Cat D.. please help!
Discussion
Hello!
A week ago a drunk driver smashed into 4 cars, ours getting the worst damage. I won't do into the police's lack of interest or stupid mistakes (couldn't tell the difference between the number zero or the letter 'o').. but hey ho.
Prob is, we very much suspect the damage caused will mean the insurance companies will make our car a category D write-off. It is safe to drive and the damage was two large scrapes down the passenger side, one ending in a punctured hole. We simply cannot afford to buy another car with what the insurance company will offer because the car isn't worth much.
Can we refuse to accept the insurers ruling if it does end up being a cat D?? Say that we will fix it ourselves and cancel the claim, or is it impossible to cancel the claim when we've started and the car always be classed as cat D? The car is going to be collected by a local garage on Friday for assessment.
Any advice really will be gratefully received! We are very worried.
A week ago a drunk driver smashed into 4 cars, ours getting the worst damage. I won't do into the police's lack of interest or stupid mistakes (couldn't tell the difference between the number zero or the letter 'o').. but hey ho.
Prob is, we very much suspect the damage caused will mean the insurance companies will make our car a category D write-off. It is safe to drive and the damage was two large scrapes down the passenger side, one ending in a punctured hole. We simply cannot afford to buy another car with what the insurance company will offer because the car isn't worth much.
Can we refuse to accept the insurers ruling if it does end up being a cat D?? Say that we will fix it ourselves and cancel the claim, or is it impossible to cancel the claim when we've started and the car always be classed as cat D? The car is going to be collected by a local garage on Friday for assessment.
Any advice really will be gratefully received! We are very worried.
Wife had a scrape & her's was deemed a |cat D.
We could have kept the car & would have received 25% less for the Insurance settlement, we did not bother.Mabe we could have got more but I (think?) when you next insure it you may have a slightly higher premium as a cat D ...not positive on that but that was mentioned to us at the time by a garage
We could have kept the car & would have received 25% less for the Insurance settlement, we did not bother.Mabe we could have got more but I (think?) when you next insure it you may have a slightly higher premium as a cat D ...not positive on that but that was mentioned to us at the time by a garage
Toaster Pilot said:
Not all insurers allow purchase of salvage - Admiral specifically say they do not in the letter that confirms they're writing your car off.
Aah right. Didn't know that.Not 100% sure on the cat c/d cars attracting a higher premium, when you do a quote online there is no provision for adding that information and I have never been asked if the car was a cat c/d so think this could be intrue, interested if someone knows more though!
Toaster Pilot said:
Not all insurers allow purchase of salvage - Admiral specifically say they do not in the letter that confirms they're writing your car off.
Not entirely correctEvery claim is based on its own merits.
OP ask your claims handler to refer it to an engineer to see if they're happy to allow you to retain salvage.
If they do agree you'll get a settlement minus the salvage amount that the insurer would have agreed.
ZOLLAR said:
Toaster Pilot said:
Not all insurers allow purchase of salvage - Admiral specifically say they do not in the letter that confirms they're writing your car off.
Not entirely correctEvery claim is based on its own merits.
OP ask your claims handler to refer it to an engineer to see if they're happy to allow you to retain salvage.
If they do agree you'll get a settlement minus the salvage amount that the insurer would have agreed.
a1burns said:
Friend of mines car was hit by a bus, all cosmetic damage but a Cat D write off, they said she can keep the car and gave her a cash payout too so no buying it back nonsense. Never heard of it before? Need to get some more details off her really!
Same thing, they give you a cash settlement minus the salvage value of the car.No point in them paying you then you paying them money for the car, it's just called "Buying back" or "retaining salvage"
You will find that unless the car is examined by the insurer themselves the repair wrote will be vastly inflated.
A few years back i bought a £4k car back for £600 and fixed it for £300.
Well known repairer was contracted to give a quote by the insurer and they vastly inflated the cost of everything.
A few years back i bought a £4k car back for £600 and fixed it for £300.
Well known repairer was contracted to give a quote by the insurer and they vastly inflated the cost of everything.
blightymam said:
the damage was two large scrapes down the passenger side, one ending in a punctured hole. We simply cannot afford to buy another car with what the insurance company will offer because the car isn't worth much.
If the car isn't worth much then it won't cost much to replace?Insurance write off value is to put you in the position you were before. Ie you had an asset, a car, which you could sell for a given value. It's that value they give you. Ie the market price for that car sold privately. Hence the payout won't let you get a newer or better model or from a dealer. But it will be enough to get an equivalent car privately.
@the op...
If it's deemed cat d or c and you're claiming off the inebriate's insurance, you have the right to retain ownership of the car and still receive payment equivalent of the car's value less it's salvage cost. This would be agreed in writing prior to the transaction taking place. You will loose nothing by asking the question.
