OT New Car Test Drive Insurance Coverage

I visited a new car dealer who required a driver's license and an auto insurance coverage card to take a test drive.

Requiring a driver's license makes sense, but their insurance would cover their car, no? If I was a first time car buyer, then I wouldn't have any auto insurance. So then what?

Reply to
Earl Grey
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Never heard of asking for insurance. I've bought about 25 cars over the years and have never been asked. Maybe the dealer does it to filter out questionable buyers. If you don't have insurance on your present car you are probably not fiscally responsible.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

They should have a Garage policy to cover test drives, at least those brief jaunts taken with a dealership employee in the vehicle with you. But if you're taking the car out by yourself, the terms of their policy might require them obtaining proof of coverage by the driver.

I'd never heard of this practice before, but a brief google search shows it's not uncommon.

A former boss's daughter drove her newly-bought first car off the lot without getting insurance first. She had an accident a block away from the dealership. Car totaled. No insurance. She called daddy, cried, told him the story, and asked him to cover the loss for her. No dice.

Reply to
Moe DeLoughan

I know a guy who has a small used car dealership, and also he has a small salvage yard and sells used car parts. I bought a used car from him, after taking it for a test drive. He never asked for anything, but I know him, so he may ask others???

Anyhow, I asked him if anyone ever had an accident while taking a test drive, and he said NO, but said he pays a lot of money for insurance just to cover that sort of thing.

After we completed the paperwork, he handed me the title and was ready to take off his dealership license plates. Thats when I asked him if I could drive it home with his plates (it was too late in the day to get my own plates and go to my insurance company). I told him I'd bring his plates back immediately using my other (licensed) vehicle. He told me that once the paperwork is completed and the vehicle is in the name of the buyer, he MUST remove his dealer plates, and the buyer can not use them. However, he said that there was a way around it.

He took back the title, and said "lets take another test drive TO YOUR HOUSE". When we get there, I will give you the title back, remove the plates, and you have to drive me home in your licensed vehicle.

I said "Not a problem".

As long as the title was still in his hands, his dealer plate and insurance still covered the vehicle.... So, in case I would have gotten pulled over by the cops, the title was still in his hands, meaning the vehicle was still "His", even though I had paid him and completed the paperwork.... That worked out nicely!!!

Reply to
Paintedcow

About 1 year ago, when I was car-shopping - I test drove about 15 cars - from over 10 dealers - new / used / big / small dealers - not once asked to provide my insurance. In your case - a new car dealership - should perhaps be asked if the manufacturer and/or the dealership association has endorsed this practice .. John T.

Reply to
hubops

Ouch, that's an expensive lesson. Here you can't register without insurance. The dealer will contact your agent and take care of it before you get the keys.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Yeah, there's a "more to the story" something in that one methinks. For ours, presuming premiums are paid at the time, a new vehicle is automagically covered once a simple phone call is made to the agent informing them of the fact.

Somebody seriously screwed up there...

Reply to
dpb

Her first car, so she didn't have a policy yet. I can't remember if it was a used car or new, but given her age, it was probably used.

My first new car was totaled by a drunk driver the very first time I took it out for a drive. My insurance covered it, but that experience, plus my boss's daughter's experience, pretty much drove it home that yes, you can have an accident with your newly-purchased vehicle, so you'd better make sure you're covered before you take it off the lot. In fact, the next new car I bought very nearly lost the windshield to an errant baseball on its way home from the dealership. I drove past a municipal ballpark and suddenly this baseball came flying across the street, just missing my car. A sibling happened to be in her car behind mine and also saw it. She followed me to my house, just to tell me she'd nearly had a heart attack seeing the ball headed for my new car.

Reply to
Moe DeLoughan

I thought it was standard policy that a person's existing coverage extends to a new vehicle for a few days, giving the new owner time to call and add the new vehicle to the policy. I know mine does, on *any* car that I drive.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Danniken

Yeah - I would have thought that was universal - no ? Here in Ontario, you need proof of insurance before you get your plates and when you renew your plates. John T.

Reply to
hubops

So how do you show "proof of insurance" when you total your new Ferrari a block from the dealer after running over an old lady and her grand-baby ? .. while drunk. I would hate to be trusting any insurance company to cover that ! Have you tried to read insurance policies lately ? .. you need a slip of paper with the vehicle VIN and the policy number, and dates. It isn't auto-magic or standard - get the slip of paper before you drive away. < slip of paper could be digital > I recently had to phone & email our Insurance Broker to confirm that our policy covered a rental car when on vacation - the policy wording was so confusing and vague .. they do that intentionally .. They have more lawyers .. John T.

Reply to
hubops

That makes a lot more sense than the way it's done here....

Reply to
Paintedcow

In my state, after purchase, the dealer puts a temporary paper plate on the new car before you drive out. If you have a trade-in they take your old plate off and give it to you. Later when the title comes in the mail you just remove the paper plate and put your old plate on. Much easier to get home that way.

(If you have no trade-in you still get the paper plate and the new plate comes in the mail with the title.)

Reply to
AL

On test drives the salesman understandably wants to see my license. I'm OK with that. But they also always wanted to make a copy of it. I've always refused. They've never denied my test drive because of that. My suspicion is that if I walked they had my info and thus someplace to send future ads.

They've never asked for my proof of insurance until the sale is complete. Not sure why. I doubt the car is legally mine until the title is officially transferred into my name at the MVD.

Reply to
AL

they don't care about insurance until registration time. You can have a title with no insurance, but you cannot register it to drive (in most states) unless insured.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

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