Car dealer failed to declare car previously Cat D

Car dealer failed to declare car previously Cat D

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Discussion

Alfaowner2707

Original Poster:

24 posts

116 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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It has been taken down. But autotrader have emailed me a copy of the text.


Butter Face

30,191 posts

159 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Where have you checked 'for free' about ie being written off?

If the car has had a personal plate on it, and that plate had been on another car it could be causing confusion.

Send me the reg, I will do a proper HPI and report back.

Butter Face

30,191 posts

159 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Also, if it was advertised on autotrader, they automatically display if a car is on the register. They can't get around this.

Butter Face

30,191 posts

159 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Alfaowner2707 said:
If you go on to auto trader and enter the reg plate and mileage, select 'private seller'', it comes up. Based on that I did an HPI check (which I paid £20 for) which confirmed it was written off in April 2013. Then when I booked the RAC inspection they did another which was included in the price. Thanks for the offer but I now know it's been written off. If it help you to give me advice I will message my reg plate
Of you've already done a proper HPI check and it has removed any doubt then that answers the question.

A dealer can't sell a written off car without declaring it, if you asked and they said 'no it has not been written off' then they're also guilty of misrepresentation.

Personally I wouldn't be bothering with the RAC check, I'd be at the dealer getting my money back.

zed4

7,248 posts

221 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Butter Face said:
Alfaowner2707 said:
If you go on to auto trader and enter the reg plate and mileage, select 'private seller'', it comes up. Based on that I did an HPI check (which I paid £20 for) which confirmed it was written off in April 2013. Then when I booked the RAC inspection they did another which was included in the price. Thanks for the offer but I now know it's been written off. If it help you to give me advice I will message my reg plate
Of you've already done a proper HPI check and it has removed any doubt then that answers the question.

A dealer can't sell a written off car without declaring it, if you asked and they said 'no it has not been written off' then they're also guilty of misrepresentation.

Personally I wouldn't be bothering with the RAC check, I'd be at the dealer getting my money back.
Yes, this.

Freakuk

3,105 posts

150 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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I guess if it wasn't a right off it would still have warranty too??? Guess that doesn't carry across in your case, worth a thought.

Personally I'd be getting rid, if they can lie about the car being written off what else are they prepared to lie about?

Silver940

3,961 posts

226 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Have you got the previous owner details on the log book or anywhere?

Could call them and ask what happened to it?

HaplessBoyLard

1,546 posts

187 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Alfaowner2707 said:
Believe me I would but I love the car (Ive looked around and would have to pay 2-3 k more for the same car without the Cat D

Are you both advising against keeping it on the grounds it is a car D or the traders dishonesty?
I've heard mixed opinions about cat D cars?

I appreciate the thoughts
Sounds like you might have paid the right price for a cat D car then. If you like it that much, get it checked out and keep it if it's ok mechanically.

It might be difficult to sell on, so if that's a concern then perhaps try and get your money back.

I'd have to ask why you didn't hear alarm bells if the car was seriously under priced.

Toaster Pilot

14,615 posts

157 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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I knew Auto Trader checked now but didn't know it would do this:

"This car is in Insurance Category B
A car is recorded in Insurance Category B when an insurer has written it off due to heavy damage. We cannot advertise Cat B vehicles due to the damage they have previously sustained."

That's cool.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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hora said:
I'd buy a Cat C or D car if I could see pictures of what had happened and details of how it'd been repaired.
Given that Cat C is purely a financial thing, and Cat D a whim - maybe over something as simple as parts delays or hire car costs - compared to unrecorded and repaired, the obvious question is what checks you make to ensure the car has never ever been damaged at all... Or is it the insurer's accounting procedures which most interests you?

OP - you've got a car you "love" at a price you thought a bargain. Resale is not an issue for you. So... What, exactly, is the issue here? What do you want the dealer to do or say?

HaloGen8

1,413 posts

128 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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TooMany2cvs said:
OP - you've got a car you "love" at a price you thought a bargain. Resale is not an issue for you. So... What, exactly, is the issue here? What do you want the dealer to do or say?
I think he wants reassurance that it is a minor Cat D rather than an OMG type Cat D as there is such a huge variance on what constitutes as a Cat D car.

