test drive - what do you do?

Just wondered what the legal position is when offering a car buyer a test drive. Is it best to ask to see their license (which of course they will have left at home). The insurance issue is another thing - what happens if they bend you car during the test drive? I think most people probably do what do about it - basically nothing at all!

Reply to
dave
Loading thread data ...

That and their insurance or change yours to any driver.

Well if they're not insured you can sue them but you'll be lucky

Reply to
Duncan Wood

The situation is the same if their insurance is third-party, which it might be.

The person driving the car is responsible for everything. It's the driver who is in trouble if the car doesn't have a MOT for example, not the owner.

So you don't need to check anything, unless you are particularly worried about the car, in which case you could insist they have comprehensive insurance I suppose.

Reply to
Ben C

dave (dave ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I s'pose it's because of the kind of cars I'm selling, but I've never had even the slightest issue with the people who've come to test-drive.

It's simple, though. Bend it? Bought it.

Reply to
Adrian

You need to see their licence and proof they're insured.

Reply to
Conor

Conor (Conor ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Like I said - I s'pose it's the kind of cars - because I've never yet sold an Escort van, so never had the kind of person who'd buy an Escort van buying off me... IYSWIM...

Reply to
Adrian

The trouble is that if you're selling a "normal" car, you can't be sure who you're getting buying it. Selling niche cars, it tends to be like mided enthusiats who appreciate the uniqueness but even then, there's no guarantee they're insured and if there's an accident and even though they pay up for the sale price, you could still end up with 6 points on your licence for allowing your car to be driven by an uninsured driver.

Reply to
Conor

Conor (Conor ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

This is me, Conor. I don't _do_ "Normal cars".

Yup, that was my point.

I would never let 'em test drive unaccompanied - and if they were driving badly, I'd cheerfully say "Umm, right, that's enough. Stop now."

I do always ask 'em if they're sure they're covered. It's probably not enough to legally escape that, but...

Reply to
Adrian

Just out of interest, when someone gets banned from driving, is their licence physically taken away from them, or is a record of the fact simply made on the DVLA database?

Reply to
Graz

Graz ( snipped-for-privacy@googlemail.com (Graz)) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

AIUI (never, fortunately, having had to find out) a short ban (28 days?) leaves it in your possession but endorsed with the ban, whilst a longer one sees it physically going on holiday - and even when the ban's actually over, you have to wait for it's physical return.

Reply to
Adrian

Not necessarily. Some third party policies allow driving of other people's cars.

Reply to
Graz

However they're only insured 3rd party, you still have to sue them for the value of your car.

Reply to
Duncan Wood

They'd only be insured third party if they had comprehensive cover on their own car. But if they knacker your car while driving it, you're right - you will have a problem.

Reply to
Graz

So you really need to see the paper part of the licence as well as the photocard licence to be sure that someone hasn't been banned?

Reply to
Graz

I'm fully comp on anything :-)

Reply to
Pete M

Don't know but doesn't the typical rogue expecting trouble claim to have lost his licence in the short first clean few days of its life and so get a backup to cover eventualities?

Reply to
Ben C

Graz ( snipped-for-privacy@googlemail.com (Graz)) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Yep. The photocard on it's own is not a driving licence.

Reply to
Adrian

If it's not too intrusive a question, which insurance company does that and did you have to pay over the odds for that kind of cover?

Reply to
Graz

Graz ( snipped-for-privacy@googlemail.com (Graz)) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Reply to
Adrian

Reply to
Graz

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.