The Do's And Don'ts Of Test Drives When Selling Your Car
Potential buyers are asking about test drives. What do I do?
This is a question you’ll find yourself asking several times once you decide to sell your car privately. Test drives are a normal part of the sales process and it’s something you should allow. After all, would you want to buy a car without test-driving it first?
But there are a few things you should be wary of before handing over your car keys to a perfect stranger. In this article, we’ll look at the do’s and don’ts of test drives when selling your car.
How To Prepare Your Car For Sale
First, you need to know that how you prepare your car for sale makes the difference between buyers requesting a test drive and buying from elsewhere. Here are a few tips that can help you get serious buyers interested in the car:
- Clean the car
- Have the car inspected
- Organize your paperwork
- Get valuation done
- Take your personal belongings out of the car
Read the complete guide on how to prepare your car for sale.
Now you know how to get your car ready to sell. Let’s look at the do’s and don’ts of test drives once potential buyers start calling you.
The Do’s of Test Drives
We’ve conducted several test drive appointments with buyers, and from experience, these four tips will help you have a pleasant interaction with buyers and even convince them to buy the car:
Be polite
Always be polite and courteous when buyers call to request a test drive. It can help you sell your car faster when buyers find you approachable. Besides, when you scare away one buyer, you’re scaring ten other potential buyers who they will share their experience with.
Be flexible
It’s good practice to set a specific time for test drives, for example, on weekends when you don’t have to go to work. But you should also be flexible and accommodate serious buyers who can’t be available during your set hours. You can ask if early evening works for them or find some other appropriate time.
Confirm the buyer has a valid driving license
Ask for a valid driver’s license before letting a buyer onto the driving seat. Always! First, it’s illegal to drive a car in Kenya without a license. Your insurance cover also doesn’t protect you if the car is being driven by an unlicensed driver.
Stay safe
It’s common sense that you join the buyer along for the test drive. You wouldn’t hand the keys to your car over to a stranger on the street just because they asked, no matter how desperate you are to sell your car! But you also need to stay safe during the test drive. Always insist on doing the drive on a public road instead of an isolated one.
You should inform a family member or friend that you’ll be meeting a prospective buyer, where you’ll be meeting, and how long you expect the meeting to take. If possible, tag along a witness (but inform the buyer beforehand).
Here are other security considerations you should think about when selling your car.
The Don’ts of Test Drives
To make the experience better for both you and the buyer, here are a few don’ts that people often miss:
- Don’t rush the buyer to complete the test drive. If you have a pressing issue to attend to, reschedule the test drive to another day or time.
- Don’t bring your whole family. The buyer wants to feel safe too.
- Don’t forget to ask questions. This is the time to get to know the buyer and how the car will serve their needs.
- Don’t pressure the buyer to close the deal at the end of the test drive.
Avoid the Hassles, Sell Your Car with Peach
When selling your car privately, test drives are an inevitable part of the process. It’s important to be prepared and take precautions to ensure a safe and successful experience. By following these do’s and don’ts, you can increase your chances of selling your car quickly and easily.
If it sounds like it’s too much work (it is), you can avoid the hassles of test drives by simply selling your car with Peach Cars. We will do the heavy lifting, including arranging test drives, so you don’t have to.
