Test drive robbery

R

raymond.harper

Senior member
Article in The Times today in the money section where a 26 year old let someone test drive his car worth £11000. The thief made off with the car while he switched seats. As the thief had got the key the insurance did not pay up and the car was never found. Poor lad was left £11000 out of pocket. Beware on test drives
 
not good, but i remember going to test drive a audi tt 3.2 turned up at garage he gave me keys and said take it for a drive :| the only thing he said to me is its ok i have yer email address
 
Lots of you on here have sold many cars but what does everybody do during a test drive?
Do you let the buyer drive if they have insurance or are they just a passenger until money changes hands?
I have really only sold bikes and until I have an agreed amount in my hand I will not let somebody test drive.
With a lot of money sometimes changing hands the buyer may not have the actual money with them, what do you do then?
Do you trust a stranger to drive your vehicle, even with you in it with them without seeing any money. What if they crash your car and simply walk away?
 
i remember on another forum some one took a focus st out for a test drive at dealers and crashed it, the dealer asked them to pay the insurance excess n they refused to
 
I've always said in the advert that a test drive will require a deposit equal to the asking price... Never had any anyone stump up, they've always been happy to be driven.
 
I was once buying a car and the garage owner took me for a test drive , only just left the garage a motorcycle hit the car head on . :cry:
I got out the car wished the garage owner all the best and went on my merry way .
He he .
 
Difficult decision, especially as most insurance policies exclude theft of the car if the keys are in it!

Maybe if you let someone drive you need to take the key out, then swap seats before you give the buyer the key?

I can understand why the seller of my first Coupe wasn't keen, but as he had seen me arrive in a BMW a year newer he relented and I made sure I drove sensibly!

When I sold it I took the buyer on a decent drive - he didn't ask to drive it so I didn't offer, but if he had asked I would have agreed to be fair. He came about 160 miles so obviously wasn't a tyre-kicker/test-pilot - in fact was a really genuine guy (and was already a Forum member)! :thumbsup:

But you don't have long to make a judgement. :erm:
 
I've only ever owned two cars in my life an MG Midget and an Élan S130 sold last one about 19 years ago all for cash did not allow a test drive , wife's had three Mx5 's all part ex exchanged ,last one sold to a dealer , so no problem , but the Zed will be sold privately to get best price , and won't allow a test drive , if the punter complains I'll say adios , lock the car up and have a brew ,, no chance , I trust no one ,these guys are experts at car theft never let the keys out of your hand ever if in doubt chain them to your wrist like a dead mans switch on a jet ski . I might sound like a prat for saying this but there you go .once the tea leaf has disappeared taking your Capitol asset it ain't coming back .
 
raymond.harper said:
Article in The Times today in the money section where a 26 year old let someone test drive his car worth £11000. The thief made off with the car while he switched seats. As the thief had got the key the insurance did not pay up and the car was never found. Poor lad was left £11000 out of pocket. Beware on test drives
Click to expand...

Keep the key in your hand until you're sat in the car with the test driver, then hand him / her they key and make sure the gun pointed at them is kept low so as not to attract attention... :thumbsup: Poor sod!
 
This is not new. When I was in trade in the 80's we were warned about taking the keys out of the ignition when swapping seats. Particularly the Cosworth Escorts and Sierras.
 
A mate lost his mint M3 vert a few years back. He had 2 guys from Slough turn up and after plenty of friendly talk and going through the car and history, they set off on a test drive, leaving their black Merc vert parked outside his house. After a few miles, he let the buyer drive and off they went. The buyer pulled over and said he could hear a rattle, he opened the drivers door and my mate got out of the passenger door to listen. Off they roared, his car was found burnt out in Slough minus the seats, wheels and suspension. The Merc was stolen too.
 
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