Selling a car privately and asking for documents

Fernendo321

Hi all

I'm hopefully about to sell a car privately for the first time.

I guess I should ask to see and make a copy of their drivers license and see their insurance documents too before a test drive?   Would this put you off as a buyer?   I'm legally required to know the details of who is driving the car right and to verify their insurance so it's not unreasonable to ask these things?

Also the car doesn't currently have insurance.   The buyer could still be covered by their own policy tho right as explained here

The car is worth about £1600.   Some people have said they would take a deposit before allowing the test drive.   Is that normal / necessary?   Or insist they get fully comprehensive temporary insurance from dayinsure.com?

Thanks

CliveOfIndia

Fernendo321 said:

I guess I should ask to see and make a copy of their drivers license and see their insurance documents too before a test drive?

That's a sensible move.

Fernendo321 said:

Also the car doesn't currently have insurance.   The buyer could still be covered by their own policy tho right as explained here

Be careful.  A lot of (not all) fully-comp policies will cover you to drive another car, but many will stipulate that the car must also be covered by its own insurance policy.  And in any event, it'll only give third-party cover, so if the test-driver prangs your car, you'll have to pay for any repairs (to your own car) out of your own pocket.

Fernendo321 said:

 Some people have said they would take a deposit before allowing the test drive.   Is that normal / necessary?

Not strictly speaking necessary, especially if you'll be accompanying the test driver.  It's up to you - I've never paid a deposit for a private purchase.  Especially if the buyer turns up in their own car and leaves the keys with you while they go on a test drive, it's unlikely they'll drive off into the sunset with your car.

If you do take a deposit, make sure you provide a receipt - and get the buyer to sign it - to say what the deposit covers.  Is it just to cover any damage he may cause to your car?  Does it mean you'll hold the car for him for x number of days while he goes away and thinks about it?  To be honest, I have a feeling such things could get a bit messy if he wants to be an awkward so-and-so, and if it's not worded just-so.

Sure, you need to take a few sensible precautions to cover yourself, and there are no doubt some scammers out there.  But every time I've bought and sold privately it's all gone very smoothly and amicably.

DullGreyGuy

Fernendo321 said:

Hi all

I'm hopefully about to sell a car privately for the first time.

I guess I should ask to see and make a copy of their drivers license and see their insurance documents too before a test drive?   Would this put you off as a buyer?   I'm legally required to know the details of who is driving the car right and to verify their insurance so it's not unreasonable to ask these things?

Also the car doesn't currently have insurance.   The buyer could still be covered by their own policy tho right as explained here

The car is worth about £1600.   Some people have said they would take a deposit before allowing the test drive.   Is that normal / necessary?   Or insist they get fully comprehensive temporary insurance from dayinsure.com?

Thanks

How does it not have insurance if its not SORNed? If it is SORNed then how do you propose to take it on the road?

Continuous insurance regulations require all vehicles to have insurance even if off the road unless they are SORNed


If they have Driving Other Cars on their policy then they would be able to take your car on the road under their policy. Be aware DoC is third party only cover and so no cover to any damage done to your vehicle or if it went up in flames etc. It used to be standard on comp policies but in the race to get ever cheaper prices, as thats all that most people care about, this has been dropped from many policies. 

Its not too unreasonable to at least ask for evidence that they are insured to drive your vehicle. Normally this is to try and stop your insurers holding you liable if it turns out they dont have insurance and then they have a crash. Seeing as you dont have insurance its technically less of an issue and your car wont be covered by it anyway so no loss there either. 

ontheroad1970

DullGreyGuy said:

Fernendo321 said:

Hi all

I'm hopefully about to sell a car privately for the first time.

I guess I should ask to see and make a copy of their drivers license and see their insurance documents too before a test drive?   Would this put you off as a buyer?   I'm legally required to know the details of who is driving the car right and to verify their insurance so it's not unreasonable to ask these things?

Also the car doesn't currently have insurance.   The buyer could still be covered by their own policy tho right as explained here

The car is worth about £1600.   Some people have said they would take a deposit before allowing the test drive.   Is that normal / necessary?   Or insist they get fully comprehensive temporary insurance from dayinsure.com?

Thanks

How does it not have insurance if its not SORNed? If it is SORNed then how do you propose to take it on the road?

Continuous insurance regulations require all vehicles to have insurance even if off the road unless they are SORNed


If they have Driving Other Cars on their policy then they would be able to take your car on the road under their policy. Be aware DoC is third party only cover and so no cover to any damage done to your vehicle or if it went up in flames etc. It used to be standard on comp policies but in the race to get ever cheaper prices, as thats all that most people care about, this has been dropped from many policies. 

Its not too unreasonable to at least ask for evidence that they are insured to drive your vehicle. Normally this is to try and stop your insurers holding you liable if it turns out they dont have insurance and then they have a crash. Seeing as you dont have insurance its technically less of an issue and your car wont be covered by it anyway so no loss there either. 

