TVR Joyriders! NO...It might backfire on you!!!
Discussion
I need to get this off me chest! Sorry...
I was (just sold it) selling my beautiful Chimaera, and it is beautiful. Now I advertised this and gave a FULL description of its spec, mileage, service history etc etc etc. I priced it reasonably, got all the paperwork ready for people to test drive and buy!
Now, I don’t know about anyone here, but I only go along to buy a car if a) I can afford the price its advertised for. b) Its what I'm looking for c) I like the colour d) its got the things I’m looking for, say service history etc etc.
The first person arrives, very enthusiastic, likes all about the car. Just as I go for a test drive I get a call from someone else, tell all about the car and he wants to come over if this guy doesn’t buy it. So, at this stage you might think that the second guy is a serious buyer. Wrong!
First guy wants the car but has a test drive booked at a dealer, so he reluctantly goes off. Second guy arrives and he’s over the car with a fine toothcomb. Good I think, he knows what he’s looking for and he’s interested. Ask’s if he can go out in it so first of I make sure he has driven on before. “Yes” he replies “I’ve looked and 6 already”. At this point I should have smelt a rat! So off we go drive about a bit and then I let him drive.
He gets in, pulls the seat up so his chest is nearly hitting the steering wheel and off he goes, one hand on the wheel one on the gear stick ALL THE TIME. He’s driving like a numptie…
Anyway we get back, has another look round and asks if I will take an offer. I reply “if you really think its worth less than the asking price then what’s your offer”, ball back in his court (by the way I won’t drop on price but I’m just testing him here to see if it’s a stupid one) and I should be able to gauge if he not a time waster.
He say’s “I have another one too look at tomorrow I’ll give a call and let you know how that goes”. Now, why the hell do I want to know how another test drive goes??? See my second paragraph with points a,b,c, and d.
Anyway, turns out he was just a joyrider (39 years old) and I truly think he had no intention of buying itor any TVR, just wanted to drive a TVR with the roof off. REALLY P*SS*D me off. So, first guy comes back and buys the car and it goes to a good home I know it will be looked after!
Moral of story, Most TVR owners love their cars, and it’s hard to part with them. If you are going to buy one privately, see my second paragraph on a,b,c, and d. By all means if it’s a dog, just walk away, or haggle for a bit on the price if its over priced. But I have to say if this guy came back a couple of days later and started to haggle on price, I would have told him to go buy another, and would NOT sell the car to him at any price, it would be his loss!
My car does not deserve to be owned by a numptie like this…
I was (just sold it) selling my beautiful Chimaera, and it is beautiful. Now I advertised this and gave a FULL description of its spec, mileage, service history etc etc etc. I priced it reasonably, got all the paperwork ready for people to test drive and buy!
Now, I don’t know about anyone here, but I only go along to buy a car if a) I can afford the price its advertised for. b) Its what I'm looking for c) I like the colour d) its got the things I’m looking for, say service history etc etc.
The first person arrives, very enthusiastic, likes all about the car. Just as I go for a test drive I get a call from someone else, tell all about the car and he wants to come over if this guy doesn’t buy it. So, at this stage you might think that the second guy is a serious buyer. Wrong!
First guy wants the car but has a test drive booked at a dealer, so he reluctantly goes off. Second guy arrives and he’s over the car with a fine toothcomb. Good I think, he knows what he’s looking for and he’s interested. Ask’s if he can go out in it so first of I make sure he has driven on before. “Yes” he replies “I’ve looked and 6 already”. At this point I should have smelt a rat! So off we go drive about a bit and then I let him drive.
He gets in, pulls the seat up so his chest is nearly hitting the steering wheel and off he goes, one hand on the wheel one on the gear stick ALL THE TIME. He’s driving like a numptie…
Anyway we get back, has another look round and asks if I will take an offer. I reply “if you really think its worth less than the asking price then what’s your offer”, ball back in his court (by the way I won’t drop on price but I’m just testing him here to see if it’s a stupid one) and I should be able to gauge if he not a time waster.
He say’s “I have another one too look at tomorrow I’ll give a call and let you know how that goes”. Now, why the hell do I want to know how another test drive goes??? See my second paragraph with points a,b,c, and d.
