"You can't test drive it. Company / owner prohibits non-employee drivers."

[Vanna White]

QUIZ for test drive: "You can't test drive it. Company / owner prohibits non-employee drivers."

Question:

Would you travel a substantial distance and time to inspect a van whose seller told you up front that you will not be allowed to drive the van, but he could take a potential buyer on a test drive?

Answer (pick one only):

A. No. I would say, essentially, "Thanks but no thanks. Bye."  I would not go see the van and I would disqualify it from further consideration.

(If you choose A, stop here. End of quiz for you. Thanks for your opinion.)

B. First I would talk to the company to see if there is any wiggle room on their insurance, since the prohibition prevents sale of the van to any non-employee who wants to buy the van on the condition that buyer test-drives it first.

C. Before traveling to see it I would tell him exactly what I will need him to do in the test drive so he can agree or not, before I travel to that site.

D. First I would get agreement from him not to sell it before I see it. I would require  the right of first refusal, in writing. Then I would hustle over there immediately if not sooner. 

E. Combination of letters _____________________

F. OTHER (Describe)

 

[DuneElliot]

I think I'd ask why first, then I'd pass on it if it was non-negotiable vs insurance...no way I'm buying a vehicle without being able to test drive it myself. My last insurance company covered me if the vehicle itself wasn't insured, like a rental or a borrowed car. The whole isutation sounds sketchy to me though as what car lot prohibits test driving. If it's a business selling a company car then it might be different, but I'd check with your insirance company about coverage

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Agree with Dune.  If you can't test drive it, don't walk away, run.

 

[OutdoorFT]

Should ask them how many cars they sell. With a policy like that, unlikely many.

 

[TMG51]

QUIZ for test drive: "You can't test drive it. Company / owner prohibits non-employee drivers."

Answer: F. Description: "Go **** yourself."

 

[karl]

I've purchased vehicles, from individuals, with them doing the highway driving....but I made sure that I could first check fluids(level, color, odor), inspect under and throughout, cold start it myself, shift through gears, feel brakes,and listen to engine before we drove.
Sometimes just the way the owner drives it can illustrate how it has been treated. Of course that means nothing at a dealer.
On at least one of the vans I knew I would be replacing the engine and transmission before even testing it, so there was less pressure to worry about condition of those.

So the short answer, I guess C if it's an owner other than dealer/reseller, and TMG's F if it is a dealer.

 

[tx2sturgis]

NEXT!

(whatever letter that would be)

:dodgy:

 

[Thirsty Boots Nomad]

D; then repeatedly promise I was on the way and never show up ( if they want to f*** with me/buyers, I/we can f*** right back)

 

[CautionToTheWind]

If it's a dealer, I would pass. Not sure the context of non-employee not being able to drive.

 

[Vanna White]

Thanks  All - 


I catch the drift so far: not really advisable to forego key touchy-feely-heary test; esp not good bet: do big travel to iffy-ness.

This why my newby post listed encouragement. 

Soooo many vans out there are not for me. Soooo, update expectations, Girl! 

Hints: 
Stay in touch with CRVL.
Learn from "nopes."
Keep checking on priorities yet maintain flexibility.
Step or dance in a forward direction if one appears, i.e., progress.
Walk dog.

 

[mayble]

QUIZ for test drive: "You can't test drive it. Company / owner prohibits non-employee drivers."

Question:

Would you travel a substantial distance and time to inspect a van whose seller told you up front that you will not be allowed to drive the van, but he could take a potential buyer on a test drive?

If it was something I was really interested in, I would suggest that the seller do the road test then let me drive it around a large parking lot, industrial park, etc.
It's probably an insurance/liability issue.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I catch the drift so far: not really advisable to forego key touchy-feely-heary test; esp not good bet: do big travel to iffy-ness.

{snip}

Walk dog.

You can get a 'feel' for the steering, whether it has a lot of play, off-center, pulls to left or right. Braking, same thing, are the brakes pulling left or right, spongy, wooden...

Seat...is it comfortable for YOU....are the sightlines good...etc etc...lots of driver information is conveyed only from the driver seat.

Good plan on walking the dog. Would you buy or adopt a dog that they would not let you pet before the deal was struck?

Same thing applies.

 

[Zil]

I am guessing it is a corporation type company selling their surplus vehicle. Easy to understand that reasoning. But most business owned vehicles have good maintenance documentation.

 

[TrainChaser]

A. When a company has a "policy" like that, it's for their benefit and to your detriment.

I would ask WHY, and if it's an insurance issue, I would ask which company they insure with. If they told me, I would call the ins. co. and ask if that's true. If they didn't tell me, I would know that they made it up, and assume the vehicle has problems.

Many people lie like rugs. Someone, somewhere, posted that a small-engine repair shop said that it was illegal to sell the small 'pacman' carburator-adjusting tools. Which was a flat-out lie. You can buy them in many places (but not from small-engine repair shops because they would lose business).

 

[Vanna White]

You can get a 'feel' for the steering, whether it has a lot of play, off-center, pulls to left or right. Braking, same thing, are the brakes pulling left or right, spongy, wooden...

Seat...is it comfortable for YOU....are the sightlines good...etc etc...lots of driver information is conveyed only from the driver seat.

Good plan on walking the dog. Would you buy or adopt a dog that they would not let you pet before the deal was struck?

Same thing applies.

ROTFL! Now you are talking my language! You are so funny!

Your specifics tell me the test drive is looking for the same subjective info that test drives of cars look for. I trust myself at that so I can do the same with a van. I expect unfamiarity in driving any vehicle for the first time, but then the questions are, 'Is this strange feature that I feel. hear, see, smell,. or intuit just something routine that I would need to get used to OR is the strageness a flaw waving a fat red flag?" 

This is also why I'd want my mechanic along, not just the seller to say the equivalent of, "Don't worry about it, honey. It's nothing at all."    [Vanna: "Gr-r-r-r-r."]

 

[Florida boondocker]

hell i even got to "test drive" my wife before we got married

no test drive ... no sell

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

hell i even got to "test drive" my wife before we got married

Romantics have such a way with words . . .

 

[Wabbit]

F: as in F.U!

 

[Wabbit]

hell i even got to "test drive" my wife before we got married

no test drive ... no sell

F'n hilarious! Thnx for the laugh, I needed it!

 

[tx2sturgis]

hell i even got to "test drive" my wife before we got married

How was the steering? Not a lot of 'play' I assume.

Hopefully no unusual noises or squeaking sounds...

Body panels all good with the factory curves?

Seat padding was still good? Sightlines OK?

Yeah....one needs to take this stuff seriously....