Bit in bold - this is usually but not always the case.  My wife and I have fully comprehensive cover on other vehicles, though the other two named drivers don't.  

Car_54

DullGreyGuy said:

Fernendo321 said:

Hi all

I'm hopefully about to sell a car privately for the first time.

I guess I should ask to see and make a copy of their drivers license and see their insurance documents too before a test drive?   Would this put you off as a buyer?   I'm legally required to know the details of who is driving the car right and to verify their insurance so it's not unreasonable to ask these things?

Also the car doesn't currently have insurance.   The buyer could still be covered by their own policy tho right as explained here

The car is worth about £1600.   Some people have said they would take a deposit before allowing the test drive.   Is that normal / necessary?   Or insist they get fully comprehensive temporary insurance from dayinsure.com?

Thanks

How does it not have insurance if its not SORNed? If it is SORNed then how do you propose to take it on the road?

Continuous insurance regulations require all vehicles to have insurance even if off the road unless they are SORNed


If they have Driving Other Cars on their policy then they would be able to take your car on the road under their policy. Be aware DoC is third party only cover and so no cover to any damage done to your vehicle or if it went up in flames etc. It used to be standard on comp policies but in the race to get ever cheaper prices, as thats all that most people care about, this has been dropped from many policies. 

Its not too unreasonable to at least ask for evidence that they are insured to drive your vehicle. Normally this is to try and stop your insurers holding you liable if it turns out they dont have insurance and then they have a crash. Seeing as you dont have insurance its technically less of an issue and your car wont be covered by it anyway so no loss there either. 

In addition, if the buyer doesn’t have insurance the OP is guilty of causing and permitting him to drive - six points, a fine, and an endorsement code that insurers don’t like.

onomatopoeia99

Fernendo321 said:

Also the car doesn't currently have insurance.   

So it's declared SORN as CIE requires and the potential purchaser can't take it on the road whether or not they have valid insurance then?

DullGreyGuy

ontheroad1970 said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Fernendo321 said:

Hi all

I'm hopefully about to sell a car privately for the first time.

I guess I should ask to see and make a copy of their drivers license and see their insurance documents too before a test drive?   Would this put you off as a buyer?   I'm legally required to know the details of who is driving the car right and to verify their insurance so it's not unreasonable to ask these things?

Also the car doesn't currently have insurance.   The buyer could still be covered by their own policy tho right as explained here

The car is worth about £1600.   Some people have said they would take a deposit before allowing the test drive.   Is that normal / necessary?   Or insist they get fully comprehensive temporary insurance from dayinsure.com?

Thanks

How does it not have insurance if its not SORNed? If it is SORNed then how do you propose to take it on the road?

Continuous insurance regulations require all vehicles to have insurance even if off the road unless they are SORNed


If they have Driving Other Cars on their policy then they would be able to take your car on the road under their policy. Be aware DoC is third party only cover and so no cover to any damage done to your vehicle or if it went up in flames etc. It used to be standard on comp policies but in the race to get ever cheaper prices, as thats all that most people care about, this has been dropped from many policies. 

Its not too unreasonable to at least ask for evidence that they are insured to drive your vehicle. Normally this is to try and stop your insurers holding you liable if it turns out they dont have insurance and then they have a crash. Seeing as you dont have insurance its technically less of an issue and your car wont be covered by it anyway so no loss there either. 

Bit in bold - this is usually but not always the case.  My wife and I have fully comprehensive cover on other vehicles, though the other two named drivers don't.  

To every rule there is an exception... Comp cover under DOC tends to be limited to MNW/Exec or HNW policies. Certainly exist but are a tiny minority. There may also be TPO only policies that have DoC but again the exception

Fernendo321

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

To answer DullGreyGuy it is SORN so that's something I need to think about

knightstyle

I just sold our DD's car and I insisted on driving for the test drive, never let the keys out of your hand until the money is in your bank or hand.   Also worth taking a pic of the car they arrive in.
When she bought a replacement from a private seller again he drove on the roads but did let her have a short drive in a nearby car park.
Also don't be pushed into accepting a low offer based on faults the buyer finds, say it is as advertised and the price is fixed, although you should have a lowest acceptable amount in mind.

Stateofart

knightstyle said:

I just sold our DD's car and I insisted on driving for the test drive, never let the keys out of your hand until the money is in your bank or hand.   Also worth taking a pic of the car they arrive in.
When she bought a replacement from a private seller again he drove on the roads but did let her have a short drive in a nearby car park.
Also don't be pushed into accepting a low offer based on faults the buyer finds, say it is as advertised and the price is fixed, although you should have a lowest acceptable amount in mind.

I would never buy a car without a test drive, it's just what you do in my opinion.  Seller could be hiding anything.