Short-Term insurance?

[nmlowe]

I'm going to be selling my old escort in the next couple of weeks, but I haven't used it for about 8 months, so it has been sat on my drive festering all winter until now. It has no tax and no insurance.
I need to take it to my local garage (about 2 miles away, just past the police station) to get it checked out so I know whether it is roadworthy or not (Possibly put it through an MOT even though it has 2 months MOT left).
I don't know how to get it to the garage without insurance or tax?. I really don't want a years insurance, because it will be gone soon, and the car is worth less than £1000. I thought about hiring a trailer, but I haven't got a towbar on my new car, and the price of renting a trailer and a tow veichle is too high to consider.
Is their any way to resolve the situation?

[ninja_eli]

You used to be able to insure a car and then cancel the policy within a few days. But I think they have stopped that shit no.

Does anyone know if its possible to insure a car, and then cancel stating that you never got the car in the end?

How much do you want to pay to have it done? You can sometimes stop one of those pick up trucks and offer them some money to do you a job, cash in hand. It worked for me and saved about £300!! Cost me £35.

[simond001]

The unnoficial way would be to get your friendly local broker to write you a covernote, on the basis you wanted to test drive the car.

Worked for me.

(Or drive it thrid party on other car insurance (i think)

(or get the garagra to collect it,. they are insured, dont need tax, and have a vested interest in giving it an MOT!)

>> Edited by simond001 on Saturday 17th August 16:38

[smeagol]

You can get cover notes to cover you for an MOT/SVA test. I believe you can make these temporary they ussually last 30 days, you just need to contact the insurance company, with the details.

The other method is to insure it as an additional car on your current policy for a fixed time. I did this for a curtesy car 'cos the garage said I had to have both cars covered. This is for any length of time you want and priced accordingly.

Hope that helps

[pistol pete]

If you get someone else to drive it - someone who has there own fully comp policy then they are usually covered to drive any vehicle owned by someone else 3rd party only (is it worth having fully comp on a car of that value anyway) - Check the policy certificate first - mine says that I can.

- and I think is is entirely legal to drive without tax/MOT aslong as you ae traveling directly to or from a garage to have the MOT/MOT repairs carried out - and the garage is expecting you.

[SGirl]

quote:Does anyone know if its possible to insure a car, and then cancel stating that you never got the car in the end?

Yes, you can. I put the Griff on cover just before I bought it, with the proviso that I'd cancel if I didn't go ahead with the purchase. The only downer is the "admin charge" the insurers make for setting up and then cancelling the policy.

[Bodo]

I don't know about Britain, but doesn't garages and dealers have red numberplates to transfer unregistered vehicles?

Anyway, the idea to stop a pick up truck driver and make a personal unbureaucratic deal sounds very good to me. (Don't forget to arrange a re-transfer on that occasion )

[jmorgan]

Not sure if this is correct, a while since a tried the same thing and check through proper channels. If its booked in for an MOT then you can drive direct there and back under a SORN. Must be booked in and shown as such with the garage. I had a 30 day insurance cover, 3rd party only but was told its unusual but I had been with a company for some time.
As I said, not sure if its correct. Quick call to the DVLC or police, can't remember which one I asked.

[nmlowe]

I have fully comprehensive insurance on my astra, and my policy does indeed entitle me to drive another veichle third party only, but I'm pretty sure this is assuming that the car is owned by someone else (I.E you are not a named driver on their policy), and the assumption is that the car is already insured by someone else.
Otherwise what's to stop your average spotty 17yr old buying a powerfull car and a £200 metro, insuring the metro fully comp and driving the other car third party only?

I'm pretty sure it's legal to drive to an MOT testing station providing you are booked in, but I would suspect that you would need insurance to do so, But no tax is ok, since you need an MOT and Insurance to get tax.
I would probably need to make several trips to the garage, It's only a small place with no room to store my car overnight, and I probably need a few things doing before I sell it.

I might try the trade plates thing. I will give him a ring and ask if he could collect and deliver the car?

Thanks for the suggestions anyway!

>> Edited by nmlowe on Sunday 18th August 02:07