When selling your car and its in good shape do you let everyone that comes to look at it drive it?
Here are some suggestions based on my limited experience. I'd be in the car for any initial test drive... I'd drive the prospect first, and then make an emphatic point that his test driving will NOT permit a wide open throttle, and I would be in the car. I'd also stipulate that you'd take the car to your service center to inspect the car with you and the prospect on site. In one sale recently, when I sold my car to an individual in Texas, he Zoomed with the tech, while I was in the waiting room. After a month of ownership, a freeze plug developed a leak, and he wanted his money back. Having a tech inspect the car with the prospect present (on Zoom) helped to provide me with peace of mind when I said sorry, no returns, sale is final.
I typically wont let someone drive it unless they're very serious, and I drive with them. Anytime I sell a vehicle I try to provide as much as I can in the forms of photos and videos to weed out the tire kickers. I once had a terrible experience when I used to own a 55 Packard, where the guy dogged the hell out of it, only to come back and say "I'll think about it..." Never again. Deposits always help too. If someone's willing to place a deposit down they're serious enough for me.
I try to get a (usually online) conversation going to make sure they are serious. The serious buyers will usually be asking more questions anyway so you don't even have to try and start the conversation.
By all means check with your insurance carrier. Harry
Never let them drive alone on a test run. Go along to ensure the car doesn't disappear. What guarantee do you have the vehicle they arrived in isn't already stolen?
This happened to a friend & his father. They lived at the beginning of a dead end street. It was just a newer car they fixed and were flipping but gone and they had no recourse. The prospective buyer drove to the dead end turned around and kept going past their house. The car he left behind had been stolen and they didn't ask for a copy of his driver license so they also had no clue of his identity.
I've heard if you provide keys to someone even for a test drive you can't report it stolen. Not sure if this is correct or not but seems like a good thing to remember.
I sell to responsible adults. I drive around the block (about a mile) to show and feel the car. If he wants to drive it I copy his license and insurance. Then he can go around the block alone. I chose a place that has no cross traffic, one stop sign, gentle curves, no pot holes, speed limit is 35 mph. I've been lucky that my first guy has been the buyer each time.
The first car I sold was almost a catastrophe. It was a jacked up '71 Super Bee when I was 19. The buyer left a massive burnout and fishtailed across the center line. When he came back I told him the car was his now. About a week later it was seen on a flatbed tow truck.
I chose a place that has no cross traffic, one stop sign, gentle curves, no potholes, speed limit is 35 mph. I've been lucky that my first guy has been the buyer each time.
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If I were a viable prospect and when told of those restrictions I'd wonder what the owner was hiding, overheating, poor braking, front end problems, lack of power, etc. I'd politely thank him for allowing me to look the car over and leave, regardless of how good the car looked, unless of course I knew the was referred by a friend, a club member, ect.
I always adverize the car "no unaccompanied test drives". As long as they drive sensibly I have no problems. Since camera phones are ubiquitous, take a picture of the prospects' drivers license and explain that you will delete the picture while the potential buyer watches upon return from the test drive.
That said, I sold several fast cars '96 BMW 750iL 12 cylinder, 2000 Jag XJ8 along with a 2000 BMW M roadster over the years. Enthusiasts bought all of them and knew how to drive them. THe M went to a young woman who would have given Sabrina Schmitz a run for her money on the Nurburgring. Fantastic ten mile ride in the mountains with her. She bought the car.
A couple of warnings when selling, especially muscle or late models: Don't drive the car and then when away from home change drivers. It's possible when you get out, there will be a roar,a black strip and your car is gone. THieves who have a plan will have an enclosed trailer within a few miles. THe car will be loaded and you will likely never see it again.
Thieves, when driving have also used the ploy of saying, "I felt something in the front end from over on my side, you better check", so you get out of the car to look and poof, gone in two seconds.
Have the driver hand you the key before getting out.
Second, don't hand the keys with your house keys on them to a prospect. Smart thieves can carry a wax pad,and surreptitiously make an impression, a copy, then watch you house for a few days and visit it later when you are gone and there goes your silver service, jewelry and electronic devices.
Have your antenna up when buyers appear but be friendly and engage them. Most legit classic car buyers know a lot about the car they are attempting to buy, especially the high dollar models. Best advice: Be friendly and qualify your buyer.
I have bought and sold quite a number of cars and pieces of equipment over the years and never had a problem. We live in a fairly small town in a rural area. I sold a couple of cars locally and had no problem, in fact I sold a fifty five thousand original mile 2000 Jag XJ8 to the operations manager of a local credit union. I let him have it for a weekend so he and his wife could go to visit friends and go to dinner. They bought the car.
Just be careful. Selling a car can be a rewarding experience. I have sold several cars to buyers who have become friends after the transactions.
tony
Makes sense. Clay/Lexi
"If I were a viable prospect and when told of those restrictions I'd wonder what the owner was hiding..."
You nailed it. You're not a viable prospect.