No test drive without insurance so he walks away

[Geoff Ashcroft]

RedSpike66 said:

And who is going to give you a deposit equal to the asking price of the car ???

If a buyer is serious they are going to have to pay for the car anyway, so what's the difference?

I bought my Tam from the passenger seat five years ago. It needed a few things sorting, but nothing major and this was negotiated in the deal. I never even looked under it, but probably should have. Selling it will be the family's problem when I'm dead and buried, lol

[Geoff Ashcroft]

RedSpike66 said:

And who is going to give you a deposit equal to the asking price of the car ???

If a buyer is serious they are going to have to pay for the car anyway, so what's the difference?

I bought my Tam from the passenger seat five years ago. It needed a few things sorting, but nothing major and this was negotiated in the deal. I never even looked under it, but probably should have. Selling it will be the family's problem when I'm dead and buried, lol

[sascha]

why should a/the buyer drive him/itself ?

i prefer owners driving in his style and watch very carefully what he's doing and what the car's behavior.

if i ask to go faster it's usually no problem.

after, let's say 20min as the co-driver (passenger), i see/feel/HEAR if the car is ok or what's to do ..

all this after an exact mechanical preview.

Edited by sascha on Monday 15th September 19:20

[Skyedriver]

N7GTX said:

Skyedriver said:

His name was Chris if you get him coming to look at your Tiv.
He supposed to be wanting either an S or Chimaera at the minute.

Not "Chris from near Durham", by any chance? He contacted me and said he would be down on the Sunday etc etc. He wanted a Cerb! No show of course.

Chris from Durham has made contact via ebay............
Now I'm sure there are a few Chris's in Durham, but ?

[sparkythecat]

mr lock pick said:

I fully understand the insurance thing too. It is very difficult if not impossible to get full cover to test drive a car, I do not know of any insurance who currently offer this service. So to assist us all in this matter can anyone recommend an insurance company who for a small fee would the purchaser to test drive someone else's pride and joy and would it be agree value?????

There are companies that offer one day insurance. I picked this one at random and got a quote of £44 for a day in a TVR Chimaera, so obtaining insurance is not impossible. However there is a £1500 damage excess on the policy http://www.insuredaily.co.uk/
There are probably better ones if you look hard enough

[so called]

sascha said:

i prefer owners driving in his style and watch very carefully what he's doing and what the car's behavior.

if i ask to go faster it's usually no problem.

after, let's say 20min as the co-driver (passenger), i see/feel/HEAR if the car is ok or what's to do ..

all this after an exact mechanical preview.

Edited by sascha on Monday 15th September 19:20

When I went to look at my Tuscan Convertible, I was cringing inside the way the owner was driving it.
I had already explained that I had just written off my Tuscan and so explained that I knew the performance.
In the end I bought it out of simpathy for the poor Tuscan. (having said that I just told everyone I wrote mine off )

[m4tti]

sparkythecat said:

There are companies that offer one day insurance. I picked this one at random and got a quote of £44 for a day in a TVR Chimaera, so obtaining insurance is not impossible. However there is a £1500 damage excess on the policy http://www.insuredaily.co.uk/
There are probably better ones if you look hard enough

So you rely on the "test driver" coming up with £1500.. again the potential for hassle is too great, why would you risk it.

Edited by m4tti on Wednesday 24th September 09:00

[Kitchski]

jamieduff1981 said:

I couldn't get comprehensive insurance to test drive mine - or rather I was told by the insurers I already had policies with that such cover would only be valid if the current owner cancelled his own insurance.

That's what it boils down to. You can't take a policy out on a car with it already having a policy in place, hence why you can only ever use the 3rd party emergency cover on a test drive.

Me? I let a couple of people drive my Chim when it was for sale, but I bought it and the S1 I currently have without a test drive. Mind you, I'd had the S1 in the workshop for about a year before the customer asked if I wanted to buy it!
I wasn't fussed by not test driving it. I know I'll find something wrong with any car I buy, and I know it'll be fun to drive if it's a TVR, so I don't worry. If I'm the passenger I can listen for knocks, rattles, imperfections in how it's running etc. There's not much the seller could be hiding that I couldn't spot.