Anyway, turns out he was just a joyrider (39 years old) and I truly think he had no intention of buying itor any TVR, just wanted to drive a TVR with the roof off. REALLY P*SS*D me off. So, first guy comes back and buys the car and it goes to a good home I know it will be looked after!
Moral of story, Most TVR owners love their cars, and it’s hard to part with them. If you are going to buy one privately, see my second paragraph on a,b,c, and d. By all means if it’s a dog, just walk away, or haggle for a bit on the price if its over priced. But I have to say if this guy came back a couple of days later and started to haggle on price, I would have told him to go buy another, and would NOT sell the car to him at any price, it would be his loss!
My car does not deserve to be owned by a numptie like this…
I know exactly what you mean... if it's any consolation, it's not just TVR's... happened to me when I was selling the Puma.
Guy came along, made all the right noises, and then said he really wanted a grey one, not a silver one! WTF?
Also had one, that at the top of the hill from my road, I made him pull over. Told him, that if he was going to continue to drive like a t**t then he could F-off... (he'd wheelspun the car three times in 300 yards)...
Guy came along, made all the right noises, and then said he really wanted a grey one, not a silver one! WTF?
Also had one, that at the top of the hill from my road, I made him pull over. Told him, that if he was going to continue to drive like a t**t then he could F-off... (he'd wheelspun the car three times in 300 yards)...
Would it help if, when selling, you only allowed test drives to people who had arranged insurance - or would this make the car impossible to sell? I've wondered about this because I'd find it extremely difficult to let people I don't know drive my car for exactly the reason you have explained.
Agent006 said: Would a buyer have any legal issues if you refused tehir offer just because you didn't like them?
I'm not a lawyer, etc, etc, but I'd be amazed if there was anything set down in law that said you had to sell anything to anyone. You're offering something up for sale, but in the same way you don't have to accept an 'offer' under the asking price, there can't really be any law which says you've got to accept any offer on it at all.
I suppose there could be some law coming into play if you said "I'm not selling to you because you're gay/black/etc", but I'd expect it to be unrelated to the actual selling of the car - it'd go down as racial abuse, or something, and it still wouldn't compel you to sell to the other chap.
Edited to add - d'oh! Beaten to it.
Dan
>> Edited by DanL on Thursday 13th February 10:27
Similar problem when I was selling my Caterham a while back. One old (55ish) guy turns up with young (15ish)kid, wants a try, I took him out (I drove). Came back and he told me he really wanted a Harley Davidson!!!
Count the wheels....
Had a few try ons before sold it to a guy who really wanted one.
ps Had a phone call one evening after an ad trying to sell my old M3 in "Top Marques". Now I live in Northumberland nearly 300 miles north of London. This guy asks loads of questions about the car then tells me he's ringing from his truck cab in France. Obviously picked up a copy of the mag before setting out and had nowt to do before going off to sleep in his cab.
Count the wheels....
Had a few try ons before sold it to a guy who really wanted one.
ps Had a phone call one evening after an ad trying to sell my old M3 in "Top Marques". Now I live in Northumberland nearly 300 miles north of London. This guy asks loads of questions about the car then tells me he's ringing from his truck cab in France. Obviously picked up a copy of the mag before setting out and had nowt to do before going off to sleep in his cab.
No one walks in off the street and drives my car unless they've got fully comp insurance and the documentation to prove it. End of story. They can try a test drive at a dealers to see if they can see over the steering wheel and press the clutch down. They can learn all they need to about my car from the passenger seat, the service history and a test by a TVR specialist.
Hutch
Hutch
Totally agree with you Hutch, although I won't insist on them having insurance, the asking price, in cash, as a deposit will do 
I had a bloke get really arsey because he kept going on about needing to drive it to really see how good it was, how he'd buy it there and then if it was any good etc, but didn't have any money on him
how are you going to buy it then w
r
Test drive should be the LAST thing to do IMHO when you're buying privately
I had a bloke get really arsey because he kept going on about needing to drive it to really see how good it was, how he'd buy it there and then if it was any good etc, but didn't have any money on him
how are you going to buy it then wr Test drive should be the LAST thing to do IMHO when you're buying privately
I think that the position is (or was, at any rate):
Advertising a price is an 'invitation to treat', i.e. you are saying "make me an offer". You then have the choice whether to accept the offer or not, regardless of how it compares to the advertised price. (I supsect the law is now different for Supermarkets however!)
