Other than the obvious - pic of license and hold their car keys, is there anything to note when doing a private sale and the buyer wants a test drive? I know in the past i've read to go with them incase they're dodgy but i'd rather they do dodgy stuff in the car without me. Would really rather not put myself in a situation like that! Whats the norm these days?
morrisman1,
Nov 5, 1:37am
Just go with them, pretty common these days. That way you can also talk sales pitch on the drive if you want.
tygertung,
Nov 5, 2:21am
What kind of dodgy stuff are we talking about?
totalimp,
Nov 5, 3:10am
Well if he's gonna steal it and thrash it, i'd rather he do that without me in the car. if he's stupid and inexperienced in a turbo, again, I'd rather he crash it without me in the car. It's insured so thats the main thing.
tygertung,
Nov 5, 3:48am
Oh, that sort of dodgy.
totalimp,
Nov 5, 3:58am
He’s also welcome to pop a quick w*no but again, I don’t feel the need to be there ya know.
orphic1,
Nov 5, 4:23am
This and only this, after all, it is your (insured) vehicle they are driving.
vomo2,
Nov 5, 4:33am
Go with them. The keys they are offering you often turns out to be a stolen car. I check their licence before we leave for the test drive.
tony9,
Nov 5, 4:35am
Be careful, posting that sort of comment in a public forum. If a Richard Head does get stupid and you let him drive then you will have no insurance.
bitsnpieces2020,
Nov 5, 4:46am
You might want to check your coverage with the insurance company, before letting some random drive your car.
sw20,
Nov 5, 5:11am
I sound them out when they pop over, and will go with them so I can sell the car to them on the drive. Years of front facing CS has honed my ability to spot a wanker at 100 yards.
ml6989,
Nov 5, 8:58am
My son was in this situation recently so he borrowed a GPS tracker from his employer and shoved it behind a panel in the rear compartment (VX Landcruiser.) This gave him the ability to find exact location once every 24 hours at 0800 hours. All turned out well but you can never be sure.
smallwoods,
Nov 5, 9:24am
Quite easy!
You take them for the drive.
Buggered if I'd let anyone "drive" my vehicles.
socram,
Nov 5, 9:47am
Agree. If you are the buyer, I reckon you learn a lot from observing the way the owner drives and then the risk is all the owner's. No insurance worries.
You can always ask for the owner to take his/her hands off the wheel on a flat piece of quiet road and brake, to see if it pulls to one side or the other.
On old MInis, you used to ask them to do a tight circle turn in each direction to see if the CVJ's were stuffed!
kazbanz,
Nov 5, 9:42pm
"Soo mister imp, You handed the keys to your car to a total stranger and let them drive off in your car? " -- Sorry but I don't see that going down well with your insurer . You didn't take all reasonable care to protect the vehicle. -My suggestion is to put on your salesmans hat. Tell them you are happy for them to have a test drive as the final condition of sale. So all other inspection is done. The dollars they are going to pay sorted out conditional only to the test drive being good. So basically they are going to buy the car as long as it drives fine. Then you go with them on the test drive.
socram,
Nov 5, 11:31pm
Good post kazbanz. Very sensible. 'Conditional'. Stops the tyre kickers.
'Ere, mate, I really like your Aston Martin Vanquish. Mind if I take it for a run?'
richardmayes,
Nov 5, 11:59pm
Every car I've bought, there has always been some variant on "here are the keys, you'd better take it for a drive and see what you think."
(The one exception was my Triumph, where the old boy selling it insisted on doing a demonstration lap before giving me the keys, because he wanted to demonstrate how much faster a PI is than a normal one when you put the boot up it.)
A test drive is part and parcel of buying and selling any used car, especially in this day and age when repairs or deferred maintenance can cost more than the purchase price.
When I sold my falcon, I sold it with a known mechanical fault (noisy diff bearings) and I wanted to make 100% sure the buyer had driven it and heard this for himself so that it couldn't be a bone of contention or grievance later. (I also quite wanted that guy to buy it, because it was an old cheap falcon and I was worried that the next potential buyer might not be someone I wanted coming to my house. )
If you're reluctant to offer a test drive, that may deter some buyers. you'll be the judge of which buyers you'd want to deter!
dublo,
Nov 6, 1:41am
And you get the question on Trade Me adverts for Triumph 2000/2500s for sale: "Is it rear wheel drive?" No way would I invite any hoon asking that to see my car, let alone buy it!
marte,
Oct 28, 11:55am
Fill up with petrol & drive off without paying.
I have always let the owner drive it first so I can check out things in the car while listening for stuff & seeing how things work. I get to ask questions at a time when it's a bit hard for them to ' think around' a direct honest answer. Normally they offer for me to drive back to the start & I can then get the feel from the drivers seat & check steering & controls.
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