Solo test drive or accompanied test drive? (selling car on craigslist)

[tortillasoup]

I'm getting conflicting opinions on whether it's better to accompany a person on a test drive for a vehicle you're selling or to just let them take the car solo. Yes obviously there is risk the person will damage/destroy/steal the vehicle, however I don't care because I have a $100 deductible on collision and $0 on comprehensive. I've heard "liability" as an issue but the liability shouldn't change whether I'm in the car or not and in fact may be less if I'm not in the vehicle. The vehicle is an automatic pickup truck so I don't think they'll be doing too much damage to the drivetrain while the vehicle is gone. I'd set a time limit for when I expect to have the vehicle back and report it stolen if it's past that time.

Before I let the person out to test drive the vehicle, I'd take a picture of their driver's license and e-mail it to a few people including myself in case anything happens to the vehicle or even myself.

What do you guys think?

 

[noobsrevenge]

thats dumb and your dumb for being conflicted about it.

 

[pcgeek11]

No No Solo!

 

[SSSnail]

Give a perfect stranger your car to drive around, what could possibly go wrong?

Seriously, and you're allowed to vote?

 

[irishScott]

Give a perfect stranger your car to drive around, what could possibly go wrong?

Seriously, and you're allowed to vote?

This. I suggest advertising solo test drives on the craigslist ad for added promotional effect. You'll attract the perfect variety of customer!

 

[tortillasoup]

Give a perfect stranger your car to drive around, what could possibly go wrong?

Seriously, and you're allowed to vote?

You can/do/would sell a vehicle via private party no? How would you sell a Jet Skis or a Motorcycle? Turning it on wouldn't likely satisfy the buyer, they're going to want to try it out. You wouldn't buy any of those things w/o trying it, right?


With that logic, can't do anything in life. You don't think dealerships do this? I'm not talking about just a test drive with the salesman in the passenger seat, I'm talking about letting the car go for the person to drive over the weekend to see how they like it. How about rental companies? Obviously you try to screen people the best you can but at the end of the day, you have to take some risks. I honestly don't even care about the vehicle, if it gets stolen, stripped whatever that's fine as long as I get compensated by the insurance company. I'm just looking for some ideas/perspective on how to reduce liability and potential financial losses if things were to go awry.


Here is my perspective on the issue: I'm more worried about somebody threatening me with bodily harm by either driving the vehicle recklessly and or pulling a weapon on me.



I can see the other perspective though which is that by being in the car during the test drive, I "supposedly" have control over the vehicle. In reality though, I'm still at the mercy of the driver not being crazy/idiot. Sure I can try to remove the key from the ignition or put it into neutral but then that could just open a can of worms for liability on myself.

 

[velillen]

Solo is pretty common around where i live. Every car friends have bought and sold private party have been solo test drives. All the sellers want is two forms of id plus proof of insurance. Then establish a time frame (30 minutes, 15 minutes, an hour, ect). If they arent back by then you report it stolen.


Course it would depend on the vehicle as well. A normal car/truck/suv is on thing...but im not letting you solo test drive the ferrari or aston martin.

 

[PottedMeat]

does private insurance actually cover you freely giving out the car for a period of time for purposes of sale?


i can understand dealership insurance covering this but individual?

 

[gorcorps]

thats dumb and your dumb for being conflicted about it.

lol, speaking of dumb :whiste:

 

[gorcorps]

You can/do/would sell a vehicle via private party no? How would you sell a Jet Skis or a Motorcycle? Turning it on wouldn't likely satisfy the buyer, they're going to want to try it out. You wouldn't buy any of those things w/o trying it, right?


With that logic, can't do anything in life. You don't think dealerships do this? I'm not talking about just a test drive with the salesman in the passenger seat, I'm talking about letting the car go for the person to drive over the weekend to see how they like it. How about rental companies? Obviously you try to screen people the best you can but at the end of the day, you have to take some risks. I honestly don't even care about the vehicle, if it gets stolen, stripped whatever that's fine as long as I get compensated by the insurance company. I'm just looking for some ideas/perspective on how to reduce liability and potential financial losses if things were to go awry.


