Letting someone test drive my car - insurance?

Laurendo
Laurendo Posts: 18 Forumite
in Motoring
I'm selling my old car (probably only worth about £900) and I'm getting stressed about offering a test drive. Whenever I've bought a car privately I've just given it a test drive and honestly (albeit stupidly) never really thought about insurance and the seller never seems to have either. But if I let someone test drive it and they have an accident we're both in a bit of a mess. I live on a busy road that's hard to pull in and out of and I can imagine just my luck something will happen. Equally paying to add someone for a single drive around to help block seems like it'll get expensive fast when considered with the value of the car.

The best I can think is sticking some temp insurance on it (as have already transferred current policy to new car) and then only letting someone who can prove they have their own fully comp policy (that also let's them drive another car third party) test drive it. Or they don't have this offer to add them for a day at their own expense and take this cost off the price if they do buy. All seems a bit heavy for a cheap old car. Am I missing some other option?
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Comments

  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker
    For a £900 you might want to take a risk on not having comp cover for the test drive, so if the potential buyer does have their own policy and it gives them 3rd party cover on other vehicles then that may be enough.

    As to the busy road issue, my suggestion would be that you drive the car to somewhere quiet then let the buyer take over.
  • unforeseen
    unforeseen Posts: 7,278 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Be careful about not having insurance. You are now falling into SORN territoru
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    As unforeseen says - if the car is not insured at all, then it needs to be SORNed and kept off the road.

    If it IS insured in your name (many insurers will allow you to overlap an old and a new car for a short period, then that is unlikely to cover another random driver - so you would need to verify that they had driving-other-car cover on a policy of their own. If they were stopped on an uninsured test drive, they would face a prosecution for driving without insurance, and you could face a prosecution for permitting it - with the same potential penalty. That DOC cover will only be third-party, so you may want to make sure they understand "Bend it? Bought it." and even take a deposit of the full cash price in advance of any test drive, especially if unaccompanied by you.

    But, obviously, the more barriers you put in the way of a potential buyer, the less likely they are to buy it. So... you need to decide where your personal risk aversion draws the line.
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,204 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Apart from the possibility of an accident, you are looking at six points and a fine for causing or permitting if the driver is not insured.
  • Laurendo
    Laurendo Posts: 18 Forumite
    I'm aware that I can be prosecuted for letting them drive just as much as they can before driving it. That's what's putting me on edge! I've bought temp cover from my insurer for a nominal amount. I'll ask for proof of their policy OR that they pay for temp cover before they test drive. May put some people off but I can't take the risk.
  • AndyMc.....
    AndyMc..... Posts: 3,248 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Car_54 wrote: »
    Apart from the possibility of an accident, you are looking at six points and a fine for causing or permitting if the driver is not insured.

    Why do you mention causing? It's not like he's making anyone test drive it.
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    AndyMc..... wrote: »
    Why do you mention causing? It's not like he's making anyone test drive it.
    Because the official terminology for the offence the OP would be prosecuted for is "causing or permitting". Instead of an IN10 on their licence, they'd get IN14. Same 6-8 points.

    IN12 would be "aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring".
    IN16 would be "inciting".

    https://www.gov.uk/penalty-points-endorsements/endorsement-codes-and-penalty-points - bottom of page.
  • Mercdriver
    Mercdriver Posts: 3,898 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    And getting any IN codes on your licence will stop you from hiring cars from mainstream rental companies as most will specify Ts and Cs that state they won't hire if you have an insurance based endorsement on your licence.
  • AndyMc.....
    AndyMc..... Posts: 3,248 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    AdrianC wrote: »
    Because the official terminology for the offence the OP would be prosecuted for is "causing or permitting". Instead of an IN10 on their licence, they'd get IN14. Same 6-8 points.

    IN12 would be "aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring".
    IN16 would be "inciting".

    https://www.gov.uk/penalty-points-endorsements/endorsement-codes-and-penalty-points - bottom of page.

    There are three elements to insurance, use, cause and permit.

    As I said he's not making anyone test drive it so there isn't a cause element.
  • Mercdriver
    Mercdriver Posts: 3,898 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    AndyMc..... wrote: »
    There are three elements to insurance, use, cause and permit.

    As I said he's not making anyone test drive it so there isn't a cause element.

    But he would be permitting.
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