Buying A Cat D

[cologne2792]

Is there any legal requirement for the seller to declare that the vehicle was written off due to a category D incident or is it simply a case of the buyer doing his homework ?

[scorcher]

cologne2792 said:

Is there any legal requirement for the seller to declare that the vehicle was written off due to a category D incident or is it simply a case of the buyer doing his homework ?

The buyer must ask the question and the seller must answer truthfully is the only requirement I think. Better off doing your own checks as always before parting with any cash.

[sim72]

cologne2792 said:

Is there any legal requirement for the seller to declare that the vehicle was written off due to a category D incident or is it simply a case of the buyer doing his homework ?

Traders have to tell you. Private sellers don't.

[cologne2792]

scorcher said:

The buyer must ask the question and the seller must answer truthfully is the only requirement I think. Better off doing your own checks as always before parting with any cash.

Thank you. I only ask as I looked at a car that was advertised on three websites and yet only on the Auto Trader was it identified as Cat D.
I've seen this often on Auto Trader so do we assume that the AT Ad requires you to enter the registration number and it automatically checks it or do they simply ask you for a declaration ?

[scorcher]

Think AT do their own checks now and its CAT listed whether the seller likes it or not.

[cologne2792]

Thank you both.

[xjay1337]

sim72 said:

Traders have to tell you. Private sellers don't.

If they are aware?

Didn't realise that traders had to. I would always advise buyer beware. I don't think they need to "tell you" but if you ask they can't lie about it?

[sim72]

xjay1337 said:

If they are aware?

Didn't realise that traders had to. I would always advise buyer beware. I don't think they need to "tell you" but if you ask they can't lie about it?

No, traders must legally tell you. If they don't they are in breach of one of the Consumer Acts (2006? SOGA? I forget which). Ignorance isn't a defence for a trader, though I believe there have been some issues where there have been delays in adding the category flag (so wouldn't show up when the trader HPI'd it) which is more tricky.

[walm]

scorcher said:

Think AT do their own checks now and its CAT listed whether the seller likes it or not.

Not 100% sure that's true.
AT have a report function with a Cat C/D option.
I have used that a number of times, when the "V car" is mentioned in the inevitable wall of text hoping you don't notice.
So if AT check it isn't 100%.

[TheEnd]

"When a seller advertises a vehicle on our website, we use the details sourced from Motor Insurance Anti Fraud and Theft Register (MIAFTR), operated by Insurance Database Services Ltd, to check whether the vehicle is recorded as having been written off."

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/safety_and_security_ce...

[t400ble]

walm said:

Not 100% sure that's true.
AT have a report function with a Cat C/D option.
I have used that a number of times, when the "V car" is mentioned in the inevitable wall of text hoping you don't notice.
So if AT check it isn't 100%.

They now automatically check.

[solo2]

Do check though that the car you are interested in is the actual car that suffered a Cat D.

A car may have a marker on HPi/Eperian if it once shared a number plate with a car that was involved in an accident that incurred a category of write-off.

Check dates that number plates were applied and date of accident to identify if it is the car you are looking at or another car that previously had that number plate to be sure

[S11Steve]

I've looked at a few Cat D in the past, but never actualy bought one, but does it affect the insurance if it is a previous write off? And what if the buyer wasn't aware of the past history, again would that have insurance implications?

[dingg]

S11Steve said:

I've looked at a few Cat D in the past, but never actualy bought one, but does it affect the insurance if it is a previous write off? And what if the buyer wasn't aware of the past history, again would that have insurance implications?

no implications with getting insurance , other than they will mention when they come to pay up 'did you know it was a write off'? and will pay out on basic trade in value should it be written off again.

happened to a car I owned , bought as cat c repaired and subsequently involved in non fault accident.

[BertBert]

dingg said:

no implications with getting insurance , other than they will mention when they come to pay up 'did you know it was a write off'? and will pay out on basic trade in value should it be written off again.

happened to a car I owned , bought as cat c repaired and subsequently involved in non fault accident.

Just out of interest, what is a "basic trade in value"? My insurance says they will pay out market value. So with a Cat C/D the market value will be lower than for an equivalent non Cat C/D car.
Bert

[LoonR1]

dingg said:

no implications with getting insurance

Wrong

dingg said:

Other than they will mention when they come to pay up 'did you know it was a write off'?

Wronger

dingg said:

and will pay out on basic trade in value should it be written off again.

Wrongest

dingg said:

happened to a car I owned , bought as cat c repaired and subsequently involved in non fault accident.

Cool story and other PH cliches.

No more to say, other than "oh dear, is this the best PH can come up with now"?

[dingg]

loon

fk right off

this is exactly what happened in my case

you may think you have all the answers in insurance but the fact remains you DO NOT

ETA to bertbert , the insurer paid out from whatcar trade in value believe it or not it IS THE TRUTH

Edited by dingg on Tuesday 27th October 21:02

[LoonR1]

dingg said:

loon

fk right off

this is exactly what happened in my case

you may think you have all the answers in insurance but the fact remains you DO NOT

ETA to bertbert , the insurer paid out from whatcar trade in value believe it or not it IS THE TRUTH

Edited by dingg on Tuesday 27th October 21:02

What a pleasant chap you are. Your incorrect information on one claim that you may have had far outstrips all my knowledge. Well done

And yet, all that people remember is that I'm rude, because I'm blunt.

[surveyor]

LoonR1 said:

dingg said:

loon

fk right off

this is exactly what happened in my case

you may think you have all the answers in insurance but the fact remains you DO NOT

ETA to bertbert , the insurer paid out from whatcar trade in value believe it or not it IS THE TRUTH

Edited by dingg on Tuesday 27th October 21:02

What a pleasant chap you are. Your incorrect information on one claim that you may have had far outstrips all my knowledge. Well done

And yet, all that people remember is that I'm rude, because I'm blunt.

Loon - You've been harshly treated by an idiot here, but could you let us know what the right answer is? Please

[BertBert]

But what's worse as that I seem to be in the same boat as Loon. Never thought I'd see that.

BTW OP, what is a basic trade in value? Is it different from any other trade in value? Were you happy with the value you got?

Bert