Prospective buyer test driving car for sale

[pugmom]

We're getting ready to try a private sale for our 2015 Honda Pilot. What do people recommend for allowing a test drive? I am okay with it, but I would prefer to go along (or have DH do it).

I assume they will want to do at least a highway segment, but how far/long should it be?

What have others done in this situation?

 

[COcheesehead]

Definitely go along.

 

[braumeister]

If a prospective buyer balks at having you ride along, stop the process right there. I can't imagine any good reason for an objection like that. No right or wrong on how long a test drive should be, but I think about ten minutes ought to be plenty. If it starts going longer, you're right there so you can ask them to turn around and head back.

 

[pugmom]

Thanks... I know this is mostly common-sense.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Yes definitely have your husband go along with them. We had someone wanting to give us a check on Sunday night for our motor home and drive it away. It was an old guy. We said come back tomorrow morning with cash and never heard from him again.

 

[njhowie]

Have you gotten a quote from Carvana to see how it stacks up against the price you're thinking of selling for? If not, then you definitely should. It takes just a couple minutes, they give you a guaranteed offer immediately, and will immediately take your info and arrange for pickup. If it's even slightly below what you were considering, it is worth it since it is no hassle, straightforward, and no haggling. It's a no obligation offer. If you don't like it, you don't have to accept.

I think you mentioned it had low mileage. Carvana gives good offers for low mileage. We had an extremely good experience selling with Carvana last year.

 

[JoeWras]

I bought a car using Autotrader's private seller exchange. There are a few added checks and balances added to the test drive process. I liked it.

Still, DW wanted to go along for support, afraid the seller may be a creep. Likewise, seller's DH followed us in another car.

Guess people are nervous these days.

 

[Car-Guy]

If a prospective buyer balks at having you ride along, stop the process right there. I can't imagine any good reason for an objection like that. No right or wrong on how long a test drive should be, but I think about ten minutes ought to be plenty. If it starts going longer, you're right there so you can ask them to turn around and head back.

You nailed it pretty well.... Unless I knew them, I wouldn't let a stranger take off in one of my cars "alone" even if they put down a full "cash" payment as a deposit.

 

[Montecfo]

I let them ride alone. They give me their keys. When I buy a car I want to ride alone and check things. I assume they do too.

As a buyer I never had a seller ask to ride along.

 

[Sunset]

When I sold mine, I didn't ask to ride along, I just hopped in the passenger seat.

Actually worried I might be murdered as it was soon after the guy selling a truck was murdered on the test drive.

 

[JoeWras]

When I sold mine, I didn't ask to ride along, I just hopped in the passenger seat.

Actually worried I might be murdered as it was soon after the guy selling a truck was murdered on the test drive.

That's why DW was freaking out that I was taking a test drive. She read the story, I didn't.

 

[DrRoy]

Absolutely go.

 

[JoeWras]

I shared this in another thread... During the test drive for the minivan I bought, I even had one of the seller's kids come along for the ride. It was kind of hilarious.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I went along with one guy simply because he didn't seem to mind, and I got to give him a bit of my sales pitch (one owner, meticulous service records available), but not the next prospective buyers, mainly because that was a couple, so I would have had to sit in the back seat, and also I knew they lived a few blocks from me (see next paragraph). When I test drive a vehicle I might go for up to 30 minutes, as it may take 5-10 minutes to get to and from the highway, which is a good test to see if the engine or body shake too much at higher speeds.

For my last private sale, I started with community bulletin boards, mail lists, and Facebook groups, so when someone said they were interested I could see their involvement in discussions about the local community. Most I had some kind of second or third degree connection to in some way, which helped.

 

[latexman]

The two local dealers, Honda and Toyota, we've used the last few decades, require the salesperson ride along on test drives. I'd follow their experience.

 

[rk911]

I let them ride alone. They give me their keys. When I buy a car I want to ride alone and check things. I assume they do too...

Maybe it's my professional background and experience but I'd want to be sure the keys the prospective buyer hands me are in fact the keys to the car left behind.

I'm considering selling my '03 Jeep Wrangler. Not wanting to go thru the stress and hassle of a private sale I'll get bids/offers from CarMax and Carvanna or just trade it to the selling dealer as part of purchasing the replacement Jeep. KISS.

 

[COcheesehead]

So I feel it’s appropriate to share a story from my childhood.
A neighbor had a car for sale. A gentleman apparently set up a meeting to test drive it. The neighbor never noticed how the person got to the meeting and yet agreed to let them test drive it. The car never returned. The person was apparently dropped off.

 

[freedomatlast]

Case by case basis. I've had people show up obviously intoxicated that I refused to let them drive. I've had other people show up and i gave them the keys and said have it back before the tank's empty. With younger buyers I usually ride along.

 

[N02L84ER]

I have only sold one car to a private buyer. It was decades ago. The teenage boy showed up and said he wanted to see how the car performed. It was a manual transmission Trans Am. I said sure. He then asked me to drive the car while he sat in the passenger seat. After about 15 minutes, he said let's go to the bank to get the money and have the title signed over to him. I asked if he wanted to get behind the wheel first and he said no. So, I drove to the bank, we did the paperwork, and he said he would drive me back home. Lots of grinding gears later, we pulled up to the house. Really wonder if he got the hang of driving a manual transmission before ruining the car.

 

[braumeister]

Maybe it's my professional background and experience but I'd want to be sure the keys the prospective buyer hands me are in fact the keys to the car left behind.

I like the way you think.

 

[Aerides]

Hmmm I would be in the camp of ride along. That's how it's always worked when I bought a car from a dealer, and the one time I sold a car private.

But if you have someone who is up to no good and trying to steal from you... do you WANT to be in that car?

If the point of riding along is to avoid a criminal, I'd let them take the car and be glad I wasn't in it. That's what insurance is for.

I guess this is why I just use Carmax now, far less hassle and chance of anything going wrong.

 

[JoeWras]

Maybe it's my professional background and experience but I'd want to be sure the keys the prospective buyer hands me are in fact the keys to the car left behind.



I'm considering selling my '03 Jeep Wrangler. Not wanting to go thru the stress and hassle of a private sale I'll get bids/offers from CarMax and Carvanna or just trade it to the selling dealer as part of purchasing the replacement Jeep. KISS.

One solution would be to allow the buyer to drive alone, while you follow them driving their car. Fair is fair.

 

[pb4uski]

One solution would be to allow the buyer to drive alone, while you follow them driving their car. Fair is fair.

Seems sensible unless you get into an accident with their car or something breaks while you are driving it. Stuff happens.

 

[Montecfo]

Maybe it's my professional background and experience but I'd want to be sure the keys the prospective buyer hands me are in fact the keys to the car left behind.



I'm considering selling my '03 Jeep Wrangler. Not wanting to go thru the stress and hassle of a private sale I'll get bids/offers from CarMax and Carvanna or just trade it to the selling dealer as part of purchasing the replacement Jeep. KISS.

Yes. I mean I can't say say my approach is "safer" and I defer to your experience. But I usually have a chance to Google the person from phone number or email and can get a good sense who they are before agreeing to a meeting.

And if you are worried they are stealing your car, by riding along you may be voluntarily accompanying them to what law enforcement officials refer to as the "second crime scene".

Just another view.

 

[Sunset]

Seems sensible unless you get into an accident with their car or something breaks while you are driving it. Stuff happens.

Or it's a stolen car..