It's different if you claim on your own insurance. Whereas a 3rd party insurer isn't entitled to take what isn't theirs, in paying out, your own insurer IS.
In my experience, their willingness to let you retain ownership is determined by the catagory and the insurer. But in most cases it think your own insurer will NOT let you keep the car particularly if it's cat C.
If it's a higher catagory write off than c there are legal obligations that need to be fulfilled that pretty much prevent you keeping the car, regardless of who pays out.
Your case is further complicated by who would actually pay out. I think drink driving nullifies your own insurance as the naughty driver, but this may relate to your own vehicle only rather than cars you hit. However, if they can refuse to pay out then you, as the victim, are stuck with the uninsured drivers fund. And I have no idea how they work.
I suspect the 3rd party rule kicks in - they can't take what's yours without your consent.
If it's deemed cat d or c and you're claiming off the inebriate's insurance, you have the right to retain ownership of the car and still receive payment equivalent of the car's value less it's salvage cost. This would be agreed in writing prior to the transaction taking place. You will loose nothing by asking the question.
It's different if you claim on your own insurance. Whereas a 3rd party insurer isn't entitled to take what isn't theirs, in paying out, your own insurer IS.
In my experience, their willingness to let you retain ownership is determined by the catagory and the insurer. But in most cases it think your own insurer will NOT let you keep the car particularly if it's cat C.
If it's a higher catagory write off than c there are legal obligations that need to be fulfilled that pretty much prevent you keeping the car, regardless of who pays out.
Your case is further complicated by who would actually pay out. I think drink driving nullifies your own insurance as the naughty driver, but this may relate to your own vehicle only rather than cars you hit. However, if they can refuse to pay out then you, as the victim, are stuck with the uninsured drivers fund. And I have no idea how they work.
I suspect the 3rd party rule kicks in - they can't take what's yours without your consent.
Edited by Zombie on Tuesday 3rd June 17:48
Edited by Zombie on Tuesday 3rd June 18:09
Toaster Pilot said:
Sorry - it said in my letter "it is not our policy to allow policyholders to purchase written off vehicles" or words to that effect so I assumed it was the same for everyone. Was maybe just because my car was Cat B.
Umm, yep, that'd make just a tad of a difference... The industry in general will refuse to allow CatB to be kept - and won't allow Joe Public to bid on CatB at salvage auctions, either. CatB effectively means "only to be broken for parts by official salvage dealers".
nsi said:
blightymam said:
the damage was two large scrapes down the passenger side, one ending in a punctured hole. We simply cannot afford to buy another car with what the insurance company will offer because the car isn't worth much.
If the car isn't worth much then it won't cost much to replace?Insurance write off value is to put you in the position you were before. Ie you had an asset, a car, which you could sell for a given value. It's that value they give you. Ie the market price for that car sold privately. Hence the payout won't let you get a newer or better model or from a dealer. But it will be enough to get an equivalent car privately.
Thankyou so very much for all the info - have learned a fair bit and will take your excellent advice and go sort things out. Appreciated big time! Great forum, thanks.
TooMany2cvs said:
Umm, yep, that'd make just a tad of a difference... The industry in general will refuse to allow CatB to be kept - and won't allow Joe Public to bid on CatB at salvage auctions, either. CatB effectively means "only to be broken for parts by official salvage dealers".
Aware of that, but it didn't say "your car is category B therefore" it said Can I buy the car back?
It is not our policy to allow this because the Government and the Association of British Insurers have issued guidelines to all insurance companies with specific instructions on what must be done with written off cars.
The car was still at a recovery yard, not Copart, and that was in a general "FAQ" section.
blightymam said:
Yes and no. Bought the car a few years ago, for not a small amount of money. Looked after the car well, fixed it when it's needed it, but due to age, mileage the value of the car is now of course a lot less than paid. Doesn't mean that can get a car that has been looked after well for the same amount of money of it's market value now. It's a trap a lot of folk fall in I think.
Thankyou so very much for all the info - have learned a fair bit and will take your excellent advice and go sort things out. Appreciated big time! Great forum, thanks.
Find similar cars for sale and use them to judge the value. Admiral were VERY fair on this for me and paid what a Kia main dealer were selling the same age and mileage car for without a fight. Thankyou so very much for all the info - have learned a fair bit and will take your excellent advice and go sort things out. Appreciated big time! Great forum, thanks.
I bought a car off a bloke, who had been involved in an accident, he claimed on his insurance, and the third party paid out for the value of the car, £700, and he was told he could keep it.
When I paid him £40 (2 years later) for the car with a massive dent in one door and a small dent in the rear valance, (and a head gasket which was starting to go), I checked with VOSA and it hadn't actually been recorded as a write off at all.
When I paid him £40 (2 years later) for the car with a massive dent in one door and a small dent in the rear valance, (and a head gasket which was starting to go), I checked with VOSA and it hadn't actually been recorded as a write off at all.
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