It will probably be just fine BUT it has obviously taken the edge off a new purchase of the ideal car - it will not be as 'special' knowing it has a history. Once you learn of the history I guess then you can decide if the love affair continues or get rid.

rallycross

12,746 posts

236 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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You seem to be doing everything in reverse.

Why don't people do a proper HPI check before handing any money over (a proper HPI check you pay for eg HPI or Experian/Auto-trader, not some pointless freebie check).

Buying an RAC check after purchase is also a bit daft, they are not very in-depth and he wont have much of a clue about what to look for re accident repairs or be able to tell you what sort of repair its had, you'd be better off taking it to your local body shop and/or small MOT centre for a proper look to see what's been done/needing done (the RAC man is only going to check your wipers, lights, door locks, tyres, spare wheel, suspension).

If it was 25% cheaper than non-accident repaired then its the right price for a cat-D.

Edited by rallycross on Wednesday 30th July 17:16

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
quotequote all
HaloGen8 said:
I think he wants reassurance that it is a minor Cat D rather than an OMG type Cat D as there is such a huge variance on what constitutes as a Cat D car.
If the dealer knew it was a CatD, there's no reason to know that they would have known the extent of damage. CatD means it was close to the value at the time, but below it. Above it, it'd have been CatC. Way below it, they'd have repaired.

HaloGen8 said:
It will probably be just fine BUT it has obviously taken the edge off a new purchase of the ideal car - it will not be as 'special' knowing it has a history. Once you learn of the history I guess then you can decide if the love affair continues or get rid.
He's already said he wants to keep it. Hence my question.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
quotequote all
Alfaowner2707 said:
The issue is I was lied to and misled.
So will a "Sorry" suffice? No, thought not.

Alfaowner2707 said:
Either way I will be asking them to pay for the check plus some compensation
Compensation for _what_? You have a car you love and want to keep, at a price you were perfectly happy with. Until you found out about some minor administrative paperwork in the car's past.

If the insurer had made a slightly different decision in the course of the claim - maybe the insured had another car available, so didn't need the expense of a rental - there would be no CatD against the car, despite the damage and repair being identical. Would you insist on it being checked and compensation then? Yet you'd have paid more, by the sound of it. You've already said there's no issue regarding the future resale value of the car.

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

254 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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TooMany2cvs said:
Compensation for _what_? You have a car you love and want to keep, at a price you were perfectly happy with. Until you found out about some minor administrative paperwork in the car's past.
Being previously written off is just "minor administrative paperwork"? rofl Are you a car dealer by any chance?

POORCARDEALER

8,523 posts

240 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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The legal situation is:

The dealer has to put in their ad if the vehicle is on the register and on the order forum/receipt.

The fact they didnt know is irrelevant


They risk prosecution.

Ask for your money back in full.



Ps. Sounds like car was too cheap, you now know why

Edited by POORCARDEALER on Wednesday 30th July 18:39

Alfaowner2707

Original Poster:

24 posts

116 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
quotequote all
Yes I realise now I was being naive, I've never bought a car in my life so lesson learned.

Thanks, I need to really think about this but I appreciate all the answered that were trying to help.

steveball

65 posts

185 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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OP how can you want compensation?? You are the type of person that is currently ruining this country!! Due to your ignorance by not HPI checking a car, which was considerably cheaper than any equivalent, and possibly the dealer not declaring the CAT D - of which we only have your side of the story! you now deem it that you require some money to recover from your ordeal?


Alfaowner2707

Original Poster:

24 posts

116 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
quotequote all
POORCARDEALER said:
The legal situation is:

The dealer has to put in their ad if the vehicle is on the register and on the order forum/receipt.

The fact they didnt know is irrelevant


They risk prosecution.

Ask for your money back in full.



Ps. Sounds like car was too cheap, you now know why

Edited by POORCARDEALER on Wednesday 30th July 18:39
Have you a link to any legislation or is it a regulatory body who traders subscribe to? I can't find anything online.

steveball

65 posts

185 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
quotequote all
Alfaowner2707 said:
Ha-ha! Can you read Steve? Maybe you should ask someone to spell it out for you...

Gloss over the facts all you like. The dealer mis-sold a car.
I can read quite well, thank you...

My point was that we only have your side of the story. Post the advert text up, then you may have a claim for rejection. However compensation is just ridiculous!