Here is my perspective on the issue: I'm more worried about somebody threatening me with bodily harm by either driving the vehicle recklessly and or pulling a weapon on me.



I can see the other perspective though which is that by being in the car during the test drive, I "supposedly" have control over the vehicle. In reality though, I'm still at the mercy of the driver not being crazy/idiot. Sure I can try to remove the key from the ignition or put it into neutral but then that could just open a can of worms for liability on myself.

You want to give your car to a stranger for an entire weekend? Sign me up, I have lots of crimes I'd like to commit with your license plates.

Also... if you think a dealership would loan you a car for an entire weekend you've never bought a car before.

I think we're being trolled guys. Nobody would be this openly stupid on their own. They're just looking to stir up bullshit

 

[Kneedragger]

Let them drive solo. Just make sure you have their ID and don't just take the keys to their car instead of ID.

I was with a friend selling his motorcycle and the guy gave him the keys and no ID. He never came back with the motorcycle.

 

[Triumph]

How about this? Use your brain to gauge the person. If you can't deduce whether or not a person is trustworthy after 5 minutes of talking to them, then you are probably spendint too much time in the fantasy world of the internet.

Not everything has an answer on the internet.

 

[Jimzz]

Just remember in many states if you give permission to someone to drive your car YOU are just as liable as if you were driving the car.

I'm suing a car owner now as they let someone drive their car that did not have insurance and her insurance is a POS and letting her take the hit directly.

 

[Naeeldar]

You can/do/would sell a vehicle via private party no? How would you sell a Jet Skis or a Motorcycle? Turning it on wouldn't likely satisfy the buyer, they're going to want to try it out. You wouldn't buy any of those things w/o trying it, right?


With that logic, can't do anything in life. You don't think dealerships do this? I'm not talking about just a test drive with the salesman in the passenger seat, I'm talking about letting the car go for the person to drive over the weekend to see how they like it. How about rental companies? Obviously you try to screen people the best you can but at the end of the day, you have to take some risks. I honestly don't even care about the vehicle, if it gets stolen, stripped whatever that's fine as long as I get compensated by the insurance company. I'm just looking for some ideas/perspective on how to reduce liability and potential financial losses if things were to go awry.


Here is my perspective on the issue: I'm more worried about somebody threatening me with bodily harm by either driving the vehicle recklessly and or pulling a weapon on me.



I can see the other perspective though which is that by being in the car during the test drive, I "supposedly" have control over the vehicle. In reality though, I'm still at the mercy of the driver not being crazy/idiot. Sure I can try to remove the key from the ignition or put it into neutral but then that could just open a can of worms for liability on myself.

Not saying I disagree about the solo test drive but I would never give my bike to somebody to test drive. You never know the skill level or experience level of that person. I've bought and sold several bikes used and no test drive was ever allowed. Heck you can't even buy new from japanese dealers and get a test drive. Only Harley and Victory really does test drives new.

Just the reality of a motorcycle.

 

[soulcougher73]

I had 2 solo test drive recently on CL when i was looking. Both times i pull up in my vehicle which was left behind so im pretty sure they knew i wouldnt be stealing there car and leave mine behind with them.

 

[tortillasoup]

You want to give your car to a stranger for an entire weekend? Sign me up, I have lots of crimes I'd like to commit with your license plates.

Also... if you think a dealership would loan you a car for an entire weekend you've never bought a car before.

I think we're being trolled guys. Nobody would be this openly stupid on their own. They're just looking to stir up bullshit

Sorry I should have clarified that post. What I meant was, a local dealership offered to let me test drive their car over the weekend and that was because not only was the car a Honda civic but the car already had 100K miles. I don't really want to do that with my truck because it only has 32K miles and the driver putting several hundred miles and backing out of the deal would leave me with some serious depreciation on the vehicle. He could put major wear on the vehicle over a weekend and I couldn't claim it stolen in that event. If I were to seriously consider that, the guy would basically have to rent the vehicle from me with a rental agreement in place and it would be rolled into the price of the vehicle if he choose to purchase the vehicle.


