you drive them to an industrial estate, or carpark. Gives them enough space to check they fit with the car. There is no need on a test drive to go hooning down country roads. Read a review of the car and check it can handle country roads, then test drive it to check you and the car feel comfortable together.

[ian.lewkowicz]

Its a tricky one. In the past with other cars i've taken people out in it myself and then let them drive a short way third party. I'm not keen but who will buy a car without driving it first? And how do you get fully comp to test drive a car? Is this possible?

 

I know what you mean, people wouldn't buy without test driving, well most wouldn't. A mate of mine did once, but he learnt his lesson the hard way.

 

Yes you can get temporary insurance to cover things like test drives etc.

 

Make it obvious to them, If they break it they buy it! even get them to just sign a bit of paper stating this.

 

Whether you got them to sign a piece of paper or not, if they weren't gonna pay up, they wouldn't have to. Nothing signed gives legal implications unless signed with a witness able to legally witness contract signing etc (as far as I'm aware)

 

I would be very careful about it. Most common thing seems to be a car park or something similar. Car park is ideal if there's no cars about as it's private land so the police wouldn't be able to do anything. But you need to trust them to not smash into anything like lamposts or curbs etc.

 

Only other possibility I suppose would be to look into the price of getting insurance yourself for any driver on the car for a few weeks?

[nixy]

Yep signing a piece of paper means zilch - even with a witness. I know this because of something my solicitor told me recently on a totally different subject matter.

[tomedwards]

Ok, thanks for your advice all.

 

I think I will specify that they bring proof of 3rd party insurance. Then I will take them out myself for a bit of a hoon then maybe try to find somewhere quiet so they can have a crack without pushing it.

 

I guess like you say, you can kind of tell the sort of person who is likely to actually buy or is just there as a test pilot. I will specify on the advert that proof of insurance will be required, hopefully that will put off the time wasters.

 

I'd share the link but i'm not allowed to advertise it here as I dont have 50 posts!

[RobD7]

Yeah make them provide proof of insurance!

 

Nothing worse than if someone spanked it whilst test driving!

[Stew]

Most common thing seems to be a car park or something similar. Car park is ideal if there's no cars about as it's private land so the police wouldn't be able to do anything.

 

 

Hmmmmmm..... Be careful of that too. If it's public ACCESS then the police might still be able to do something if the driver has no insurance.

[richt]

You can usually tell fairly quickly if someone is seriously interested in buying or just looking for a joyride. When I was selling my cat I didnt let people test drive it if I didnt think they were likely to buy it. And then there was no way I wasnt going with them to make sure they bought it back.

If you did let someone take it for a test drive and didnt make sure that they were insured before you let them drive your car you would be in trouble with the Police and could be looking at points if they were pulled over on the test drive.

 

Do people really want to test drive cats?

[beng]

yeah, just noticed that........

[Demolition49]

My argument would be, its like 10 quid for temp-cover, if your a serious buyer your going to cough up 10 quid for the sake of a test drive, if not then tbh they must be faffing about or not that keen...

[ian.lewkowicz]

My argument would be, its like 10 quid for temp-cover, if your a serious buyer your going to cough up 10 quid for the sake of a test drive, if not then tbh they must be faffing about or not that keen...

 

+1

 

Let's face it, anyone who is honestly gonna buy a car, if the person said to you about getting insurance and you weren't willing to spend the £10 on temp cover, surely your not interested anyway. Garages can cover your insurance, but if it's a private sale why should the seller be the one risking loosing out? Worth mentioning to prospective buyers to give their insurance companies a ring? Surely they'd be willing to give temp cover on sommat?

 

Could also be worth asking prospective buyers to bring evidence they have a license? Afterall whether they are insured or not, if they don't have a license the insurance isn't worth the paper it's written on. Also it'll give you peace of mind of at least knowing where the person lives should anything happen