Private sale - Test drive?

PrettyBoy · 09-10-2013 04:25PM #1

What is the general consensus on this matter? I was discussing this with a colleague earlier today and mentioned that when I bought my car from a dealer and test drove it, but how do people feel about test driving a car that's being sold privately?

From a buyers point of view it would be preferable to drive the car before you buy it but I can't imagine many people being fully insured to test drive a car they're going to have a look at. From a sellers point of view I can see why they would be reluctant to offer a test drive as anything can go wrong and the seller will be left to pick up the pieces regardless of whether the driver was insured or not.

So, when selling a car would you allow a stranger/potential buyer to test drive it? And for those buying a car, would you ever agree to buy the car and hand over the money without test driving the car first?

Let's say the car in question is worth €3k.

jimgoose · 09-10-2013 04:26PM

Absolutely not - no drive, no sale. I have full-comp on my driving-other-cars extension, so that's not a problem either.

MuppetCheck · 09-10-2013 04:28PM

Proof of insurance (and doesn't look like a p1ss artist) then flake away with me in passenger seat.

Bpmull · 09-10-2013 04:29PM

When I sold my last car the person took it for a drive I went with him. I wasn't too bothered as my insurance would cover him over 25 open driving and all that. I'd find it hard to believe many buyers would buy a car without getting to drive it. So to answer the question I wouldn't mind letting a potential buyer test drive the car.

bazz26 · 09-10-2013 05:11PM

When letting someone test drive your car remember not to put the key in the ignition until you are sitting in the passenger seat next to them.

ba_barabus · 09-10-2013 05:15PM

Don't come looking at me car or kicking da tires unless you have da mula in your back pocekt.

NO MORE TIMEWASTER WITH YER STUPID QUESTIONZZZZ

visual · 09-10-2013 05:20PM

I wouldn't buy a car without test drive.
I know my insurance covers me to drive other cars but its only 3rd party. So it doesn't cover the sellers car it just protects me from claims from 3rd parties.

Selling a car I would allow potential buyer drive the car. I know their insurance is typically like mine and its only 3rd party on my car. So from that perspective I don't think it makes any difference if they have insurance or not if my car is damaged. 3rd party cover would only make it legal and cover a 3rd party not me.

Could try apply the rule you see in some shops "you brake it you bought it". But I doubt that would practical or enforceable.

YbFocus · 09-10-2013 07:22PM

I will never buy a car without a test drive and would never expect anyone to buy one off me either, once they have valid insurance they can drive it I won't mind.
But they have to be serious buyers, not 4 lads rocking up in a dubbed out Bora for a blast kind of thing

Alanstrainor · 09-10-2013 07:26PM

When I was looking at 3 series I had a number of private sellers just hand me the keys and off I went! Couldn't believe it. I obviously don't strike people as the car robbing type:D

Voodoomelon · 09-10-2013 08:10PM

I'd say the huge majority of both private sellers/buyers don't care about the insurance side of things, rightly or wrongly. "Sure it's only up and down the road" and most drivers would "assume" they're covered.

Matt Simis · 09-10-2013 08:25PM

visual wrote: »

I wouldn't buy a car without test drive.
I know my insurance covers me to drive other cars but its only 3rd party. So it doesn't cover the sellers car it just protects me from claims from 3rd parties.

Selling a car I would allow potential buyer drive the car. I know their insurance is typically like mine and its only 3rd party on my car. So from that perspective I don't think it makes any difference if they have insurance or not if my car is damaged. 3rd party cover would only make it legal and cover a 3rd party not me.

I would do the same as the above. Think I only sold two cars where the new owner didnt test drive it first, which I thought was odd.

Toyotafanboi · 09-10-2013 09:41PM

i went to view the glanza in north dublin in a private deal in an estate where i passed a man in a wifebeater top walking a piebald pony as if weren't out of the ordinary. the owner handed me the keys, and i asked him did he want to come with me, "oh no i wouldn't like to crowd you"... thought it was weird so i left him the keys of the car i arrived in to make him feel a little better.

on the opposite end of the scale when i test drive the vitz, i just pottered around the housing estate for a quick feel of the car. the owner was egging me on, "take it out to the motorway, give it a proper blast to ****"

as above, wouldn't buy without driving it. nor would i expect someone to buy from me without driving it. but if 4 young lads turn up in a civic to look at it, nobody is driving it.

bugsntinas · 09-10-2013 09:59PM

wouldn't be too happy to let someone drive a car just incase.i remember many years ago when my dad had a mk3 cortina.he bought a scrap one from a guy for the engine.when we got to him it was a beautiful white one with tan roof looked real good from the drivers side.the passenger side was a different story all the side was shoved in.apparently a potential buyer took it for a test drive(no insurance) and i think either someone stuck their nose out too far from a junction or they pulled out in front of someone either way the seller totally lost out as he wasn't covered for the buyer.

unkel · 09-10-2013 10:18PM

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

i went to view the glanza in north dublin in a private deal in an estate where i passed a man in a wifebeater top walking a piebald pony as if weren't out of the ordinary.

Sounds like the Glanza was in its natural habitat

(sorry couldn't resist

)

Toyotafanboi · 09-10-2013 10:24PM

unkel wrote: »

Sounds like the Glanza was in its natural habitat

(sorry couldn't resist )

legitimate comment to be fair.

mine was exceptional though, this guy had a whole garden of japanese stuff, imported this glanza himself and just never used it. he said the missus had put pressure on him to get rid something from the yard

. was the most original glanza (i have still) ever seen in the flesh.

