To buy without test driving?

Hi @wontgothedistance ex car dealer here. There is no inherent problem buying using distance selling regs (see more later) but there might be a problem if the car make, model, mileage,number of owners make the car significantly cheaper than others online. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. So in your shoes, I’d Google reviews of the garage (avoid if negative) check the garage address on Google and call them. If there is still manufacturer’s original warranty left on the car, you have less risk but a used car warranty is not an equivalent to a new car warranty. Items like brakes, tyres, clutches are ‘wear and tear’ items and are not covered under a warranty.

Remember, Just because Cinch, Cazoo and Hey Car spend an inordinate amount of money on advertising, it does not make their cars any less likely to go wrong or their checks any better. In the case of Cinch and Cazoo, The majority of their stock has come from an auction house as cars which were p/ex at a main dealer which they have decided not to retail (too old/non-franchised or too much to rectify for retail sale) from a main dealer. Also Remember they use your statutory rights about the right to return/refund as advertising slogans….

As a PP said, after you’ve done your Google checks, get the deposit taken on a credit card to give you s.75 protection even if you pay the rest in cash providing that the total contract is for less than £30k. If you are paying in cash, consider this case below which demonstrates that in a distance selling situation you have way more than 14 days ;-)

Ask specific questions on the phone and record the conversation at your end (tell the sales person you are doing that) it may encourage more honest answers or conduct your enquiries solely via email to have a record of responses should there be a dispute at a later date.

Good luck!

https://www.am-online.com/news/latest-news/2022/09/16/solicitor-exploits-legal-loophole-to-gain-full-refund-on-two-teslas-after-a-year-s-ownership

I bought (via Heycar) and was really happy with the service. I'd chosen the make/model I wanted based on reliability, finance etc. I never quite get what you're supposed to find on a test drive anyway!

That said, the car turned out to have a major fault (ironically it probably would have shown up on a test drive!). Heycar authorised me to take it to a dealer for diagnostics, and then paid the cost of that and refunded my money in full and arranged collection. I can't fault their service and I imagine Cazoo and Cinch are the same. Their model is based on making it easy for the customer.

I bought again, this time using a local dealer and although I love the car it was a disappointing experience. The dealer didn't even know which model he was showing me. There was a hard sell on additional insurance products. They don't point out any defects (online brokers show you every chip and scratch, you know exactly what you are getting). I had to wait over a week for it to be 'prepared', get a lift over to the dealers and then had a row about what accessories were included, as he'd reneged on what we had discussed.

I'd definitely use an online service again.

@wontgothedistance I bought mine unseen from a very well reputed dealership...the sales person first of all sent me the wrong agreement to sign (it was for an in person sale rather than a distance sale) and when the car arrived although technically in good condition, it had a very poor smart repair done by the previous owner, probably just for stone chips but the paintwork was awful! (I'm really picky about that kind of thing) Thankfully I noticed the error with the contract and asked for the distance sale one that by law, any car dealer must accept the car back within 14days (no reason even has to be given) and since they have a good rep, they got the car into their local workshop and ended up fitting a whole new front bumper and fixing some other minor blemishes that I hadn't even noticed so that the car looked literally brand new!
Worked out fine for me but not sure I'd do it again as it was more stressful than it needed to be. I buy my cars outright so shelling out £25k for something I'd not seen in person was scary 😅
I'd be very careful arranging your own delivery of the car...look into the distance sales act and check where you would stand with handing the car back in that instance...not just if there's anything wrong with it but just if you simply don't like it. If it's damaged in transit, I doubt they'll just take it back.

I wouldn’t , I’ve managed to buy a car in the past that I test drove , wasn’t keen on , but convinced myself I’d get to like it , didn’t and had to keep it for a few years before I could justify selling it on . I’m far more picky with my test drives now . The last car I bought I’d actually test driven the same make and model elsewhere and it drove like a shonkey donkey , found mine and it’s a dream .

However I don’t have a spare car , so if I didn’t like one from cazoo and had to send it back I’d been in a predicament, if i had a spare car to keep me going while i sent it back then it might be a different story.

I did it recently, all fine.

I wouldn't.

A dealership will tell you whatever they need to in order to get a sale. A 14 return policy is just that, a policy, it doesn't mean anything in reality. It's no a law, just a worthless promise. Once they have your money there is zero incentive for them to give you your money back. The shitbox that you've bought is YOUR problem, not theirs, unless you take them to court.

Also the "AA INSPECTION" that dealerships advertise is equally bollocks. It just means that their workshop staff have been on a half day training course and are "certified" by the AA to carry out some checks. I absolutely guarantee you than none of those checks are ever carried out, it's just an advertising gimmick. But you'd be amazed at the number of people who genuinely think a man from the AA is going around to dealerships and examining their cars!

