Buying a non-runner: questions to ask before booking transport

A cheap non-runner can become an awkward purchase if nobody has established how it will leave the seller’s property. The advert may describe an engine problem while saying very little about the wheels, brakes, keys or location. Those details matter to the transport job. Before you commit to a collection date, ask the seller for a clear account of the car as it stands today. A transporter needs that account to assess the movement; an optimistic diagnosis in an advert is not enough.

Start by asking what non-runner means

Ask when the vehicle last moved under its own power, what happened when it stopped and what has changed since. A car that failed to start yesterday is a different proposition from one that has spent years behind a garage. Request the actual symptoms and any written workshop findings. Keep the seller’s explanation separate from confirmed work: “seller suspects the starter” is more accurate than telling everyone the starter is definitely faulty. Buying the car and diagnosing it remain separate decisions, even when the proposed repair sounds straightforward.

Establish whether all four wheels are present

The collection operator will want to know whether the vehicle has its wheels fitted and whether any tyre is visibly flat or damaged. Ask for recent photographs showing each side rather than relying entirely on the original advert. Missing wheels, collapsed suspension or a car standing on supports require discussion before a booking can be accepted. Do not ask the seller to improvise a way of rolling it for the photograph. If a corner is hidden behind stored items, record that its condition is unknown and arrange for the operator to assess what information is needed.

Ask about rolling, steering and braking separately

A vehicle may roll but have no usable brakes, or steer while its wheels remain locked. These are separate pieces of information. Ask what the seller actually knows, how they know it and when it was last observed. Someone remembering that the car rolled six months ago cannot confirm that it does today. Nobody should push it on a slope to find out. Our guide to transporting a non-runner explains why a condition description is more useful than the single word “immobile”. Tell the operator about uncertainty as well as known faults.

Check the keys and access to the cabin

Find out which keys are available, where they are and whether the seller can hand them over at collection. A photographed key is not proof that all vehicle functions are available. Ask whether doors can be opened normally and whether any known electrical or locking problem affects access. Do not turn a collection enquiry into an attempt to bypass vehicle security. If a key is missing or locked elsewhere, describe that fact early. The operator can then decide whether the movement is possible and what further arrangements are required.

Ask what has been removed

Partly repaired cars can have components, trim or underbody panels removed. The seller may consider these irrelevant because the engine fault explains why the car will not run. For transport, missing or loose parts can change the assessment. Request a list of dismantled items and identify anything packed in the cabin or boot. Ask whether fluids are leaking and whether there has been collision, flood or fire damage. These details should accompany the enquiry rather than appear for the first time when the collection vehicle arrives.

Understand the route out of the property

A car parked in an open yard presents a different access problem from one behind a narrow gate or inside a domestic garage. Request photographs of the approach, entrance and surrounding space, taken from a safe position with permission. Ask about slopes, low roofs, soft ground and other vehicles blocking the route. The operator needs the exact collection address as well as the postcode. A seller’s assurance that a delivery van fitted through the gate does not establish that recovery equipment can work there safely.

Keep the purchase checks separate

Transport arrangements do not establish that the seller owns the car, that a fault is inexpensive or that the purchase is good value. Use the official GOV.UK used-car checks and consider an independent inspection where appropriate. Check the vehicle details before sending a transporter to collect it. A driver can record an agreed handover, but a transport booking should not be treated as a mechanical inspection, an escrow service or a guarantee about the seller. Resolve any purchase uncertainty directly before authorising collection.

Decide who can release the vehicle

The seller, storage operator and person meeting the transporter may be different people. Establish who has authority to release the car and whether any paperwork, reference or outstanding payment is required first. If it is at a workshop, confirm that the workshop knows about the collection and has agreed a time. Do not assume that paying the seller removes a separate release requirement at the premises. Give the transporter one reliable collection contact who understands the arrangement and can reach anyone else whose agreement is needed.

Plan the destination for the same condition

The receiving address needs to accommodate a non-runner too. Tell the workshop or storage provider exactly what is being delivered and ask whether it can accept that vehicle on the proposed day. An empty parking space is not necessarily a suitable unloading place. A car with locked wheels may require an agreed position from which the workshop can take over. Ask who will receive the keys, record arrival and deal with a delay. Arrange this before collection, especially if the seller has set a firm deadline for removal.

Request a quote against the facts

Send the make, model, registration if available, current condition, collection and delivery details, contacts and photographs through your transport enquiry. Ask what is included, which assumptions the quotation relies on and what happens if the condition proves different. AtWheel’s non-runner transport service can assess the information before agreeing a job. Planned vehicle transport is quoted for the movement. The separate standard recovery call-out charge is £100, with mileage and job extras quoted separately; it should not be mistaken for the price of collecting every project car.

Agree what happens if collection cannot proceed

Discuss the practical fallback before the collection day. If the seller cannot produce the keys, access is blocked or the car is materially different from the description, who can authorise a revised plan? Ask about any applicable attendance or waiting charges in the actual booking terms. Avoid promising the seller that removal is guaranteed regardless of condition. A truthful enquiry allows the operator to decide what can be accepted, while a clear fallback prevents three people making conflicting decisions after the transporter has already travelled.

Keep the handover record useful

Save the seller’s condition description, the accepted quotation and the collection instructions together. Ask for an agreed record of keys and loose items accompanying the car. Recent photographs help document visible condition, although they cannot prove mechanical health. Share any change before dispatch, including a tyre going flat or another vehicle blocking the entrance. Our transport preparation guide can help organise the final handover. The best booking begins with an honest description of the car you have bought, including the parts nobody has yet checked.