Test drives and private sales.

[Snails]

If you were selling a car privately would you let the buyer go for an unaccompanied test drive?

The last car i went to buy, I had contacted the seller via ebay and arranged to visit the car. I went, looked over the car and asked if I could drive it. The seller gave me the keys and told me to go for a drive. He went back inside and I was left to my own devices.

I'd walked to see the car as i lived in the same town, so had no reason to go back. I was just a bit surprised, i'd made sure insurance was in place for a test drive to take place before leaving home, but i was expecting to be accompanied!

[Mojooo]

I wouldnt let them drive it on their own but I prob would without seeing their insurance documents if it was for a spin up the road.

Traders have let me take the car out alone before.

[Chas88]

I wouldn't personally let anyone go for an unaccompanied test drive unless I knew them well, too many risks otherwise. I'd also make sure they had proof that they had fully comp insurance to drive my car even if I was accompanying them.

[CanadianScot]

I let a guy drive a Fiat Punto a while back with his son (first car). He gave me the keys to his Discovery though which was worth 10 times the Punto, so I was okay with that (could've been stolen thinking about it now, who knows).

[kristy_666]

Never in a million years, to much risk.

Be it 70yr OAP or 20yr wearing a baseball cap.

[ian_uk1975]

I wouldn't. Having said that, I have been offered solo test drives on a few occasions.

I would only allow a test drive (even with me in the passenger seat) if I thought the buyer was genuinely interested and the test drive was the final stage in closing the deal.

[ESOG]

I too have always found it a bit odd that private sellers would simply hand me their keys and let me go out on my own. They even let me do it when I was in my teens, and the cars weren't your standard everyday grocery getter either, I was 16, 17, 18 etc and these were 350hp worked Mustangs and the likes. I for one wouldn't let anyone young or adult take my vehicle out unnacompanied. But apparantly they had a lot more faith than I do.

[Mojooo]

ian_uk1975 said:

I wouldn't. Having said that, I have been offered solo test drives on a few occasions.

I would only allow a test drive (even with me in the passenger seat) if I thought the buyer was genuinely interested and the test drive was the final stage in closing the deal.

I normally want to test drive in the 'middle stage'

first stage - turn up and see what the car is like and look under the hood etc and make sure it matches description

middle stage - take it for a drive and then give it another look over if needed when warm

third stage - look at paperwork and do the deal.

I would not really want the test drive to be near enough the last thing as quite often the test drive can throw a spanner in the works.

[H_Kan]

I would never let anybody take my car for a test drive unaccompanied, nor would I ask for an unaccompanied test drive from a private vendor.

[ShiggyBiggs]

I dont even really think Id want to go for a test drive without the owner or selling agent present.

[davidjpowell]

My normal line is normally 'can we talk it for a run'. Quite happy for the seller to come along, and can even be useful.

Last private sale guy did not even ask to drive the car. Now that was odd.

[uuf361]

Not on their own.......last car I sold, I started the test drive to get out of where I live, pulled over, let the buyer jump in the drivers seat, drive until they were happy and then home......seemed the best way for both of us.

[m444ttb]

I'd rather they took me out for a drive to start with anyway. Gives you more chance to focus on noises rather than paying attention to the road and you get to see if they rape it from stone cold!

[Jasandjules]

Would not expect it no, nor would I let someone else take out my P&J on their own - hell, I've had some scary experiences when I am accompanying someone on a test drive.

I am surprised when a dealer offers a private sale!

But I have been offered solo test drives myself from private sellers.

[Mastodon2]

m444ttb said:

I'd rather they took me out for a drive to start with anyway. Gives you more chance to focus on noises rather than paying attention to the road and you get to see if they rape it from stone cold!

That's the one, especially important with turbo cars. As long as the owner of the car satisfied my demands I'd be happy. I'd want to see hard acceleration up through the gears (not necessarily taking the piss with the speed - on a private road obviously, unless the owner was comfortable with it), hard acceleration in each gear from low revs, that the gears could be engaged and disengaged in any combination with no noises, that reverse engaged smoothly etc. I'd be listening constantly for knocks and bangs from the engine and suspension which should not be there, literally anything that did not seem 100% grade A. On a test drive when you are driving, you have to be very disciplined, even more so when driving a performance car, to make sure you don't get carried away and over-engrossed by the performance that you miss small indicators to bigger problems.

[Bungleaio]

I wouldn't let some random test drive my car on their own. I have been on a test drive before without the seller but he was a bit of a dodgy geezer and the car left a little to be desired.

[RZ1]

I have been offered a fair few solo test dries in the psat but have never ever let anyone do it on a car i am selling. Always go with them

[JonyTVR]

I wouldn't, but then the chap who just sold me my TVR let me drive it with him in, then when I asked if he could take my friend for a drive (not for my friend to drive it) he just gave me the keys and told me to take it easy. bearing in mind I am 22 (though more sensible than your average) and my friend is 29 I was gobsmacked! needless to say he was a top bloke, I wasnt stupid when on our own and he ended up selling the car to me so win win for both people.

[markmullen]

Don't forget if you allow someone to drive your car without checking if they're insured you could get points and a fine for cause or permit driving without insurance in addition to them getting an IN10 for no insurance. Not only that but if they get stopped for driving without insurance the police will often impound the car immediately and it will cost you the release fee (over £100) plus ongoing storage fees to get your car back.

[Ari]

I was wondering about this recently. Likely to be selling my car soon, it's not insured for anyone other than me and my partner, so how do I let anyone test drive it? I'm not prepared to accept their word that they're insured as it might just be third party (or a lie) which leaves me snookered if they were to crash it.

My thinking was to take them for a drive but say if they decide to buy it I'm happy to sell it on the basis that they can arrange their insurance, come and drive it themselves before taking it to confirm they're happy, and then they do a bank transfer that I check has arrived, or WE go and collect a bank draft from their bank, and then they take the car.

Can't see how else to do it.