Daft question about buying a car.

I'm looking to buy a car from a private seller, now forgive me for being dense, but I need some advice about the logistics of doing this.

Its location is awkward to get to from where I am using public transport.

presumably I can't just get there, buy the car and then drive it straight home as I need to the Tax and insurance covered.

So is it a case of me trekking to the car, buying it, leaving it there, trekking home, arranging tax and insurance for it, then trekking back to collect the car?

You can get instant insurance cover over the phone or online, tax is a minor issue, but you may be able to do that online too.

I'm looking to buy a car from a private seller, now forgive me for being dense, but I need some advice about the logistics of doing this.

 

Its location is awkward to get to from where I am using public transport.

 

presumably I can't just get there, buy the car and then drive it straight home as I need to the Tax and insurance covered.

 

So is it a case of me trekking to the car, buying it, leaving it there, trekking home, arranging tax and insurance for it, then trekking back to collect the car?

I just phone insurance once I bought car then drive home do tax at home never been a problem for me

You can get instant insurance cover over the phone or online, tax is a minor issue, but you may be able to do that online too.

Yes that can be done online as well, very easily using a mobile device.

Amazing I know but I actually don't have a mobile device.

I'm quite convinced that I'm going to buy the car as someone I know well assures me it is sound, so If I arranged insurance now before I even leave the house to go and get it, could there be an issue if it is already insured by its current owner?

Amazing I know but I actually don't have a mobile device.

 

I'm quite convinced that I'm going to buy the car as someone I know well assures me it is sound, so If I arranged insurance now before I even leave the house to go and get it, could there be an issue if it is already insured by its current owner?

No because they will no longer be the owner once you have paid for the car. They will cancel their insurance policy. The biggest issue is road tax.

Take out insurance on the car before you travel and then it's covered. Ask if you can borrow sellers computer to tax it on line but you will have to start tax from beginning of this month ,you need the 12 digit code of the green slip on v5 to tax it as a new owner or ask for the 12 digit document code and tax it online at home before you go for car

For insurance, get your quote sorted before you buy the car. Then before you drive away in it, call the insurer you decided to use, give the quote number, payment details and job done. It's a five minute phone call.

For tax, you can't tax it unless you know the V5 details and don't tax it before you buy it. Not having a smart phone is obviously a hindrance for you here, but you can take the V5 to the nearest post office and tax it there or ring the DVLA after calling the insurance.

Edit: *never* insure a car before you own it in case you don't buy the thing. You don't cancel an insurance policy for free.

---------- Post added 20-07-2018 at 12:06 ----------

So is it a case of me trekking to the car, buying it, leaving it there, trekking home, arranging tax and insurance for it, then trekking back to collect the car?

That's exactly what we did before mobile phones and the Internet..

Can't you convince them you are genuine and get them to bring the car to you ?

No because they will no longer be the owner once you have paid for the car. They will cancel their insurance policy.

The biggest issue is road tax.

A lot of sellers list cars with "tax to get you home". i.e. they don't notify the DVLA and cancel it until later that evening when the car is safe with the buyer and they've had time to sort out the tax.

Amazing I know but I actually don't have a mobile device.

 

In which case ask the seller if his mobile device or computer can be used to sort the tax/insurance out, cant see why this would be an issue.

And dont buy insurance for a car you may not buy, that is an unnecessary level of faff.

Assuming it currently has road tax, will that not remain the case til the end of the month? I thought if the current owner rang to cancel it, that wouldn't come into force til next month.