Is it legal to sell on Cat B salvage cars?

[Rockatansky]

Browsing ebay I happened over this fire damaged Audi A3 quattro:

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDI-A3-QUATTRO-TDI-DAMAGED-/15...

It's Cat B salvage.

I thought these could only be bought by registered salvage dealers, am I wrong?

[anonymous-user]

If Honest John is to be believed it's not illegal to put a B back on the road apparently. Insurers will always break for parts and then crush the bodyshell.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/insurance-write-of...

[tomg88]

ebay said:

1300000 MILES APPROX

No wonder it blew up.




Not 100% but I think category B can be sold for parts?

[XG332]

Might have made this up but arnt the category's just an insurance thing and that any category can be put back on the road provided it passes the appropriate tests and is taxed and insured.

[GC8]

Not illegal in any respect.

Of course, salvage dealer who sells on the CatB or CatA vehicle will be breaking his agreement/contract with the insurance company (or with the salvage company who disposes on their behalf).

[getawayturtle]

XG332 said:

Might have made this up but arnt the category's just an insurance thing and that any category can be put back on the road provided it passes the appropriate tests and is taxed and insured.

Categories A & B can never be returned to the road from what I understand.
These are usually given when cars suffer from chassis/fire damage.

[Rockatansky]

GC8 said:

Not illegal in any respect.

Of course, salvage dealer who sells on the CatB or CatA vehicle will be breaking his agreement/contract with the insurance company (or with the salvage company who disposes on their behalf).

Thanks, that explains it nicely.

[garos]

ABI code of practice would say that a Cat A or B should not be returned to the road, but its not illegal to do so. So, such cars are on the road.

[Krikkit]

Just to add, Honest John's site says:

HJ said:

It is not illegal to repair and return Cat B and Cat C written-off for salvage vehicles back to the road as long as they have passed a Vehicle Identity Check (VIC) with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). By May 2012 there was sometimes a long wait for an appointment at a VOSA testing station. Insurers notify the DVLA of all cars 'written- off' within salvage categories A, B or C. Les Elliott, Chairman of MIAFTR and a representative of the ABI Salvage Code of Practice adds: "The ABI Salvage Code specifically states that where an Insurer takes control of total loss salvage, such as a Category B, it is broken for spares and the body shell crushed. However, where a person retains the salvage it can be returned to the road, but is subject to a VIC if the V5 is surrendered to DVLA." Until the VIC marker is removed, the DVLA won't issue a registration certificate V5C. However, the VIC test alone is not a safety test and anyone looking to buy a car that has passed a VIC should seek to have it independently inspected by Autolign or Thatcham.

And the ABI's code of practice for salvage (PDF warning). Basically anyone who associates with the ABI and bigger salvage operations will have to break then crush the chassis on Cat B, Cat A's go straight in the crusher.

Edited by Krikkit on Monday 11th March 18:26

[robk84]

I didn't browse specifically for cat B cars, just really fancy a Porsche ATM.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2009-09-PORSCHE-911-CARR...

I thought the chassis had to be crushed on a cat b car, with parts salvaged