Sales Hints

JALLEN4 wrote:

A1ARealtorRick wrote:

DrewE wrote:

A1ARealtorRick wrote:
For them to drive it (even with you in the vehicle) make a copy (or picture) of their driver's license and their proof of insurance, because if something happened while your prospective buyer was driving it, you want HIS insurance to be primary, not yours.

I'm not an insurance agent, but I think as long as it's your vehicle and the other driver is driving it with your permission, your insurance is going to be primary. I cannot see how photographing an insurance card of the driver's for some other vehicle isn't going to matter one bit in the case of a crash; and as a buyer I'd be very put-off if the seller required me to provide them with a binder for a vehicle I hadn't even committed to purchasing or even made an offer on yet.

I haven't read the policy recently, but I think I remember my own car insurance only covers me in another vehicle to the extent that no other policy would be applicable. If I were test driving your RV and you had no insurance, it would appear to cover me in that situation; but if you had insurance, it would not cover whatever your insurance does cover.

Nope, his will be. Been there -- done that.

Yes, having a copy not only assures you he has both a DL and insurance, but contains information you might need in the unlikely event something happened. Again, been there -- done that.

And who said anything about a binder? If you're calling the DL/insurance card thing a binder, you've obviously not test driven anything at a dealership recently. (They won't ask you for an insurance card necessarily, but they WILL ask you to produce a DL, and yes, they'll make a copy of it).

Dealerships ask for a license and copy it because they number one want to make sure it is a licensed driver operating their vehicle and as a theft prevention in case it all goes upside down. One would be surprised how often a theft takes place on a "test drive". It does not transfer primary responsibility to the consumer. As a dealer, you cannot void your ownership and potential liability. This is why you buy Garage Owners Liability for a huge yearly premium.

When we speak of "Been there...Done that" my opinion comes from four decades of owning/operating multiple new car dealerships, working with attorneys to set demo policies, and purchasing insurance yearly for all of the above.

I appreciate your input based on your history in the business. I, too, spent a while in the automobile business ... right at 30 years to be exact (Real Estate overlapping in the final years of it). I managed a multi-line highline dealership for a number of years before starting my own dealership with my son. So, I know how it works. I've worked with attorneys, set policies, bought plenty of (usually overpriced) insurance, and had my share of experiences with customers damaging cars, and even one theft (only one thank goodness). So I'm not speaking off the cuff, but rather as a result of real life experience. We sold the dealership including all the real estate in 2013.