Selling a car what do I need to check on buyers insurance

kirk.

Hi selling car with tax and nct

What do I need to check on their policy before a test drive ?

And who would be liable if they drove without insurance in theory

Sorry for questions just want my facts straight

Thanks

Henry Ford III

You need to check it covers your car. If it's 3rd party extension it's probably 3rd party cover only. So if they write off your car there's no cover.

In the event of getting done for no cover the driver would certainly be in trouble, and possibly the owner too (allowing an uninsured driver to drive your car).

coylemj

OP, you mentioned that your car has tax and NCT - do you have a current policy of insurance, with or without open driving? Because if you don't have any policy and someone with a cert. from Aviva, Liberty or Zurich shows up to do a test drive, they will not be covered to drive your car, even if their cert. suggests otherwise.

In their policy documents, those companies say that their 'driving other cars' cover is conditional on there being a policy in force for any car their policyholder is driving. It doesn't matter if the car's policy covers them or not, simply that someone has a current policy for that car.

So if you have allowed your policy to lapse and will be relying on a prospective buyer's policy to cover the test drive, make sure that they are not insured with Aviva, Liberty or Zurich.

zg3409

You can get them then and there to ring their insurer and temporarily add your car to their policy. Listen to the call and satisfy yourself they are insured. Otherwise don't allow them to drive or bring to disused industrial estate or private road with wide open areas with nothing to hit. Make this clear in advance to person coming.

Del2005

Full asking price in cash in your hand before you'll even consider handing over the keys, buy a currency checking pen, don't except their keys as they might not own the vehicle they arrived in. Then you need to do the checks that their policy allows driving other cars, the problem with this is that depending on their age or when they took out the policy the other car could need to be insured or not and that's only in the policy booklet which they might not have.

E36Ross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117852662#Comment_117852662

I'd never buy a car from someone wanting the full asking price in cash before I drive it..... Illiminates any chance you have of negotiating if theres a mechanical problem or what if they swap your legit cash for duds?

Iv bought silly amounts of cars and honestly, common sense will get you a long way. Whether that be gut instinct or letting them test drive in a large industrial estate or similar.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117852741#Comment_117852741

If they drive off you are not covered by insurance because you gave them the keys. If they crash on the test drive you have no comeback as the car is most likely only covered 3rd party. The seller always has to assume that you have the asking price when you are buying a car, you have to try to get them to take less than they want.

The problem with buying and selling privately is that the best way for each party to be protected are mutuality exclusive. Always buy a car from the registered address, don't let a random person in your house when selling. Check the vehicle history before you buy, don't show the reg. Etc

coylemj

If they drive off you are not covered by insurance because you gave them the keys.

What's the alternative? If you're referring to the situation after the sale, it's none of your concern if he is insured or not, he is now the owner. The change of (registered) ownership may take a few days but if he hands you cash and you hand him the keys, he is now the legal owner of the car and you're off the hook on the issue of insurance.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117858025#Comment_117858025

They drive off on the test drive, your left with no car and no money because you handed them the keys.