As for you not believing dealerships would lend a vehicle out for that long, I suggest you read this article:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-get-that-new-car-test-drive-feature

For insurance, I have a policy add-on that allows vehicle sharing which is important because most policies don't have this. The biggest thing I have to worry about is letting a guy with a suspended license drive the vehicle because in that case, the insurance doesn't cover the vehicle IIRC. However California DMV does have a lookup on their website to see if the license is suspended.
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/online/dlstatus/welcome.htm


Here is a page by the San Jose Police dept. with guidelines on when to report a vehicle stolen:
http://www.sjpd.org/ReportingCrime/Auto_Theft.html

 

[purbeast0]

op you are looking WWWWAAAAAYYYYY too deep into this. just sit in the car with them if you feel like you don't trust them, and if you feel okay, then take their license and keys while they take your car for a drive. it's not that complicated.

 

[JulesMaximus]

You can/do/would sell a vehicle via private party no? How would you sell a Jet Skis or a Motorcycle? Turning it on wouldn't likely satisfy the buyer, they're going to want to try it out. You wouldn't buy any of those things w/o trying it, right?


With that logic, can't do anything in life. You don't think dealerships do this? I'm not talking about just a test drive with the salesman in the passenger seat, I'm talking about letting the car go for the person to drive over the weekend to see how they like it. How about rental companies? Obviously you try to screen people the best you can but at the end of the day, you have to take some risks. I honestly don't even care about the vehicle, if it gets stolen, stripped whatever that's fine as long as I get compensated by the insurance company. I'm just looking for some ideas/perspective on how to reduce liability and potential financial losses if things were to go awry.


Here is my perspective on the issue: I'm more worried about somebody threatening me with bodily harm by either driving the vehicle recklessly and or pulling a weapon on me.



I can see the other perspective though which is that by being in the car during the test drive, I "supposedly" have control over the vehicle. In reality though, I'm still at the mercy of the driver not being crazy/idiot. Sure I can try to remove the key from the ignition or put it into neutral but then that could just open a can of worms for liability on myself.

I have sold motorcycles on craigslist and it is pretty common for owners not to allow test rides unless the potential buyer has cash and allows you to posses it during the test ride. You hand me the sum of cash I'm asking for it and you can take the bike for a test ride. If you wreck it, I keep the cash.

I have also sold a car on craiglist and I rode along on test drives.

 

[leper84]

Would never do a solo test drive and I've never met a serious buyer or seller who expected a solo drive. I'll let you get on it and really test the car out when its safe, but you aren't going alone unless I have cash in my hand. If they don't like it they can buy from someone else.

 

[BUTCH1]

You want to give your car to a stranger for an entire weekend? Sign me up, I have lots of crimes I'd like to commit with your license plates.

Also... if you think a dealership would loan you a car for an entire weekend you've never bought a car before.

I think we're being trolled guys. Nobody would be this openly stupid on their own. They're just looking to stir up bullshit

I bought a brand-new car in '05 and paid for it 5 weeks later, I told the dealer that I was waiting for the paperwork for a re-fi on my house to go through, he sold it to me as it being on a loan but I simply paid off the entire loan when the re-fi went through. The only collateral they had was a '94 Escort with 185K on it..

 

[purbeast0]

I bought a brand-new car in '05 and paid for it 5 weeks later, I told the dealer that I was waiting for the paperwork for a re-fi on my house to go through, he sold it to me as it being on a loan but I simply paid off the entire loan when the re-fi went through. The only collateral they had was a '94 Escort with 185K on it..

what does buying a new car on a loan and paying the loan off 5 weeks later have to do with letting a dealership lend a car out for a weekend?

