Insurance cover for first time buyer

timberflake

Hi guys,

I'm going for my driving test next week and assuming I pass I'll be looking to buy a car ASAP, probably from a private seller.

How does the insurance work when test driving the car? If the owner is insured fully comp, would that cover me to test drive the car? I'm assuming that I won't be covered if the owner only has TP or TPFT?

If I buy a policy for a day, I'm looking at about £30 to test drive one car, obviously I don't want to have to keep spending £30+ each time I want to arrange a test drive!

How would you guys go about it??

spiro

I would say your 2 options are:
1) Take someone with you to do the test drive for you or
2) Buy from a trader where they will have insurnace to cover you for a test drive.

timberflake

spiro wrote: »

I would say your 2 options are:
1) Take someone with you to do the test drive for you or
2) Buy from a trader where they will have insurnace to cover you for a test drive.

Ok, if I go for option 1 (as I am planning to take someone with me), will they need to have fully comp insurance to enable them to test drive the car?

johnnyreggae

Most policies do NOT cover drivers to drive any car not belonging to them

spiro

timberflake wrote: »

Ok, if I go for option 1 (as I am planning to take someone with me), will they need to have fully comp insurance to enable them to test drive the car?

Yes fully comp and cover to allow them to drive another car with owners consent but bear in mind that the cover is third party only so if they bend it they'll have to pay for it.

BadgerFace_2

johnnyreggae wrote: »

Most policies do NOT cover drivers to drive any car not belonging to them

Quite correct, most companies have been slowly removing this cover for years and many people probably won't even know they are no longer covered for this.

Ultrasonic

johnnyreggae wrote: »

Most policies do NOT cover drivers to drive any car not belonging to them

Out of interest, what is your source for stating that most policies no longer cover this? (I know some don't but I have no idea of the proportion.)

FWIW my policy does cover me to drive other vehicles with the owner's consent, and this is a (relatively) cheap policy with Hastings, not a 'premium' insurance company.

That said, I'd be reluctant to test drive a car with only 3rd party cover. Test driving a car that I'm unfamiliar with would be the time I'd be most likely to have an accident I'd have thought, so if anything I'd want more cover than usual, not less.