Insurance for test-drive

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Fri 21 Jan 2005 09:37
Insurance for test-drive - Badger
I'm contemplating selling the Badgermobile privately, probably on ebay. Not yet fully decided, but one matter that bothers me is insurance for test drives. I feel it quite unreasonable to expect anyone to buy a car without first driving it -- a ride as a passenger conveys little -- but I want the car fully insured for this.

While a prospective purchaser would normally be able to drive my car on his own insurance (if he had any) it would be the minimum RTA cover only.

What is the best way of overcoming this, please?
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Fri 21 Jan 2005 09:50
Insurance for test-drive - adverse camber
Speak to your insurers and ask them about a weeks worth of 'any driver' cover (presumably over 21 / no drink drivinbg convictions)

No idea about cost, but if you are selling on ebay I still view that as for cheap cars ( yes I get told that you can buy new jags etc, but I cant quite get my head around that), and if people dont have fully comp insurance...
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Fri 21 Jan 2005 09:51
Insurance for test-drive - Ex-Moderator
There actually isn't a way of overcoming this, or at least not sensibly.

The buyer may have DOC on his insurance but, as you say, that will be TPO.

You could add him to your insurance, but that will cost money, require a form to be completed first, and even then your insurer may say no.

You could try and get Any Driver on your car insurance - not likely.

So I'm not sure what you can do.
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Fri 21 Jan 2005 10:01
Insurance for test-drive - Badger
Which is where I had got to, Mark. Thanks for the confrmation. Ebay is a likelihood but I'm not dismissing traditional methods.

Maybe the best thing is simply to put it on the block. I may get less, but there's no hassle.
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Fri 21 Jan 2005 10:03
Insurance for test-drive - Retro
Mark is spot on. Also. make sure you see the buyers insurance certificate to prove he has the cover. No excuses re not having it etc. Also, it is impossible for him to add your car to his policy temporarily (no insurable interest until money has changed hands).

I have tried to sell cars on eBay and the prices reached sometimes seemed epic, but every car I have sold (three)has fallen through without the buyer turning up. Very annoying.

Also, make sure your description of the car goes into the nth degree of detail, to avoid the above scenario.
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Fri 21 Jan 2005 10:23
Insurance for test-drive - Badger
Thanks, Retro. I've done a fair mileage on ebay and am aware of the need for a scrupulously straight description. Non-paying bidders aare a fact of life, I'm afraid, but are they more prevalent on Motors than elsewhere? Probably likely, because it seems to me that the rough end of the motor trade (and they'll be on ebay like wasps round a jamjar) has more than its fair share of crooks.
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