Insurance total loss
Author
Discussion

Dan Glebitts

Original Poster:

761 posts

270 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
All, if a listing on the bay says the following.....

"This vehicle has come direct to us from a major insurance company as an accident damaged insurance total loss, as such the vehicle may require a vic test carried out at a local vosa testing station ,this is a 20 min test to verify the vehicle identity against dvla records.

The vehicle has sustained very minor damage to the drivers side front corner. There is a dent in the tip of the drivers wing and on the corner of the bonnet.

We have a v5/2 log book, full book pack including service book, and 12 months mot. We can tax the vehicle at the buyers expense should it be required."

What in plain english does it mean? That it can never be driven again? Not insurable?

Not really up to speed with rules and regs in this department.

Cheers.


Turbo cab

1,601 posts

263 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
All it means is once repaired you need to take it to your local DVLA centre and have them inspect it.

Once done you can then insure and drive it as you please.

Its standard for some cars that are normally catorgorised as a "C" to make sure they haven't had there identitys changed.

mk2zetec

132 posts

210 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
surely total loss means can never return to the road again....

nsmith1180

3,941 posts

209 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
There are 4 catagories of "Total Loss" which can be put simply as:

CatD - Cant be bothered to fix - Insurance will payout write of value if, for example, the front wing is on back order. They can repair for much less than the value of the vehicle but the loan car is too expensive due to the wait involved. They will pay out.

CatC - Not really worth fixing - A close one, but its not financially viable to repair the car.

CatB - Wont be safe when fixed - Bit of a "Ronseal" one here.

CatA - "Thats was a car?????"

CatD and CatC are regularly repaired by new owners and run, but have a lower insurable value.

71notout

3,674 posts

268 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
Isn't Insurance Total Loss when the insurance have already paid out for some reason (usually car not recovered within set timescale?).

I thought this was classes as Category X and will not show on HPI in the future of the vehicle.

nsmith1180

3,941 posts

209 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
71notout said:
Isn't Insurance Total Loss when the insurance have already paid out for some reason (usually car not recovered within set timescale?).

I thought this was classes as Category X and will not show on HPI in the future of the vehicle.
Possably, I dont know about stolen vehicle write offs. Only crash damage as obviously, I need to know if the Part Ex is a Nail or not.

Dan Glebitts

Original Poster:

761 posts

270 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
Thanks for the swift replies chaps. The only damage noted is a bent leading edge on the bonnet and front wing. There doesn't seem to be enough of an impact to bend anything out of sight.

nsmith1180

3,941 posts

209 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
What is it???

Dan Glebitts

Original Poster:

761 posts

270 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
S reg v8 Discovery.

Turbo cab

1,601 posts

263 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
71notout said:
Isn't Insurance Total Loss when the insurance have already paid out for some reason (usually car not recovered within set timescale?).

I thought this was classes as Category X and will not show on HPI in the future of the vehicle.
Im sure someone will correct me if im wrong but;

Most policys - If you purchase a new car and have a bump and the damage is not enough to be a write off but is enough to be 40% (maybe %50) of the cars value they will pay you out the purchase price.

This is what I believe is classified as a category X.



nsmith1180

3,941 posts

209 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
Dan Glebitts said:
S reg v8 Discovery.
Should be fine then. That thing could hit a bloomin Challenger Tank and come of better than its victim!

frosted

3,549 posts

208 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
Think your getting confused with gap insurance

Dan Glebitts

Original Poster:

761 posts

270 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
So, I win, take it to the DVLA testing station, get it checked and drive off a happy bloke Yeah?

All sounds great in theory!

Cheers.

Agrilla

834 posts

214 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
The ABI website appears to be having technical probs at the moment, but this is the guidance that insurers use when dealing with total loss vehicles and sets out the categories and how each vehicle should be categorised:

ABI Code of Practice for the Disposal of Vehicle Salvage

Edit to add:

More info on VIC Testing

The only other thing to reitterate as someone else has said above, that in the event that it's involved in another accident and is deemed a total loss again, it is likely that a deduction from the settlement value may be made to allow for the fact that it is likely to be worth less having been a previous total loss.

Edited by Agrilla on Monday 29th March 23:45

frosted

3,549 posts

208 months

Monday 29th March 2010
quotequote all
Errr... Not quite like that . If the repair wasn't done to a satifactofy manner then you will fail the test and have to fix it before you are allowed on th road . Never had the test with cat car but in 2008 I had to road register a quad and the test and legislation o had to go thru was unbelivable . On the end I had to pay a garage to do it for me