Also, on a more practical level, if you don't test drive the car how do you know if you like it?

Last time I changed my car I really wanted Mazda 3, one of the new sporty looking ones. I had gone online and picked out the one I wanted, options, trim, everything. One idle Saturday we decided to pop into a garage on our way somewhere and see one in the flesh. I'm so glad we did, because I ended up not buying one. The test drive was fuxking awful! Now I know why the have so many sensors and electric warning bells. You can't see a fucking thing. The windscreen may as well be a letterbox and I have no idea what the side windows are for, decoration maybe, but as actual windows they're a joke.

Test drive a car. Buy from a local dealer, no point having a Mickley Mouse three month warranty if the dealer is in London but you live in Cardiff.

I wouldn't do this - there are so many car dealerships around the country. It's not just about how the car drives, it's about its condition etc. as well.

We bought from Cazoo, would do so again.
Your question on how easy would it be to return .... we had a minor issue that needed fixing within the warranty which was easy to arrange so on that basis I imagine the return policy would be just as simple.

Wouldn't hesitate buying from them again for sure.

Yes I have bought my last two cars without test driving. First time I was moving back to UK from overseas and would need a car straight away, so I organised it with a main dealer, they sent me video of it first. When I got back, I went over and collected it.

The other car I bought online from a second hand dealership, it was covid times too, they did a video call and then they delivered it to the house.

No issues with either car whatsoever and I am not sure what extra value I would have got out of a test drive.

Something else you can do OP is put a deposit on a credit card - even if its only a token amount (car dealers often don't accept credit cards as the fees take a big chunk of their margin) it will make the credit card company equally liable for the purchase so if there are problems and the dealer is unhelpful, you can complain to the credit card company who could refund the whole purchase if necessary.

I would if I knew the car, ie I'd driven one before and liked it. It's not just about whether the car works and has no faults, but whether you can get on with the driving position, visibility etc.

I drive a lot of hire cars and know what types of car I do and don't like. So if I'd not driven that model before, I'd not buy it blind, but it depends on what else is available, whether the price is good and how desperate you are for a car now or if you have time to keep looking for something more local.

If you buy the car and hate it, it's going to cost you to send it back, so you've potentially spent a few hundred? on having a car delivered and then returning it.

But how easy is it to return? Have you actually done it? Lots of firms offer money back guarantees, refunds, etc., but are a nightmare to arrange, pushy staff on the phone trying to persuade you to keep it or swap for another one, special phone number never answered etc, obstacles put in your way etc? Presumably you can't just tick a box on a website?

Personally, I wouldn't risk it with a big ticket item like a car, whatever they promise. Is there really any need to buy from miles away? We've always found cars to buy within driveable distances of up to an hour or two.

You're looking for whether the car feels comfortable to you to drive mainly. I test drove a car a few years ago and one of the pedals was so much closer than the other two that I felt like I had my knee under my chin, and there were so many blind spots and the windscreens seemed so small that I felt really unsafe, like I wouldn't be able to see things around me clearly. Online reviews of the model were mainly positive, so I was very glad I test drove it before buying !

I bought my car from Cazoo and had no problems. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Its like having a 7 day test drive as they’ll take it back if you don’t want to keep for any reason, so no real risk.

Never again would I buy without test driving.

I bought blind from a dealership an upgrade of the same car as I had but from a different branch. The clutch failed within 5 days (car was 3 years old), I’d have found that if I’d have drove it. Regret ever changing as my old car was so reliable.

We’ve had numerous cars and never test driven any!

Surely every car is different to drive anyway, it’s just a case of getting used to each cars different quirks.

Last two cars I bought I test drove and would recommend doing it unless youve had that make and model before

It's the only way to get a proper feel for the handling of the car and if the driver's seat and layout is comfortable for you

We've not test driven either of the last two cars we've bought. Admitted to each other neither of us really knew what we are looking for when we have done so previously so didn't bother.

We bought a car from Cazoo. Comprehensive information about faults (one scratch so tiny it could hardly be seen) 14 day return policy, comprehensive check list for mechanicals, guarantee and AA membership. All that and delivery too. We'd had similar models prior so were familiar with car.

I'd advice you to review the car online by people who've
got that particular car.

Just incase it's a car that has manufacturers fault or is rubbish to drive.

I bought through a dealership and had my car transferred from another branch. It did come with a warranty though, which helped convince me they weren't trying to hide any faults, as they'd be the ones fixing it I they did. It was fine, plus unless one of the wheels had fallen off, I'm not sure I'd be able to tell on a test drive if it was any good or not.

We have done that several times over the years - never been a problem. Actually, even did it once with a private seller and that worked out fine as well.

Tbh I wouldn't know what I was actually testing...