As to a test drive on a private purchase, if it's a cheap car I'd want one, for an expensive car I'd pay first and return the car/stop the cheque if anything was wrong. No one drives mine, however, until I've got the money, but I will give the money back if you take me out for a (non-thrashing) test drive before leaving with it.
Mike
Advertising a price is an 'invitation to treat', i.e. you are saying "make me an offer". You then have the choice whether to accept the offer or not, regardless of how it compares to the advertised price. (I supsect the law is now different for Supermarkets however!)
As to a test drive on a private purchase, if it's a cheap car I'd want one, for an expensive car I'd pay first and return the car/stop the cheque if anything was wrong. No one drives mine, however, until I've got the money, but I will give the money back if you take me out for a (non-thrashing) test drive before leaving with it.
Mike
hut49 said: No one walks in off the street and drives my car unless they've got fully comp insurance and the documentation to prove it. End of story.
Hutch
It's irrelevant if they have fully comp insurance - they're only covered third party whilst driving your car. The only way for them to be covered comprehensively whilst driving your car is for you to arrange cover for that day on your own policy (usually £20). This has it's own problems as you need to know some details about the driver. There's no such thing as temporary comprehensive cover for somebody elses car!!
Call me paranoid, but there's no way I'd buy a car without a test drive. Especially from a private sale. I appreciate the point, but getting your money back is not as easy as not handing it over in the first place!
I looked at loads when I bought my TVR, drove a few, (no-one refused) and bought when one that particulatly appealed to me came along.
All the advise to potential purchasers given in this forum is look at/drive loads before you buy. I'd agree with that.
Cheers,
Andy
I looked at loads when I bought my TVR, drove a few, (no-one refused) and bought when one that particulatly appealed to me came along.
All the advise to potential purchasers given in this forum is look at/drive loads before you buy. I'd agree with that.
Cheers,
Andy
Squirrelz,
ummm good point. I'm only going on what my insurers told me when I was looking to buy (after I was told by a vendor I'd have to get comp cover before I could drive). I suspect the company owning a courtesy/hire car have an 'any driver' policy (which would be obscenely exp on a TVR) and want to make sure you at least have your own third party??
ummm good point. I'm only going on what my insurers told me when I was looking to buy (after I was told by a vendor I'd have to get comp cover before I could drive). I suspect the company owning a courtesy/hire car have an 'any driver' policy (which would be obscenely exp on a TVR) and want to make sure you at least have your own third party??
You must deal with pikeys
crimsonchim said: Call me paranoid, but there's no way I'd buy a car without a test drive. Especially from a private sale. I appreciate the point, but getting your money back is not as easy as not handing it over in the first place!
Fair point, and I'd definately take you for a spin round the block (further if it was sunny
crimsonchim said: I looked at loads when I bought my TVR, drove a few, (no-one refused) and bought when one that particulatly appealed to me came along.
All the advise to potential purchasers given in this forum is look at/drive loads before you buy. I'd agree with that.
) but I wouldn't let someone drive it unless I knew they were seriously interested in buying it 
House said: Squirrelz,
ummm good point. I'm only going on what my insurers told me when I was looking to buy (after I was told by a vendor I'd have to get comp cover before I could drive).
You can add any vehicle you like as a 'temporary additional vehicle' provided your insurer is happy about covering you on that type of vehicle. The premium will vary enormously depending on your insurer, and the phone/internet insurers are much less likely to agree, as it is out of the ordinary. Any decent broker/ins. co. will help you out no problem, for a small fee...
It's the only way I'd let anyone near my Griff...
I suspect the company owning a courtesy/hire car have an 'any driver' policy (which would be obscenely exp on a TVR) and want to make sure you at least have your own third party??
Dealers/Bodyshops tend to have a blanket policy, ususally with a big excess. The major hire companies are self-insured, with a underwriter for third party liability. If a bodyshop is an approved repairer for your insurance co, your policy will normally be automatically transferred onto the courtesy car.
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