Wheelnut · 09-10-2013 10:48PM

visual wrote: »

Could try apply the rule you see in some shops "you brake it you bought it"...

Love the play on spelling, subtle and clever!

Esel · 09-10-2013 11:01PM

Alanstrainor wrote: »

When I was looking at 3 series I had a number of private sellers just hand me the keys and off I went! Couldn't believe it. I obviously don't strike people as the car robbing type:D

They were probably hoping you didn't come back.

visual · 09-10-2013 11:12PM

Wheelnut wrote: »

Love the play on spelling, subtle and clever!

Wish it was but unfortunately brain wasn't in gear spelling brake

10-10-2013 10:15AM

I wouldn't touch a car I couldn't test drive first, and test drive more than once too before handing over money. I like to try push on a bit too, when I was buying my current car I was overtaking etc to try give it a good test.

On the other hand I'd have no problem letting others test my car. I have just thrown the keys to a lad in the past and told him to take it for a spin, as it was a two seater (carvan) and he wanted his mechanic on the test drive.

OREGATO · 10-10-2013 01:18PM

When I was selling my last car, I had no issues with handing over the keys to the people who came to view it.

If I met near my house, I always offered to give them a route which took in a bit of motorway and some small residential areas with speed ramps etc - just to give the buyer a chance to get a good feel for the car in different driving environments.

On the other hand, I test drove a car before and when I wanted to head for a motorway or dual carriageway on the test drive, the seller started to get a bit nervous and tried to persuade me to take a different route, in the end I took it down a dual carriageway and found that there was a horrendous vibration at 80 kilometres, needless to say, I walked away from the car. It might have been something simple like a buckled wheel or even just tracking/balancing issues, but the sellers actions just put me off the deal completely.

visual · 10-10-2013 01:32PM

without a test drive it be like buying a pig in a poke.

only time I was a little iffy was when a guy walked to my house and he had no car looking to test drive it without really inspecting it.
I went with him (normally I wouldn't go along) and he drove like he was on a rally stage. I had to say keep within the speed limit and stop revving the ass out of the car. he didn't buy it and I don't think we hit it off either.

But the next day a father and son called. they didn't expect a test drive but I said before offering any money take it for a spin and have a good look around They where chuffed. When they came back about 20 min's later they offered the full asking price. Gave them a little good look money after deal was done. The test drive sold the car.

biko · 10-10-2013 01:39PM

No way I'd buy (from anyone) without test drive.
Some sellers are more accomodating and don't mind driving from cold to hot, on various roads.
I went to Kerry once for a test drive and the seller had about one litre of fuel in the tank and just let me take it around the block. Needless to say I didn't buy the car (there were other issues too) but pissed me right off.

BMJD · 10-10-2013 02:53PM

I certainly wouldn't buy without a test drive, you can probably get a good idea about the type of person (and car owner) the seller is from sitting next to them for a while as well.

djimi · 10-10-2013 02:53PM

Its a hard one to know what to do really. I completely understand people not wanting to buy a car without driving it first, and indeed I wouldnt buy a car without driving it first, but the other side of that is that I am really reluctant to let even people I know drive my car, let alone someone that has just shown up at my house and who may or may not be insured (even if they are insured then chances are itll only be third party which is not a lot of good to me if they decide to start dicking around in the VTEC and wrap it around a tree). I dont know how Id handle it to be honest if I was to sell the car privately.

Anan1 · 10-10-2013 02:56PM

djimi wrote: »

I dont know how Id handle it to be honest if I was to sell the car privately.

That's easy - you'd either get over it or not sell the car privately.

djimi · 10-10-2013 03:03PM

Anan1 wrote: »

That's easy - you'd either get over it or not sell the car privately.

Most likely the latter to be honest. I dont have open drive, so unless the person can prove beyond doubt that they have fully comp cover on their policy (does such a thing even exist) then I dont think Id take the risk.

Paddy Fields · 10-10-2013 03:08PM

Only ever bought privately once but it was my first car and I wasn't competent enough so brought a mechanic mate and he drove and cheked it over. Sold twice privately and sat beside one guy and in the back with the other. I'm not trusting enough to hand over keys and say off you go. But if I sold my car privately tomorrow, I'd be very surprised if the potential buyer didn't take it for a spin.

visual · 10-10-2013 03:11PM

djimi wrote: »

Most likely the latter to be honest. I dont have open drive, so unless the person can prove beyond doubt that they have fully comp cover on their policy (does such a thing even exist) then I dont think Id take the risk.

I have fully comp on my insurance but as with every policy I've had to date it is only for the car listed in policy and 3rd party cover on cars I borrow.
This would be typical of most drivers as very very few would be open drive on any vehicle

bmstuff · 10-10-2013 03:28PM

You would not marry a woman without testing her first...

Esel · 10-10-2013 07:31PM

bmstuff wrote: »

You would not marry a woman without testing her first...

> Motorcycling forum.

mgbgt1978 · 10-10-2013 07:54PM

visual wrote: »

I have fully comp on my insurance but as with every policy I've had to date it is only for the car listed in policy and 3rd party cover on cars I borrow.
This would be typical of most drivers as very very few would be open drive on any vehicle

AXA and the AA (as well as a couple of other smaller companies) do offer fully comp on 'driving other cars'.
In some cases you would have to be with them for a number of years, in other's you pay extra for it.
Not usually available to those under certain ages, and to be honest I would imagine very few people have this extention.
It is a hard one to call, as sellers would be relunctant to let somebody drive their car without the back-up of fully comp (or cash in the pocket:))....and buyers will rarely purchase without a test- drive.

Private sale - Test drive?

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