 

[BUTCH1]

I have sold motorcycles on craigslist and it is pretty common for owners not to allow test rides unless the potential buyer has cash and allows you to posses it during the test ride. You hand me the sum of cash I'm asking for it and you can take the bike for a test ride. If you wreck it, I keep the cash.

I have also sold a car on craiglist and I rode along on test drives.

That would be the smart way to do it with a bike, also might want to bring one of those marker pens the store's use to be sure the bills are not counterfeit. As for a car that would work too but I'd rather ride along but there is always a risk. There was a story recently where a guy had his car up on CL, a couple arrived to buy it, the guy asked to take it for a test spin and the seller said OK as long as he went with him. They got about 5 miles from the spot where they met and the "buyer" slowed to a stop, pulled out a gun and told the owner to GTFO. He made sure it was not near any stores where the seller could quickly walk to, at the same time sellers GF noticed the buyer's GF drive off from the scene and tried to call him but the "buyer" or "thief" had relieved the seller of his cell and wallet as well, all perfectly timed. Of course the car was an Accura model, extremely high parts value or possibly driven by a third party to Mexico and sold there, (a lot of stolen vehicles in the US wind up in South America)...

 

[MixMasterTang]

Everyone in this thread seems to be too paranoid. It's not common that a car gets stolen during a test drive and it's not common that someone gets robbed during test drives. If the car gets wrecked during the test drive then the owners insurance is responsible, but the likelihood of the car being wrecked during a short test drive is very slim. And yes dealers do let you take cars home for the weekend, GM used to advertise the 48 hour test drive.

 

[BUTCH1]

what does buying a new car on a loan and paying the loan off 5 weeks later have to do with letting a dealership lend a car out for a weekend?

I should have been more clear, it wasn't really a "loan" so to speak it was a contract to buy the car. Dealers are very flexible, they want to make that sale no matter what. I had a 22yr old working for me, a dealer let him take a new Sentra (performance model, I forget which one) and told him they would "find a way to get it financed", 3 weeks later they call him while he's at work and inform him that his credit is so bad that even Vinny's midnight finance Co. won't take him and he has to bring the car back, he proceeds to tell the sales rep, "I'm in Key west right now, it will be next week before I can get it back to you". Meanwhile he had been using it to drive back and forth between Daytona and Orlando and had wrung up 1,500 miles on it, then before he turned it in 4 days later he was in the parking lot doing huge burnouts with the thing LOL, oh well greedy dealer was probably going to get him a nice 28.8% rate anyway so they got hosed in the end..

 

[gorcorps]

Sorry I should have clarified that post. What I meant was, a local dealership offered to let me test drive their car over the weekend and that was because not only was the car a Honda civic but the car already had 100K miles. I don't really want to do that with my truck because it only has 32K miles and the driver putting several hundred miles and backing out of the deal would leave me with some serious depreciation on the vehicle. He could put major wear on the vehicle over a weekend and I couldn't claim it stolen in that event. If I were to seriously consider that, the guy would basically have to rent the vehicle from me with a rental agreement in place and it would be rolled into the price of the vehicle if he choose to purchase the vehicle.


As for you not believing dealerships would lend a vehicle out for that long, I suggest you read this article:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-get-that-new-car-test-drive-feature

For insurance, I have a policy add-on that allows vehicle sharing which is important because most policies don't have this. The biggest thing I have to worry about is letting a guy with a suspended license drive the vehicle because in that case, the insurance doesn't cover the vehicle IIRC. However California DMV does have a lookup on their website to see if the license is suspended.
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/online/dlstatus/welcome.htm


Here is a page by the San Jose Police dept. with guidelines on when to report a vehicle stolen:
http://www.sjpd.org/ReportingCrime/Auto_Theft.html

I guess you're right, the test drive length would be up to the dealer and isn't set in stone. I've just never been to a dealer that had vehicles they were willing to test drive for long.