URGENT help needed! second hand car rip off

emmamc252

my dad has been looking for a used car for my mum for a while. we saw one in the paper this morning, a renault clio that was quite cheap. we phoned up and was still available so,as my dad is blind and i have no clue what i am looking at we asked my uncle to go and check it out. when he got there he found out the people who were selling it where people that he knew. he gave it a once over and told my dad that it was in mint condition and he knew the girl whose car it was and said she had looked after it really well etc and knew she just needed to get rid as she had bought a 5 door car as she was expecting a baby and would need the 5 door version. he said that the people were good people etc.

we then went and bought the car for £2500 today. mum came home and was made up and called my sister to tell her the good news. my sisters partner's mum manages a mercedes dealership so she said she would run it through their system just to check it over, and when she did it came back as a category D write off!

my sister phoned my mum back and told her the bad news, they have all gone to the garage to get the full details and the print out, but we are unsure of where we stand? we have paid in full and have signed to say that we test drove it and that it worked etc, because it did, we did ask if it had had any bumps or anything and the girl said no but obviously this was only verbally and we have nothing in writing. normally we would have been more warey but with my uncle knowing them and vouching for them I guess we let our guard down.

what can we do now???

missile

On a private sale, I don't think you can do anything. Unless you asked and were told it was not a category D write-off?

mcjordi

tbh cat d isnt that bad.. but it will affect future resale values
it isnt marked on the logbook unlike cat c is

private - nothing can be done
trader/dealer - have to tell you iirc

emmamc252

we asked if it had had any bumps or been in any accidents and the girl said it hadnt but as i said thats just verbal i guess. is there any way you could take them to like small claims court or whatever?

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Cat D is nothing. It could have been a damaged interior, water damage, anything. Even if the seller said that it wasn't ever a write-off, you'd have a cat in hell's chance of proving it.

What matters now is the condition.

jonathon

it is possible the girl didnt know it was a cat d and answered truthfully

goldspanners

maybe the previous owner is unaware of its history? as has been said cat d could mean very little has happened to the car. it could have been something other than being involved in an accident. you might need to tell your insurance company though.

CHR15

I sold a Cat D car some years ago.

I had owned the car for 5 yrs and had no idea at all. Nothing ever came up on servicing or MOT's.

I did HPI it when I bought it but the repairs had been done only a couple of months before I bought it so it hadn't had time to reflect on the HPI Check.

I ended up throwing in the good stereo I had used in it (but removed it prior to the sale) as a goodwill gesture.

deano19690

I`d sue your uncle...lol

cyclonebri1

You need to ask yourself the following, "what is wrong with the car?"

By your initial post you said it was quite cheap? ,no such thing as a free lunch. etc, but you have saved a bob or 2?

You also test drove it and found no problems?

The issue is a paper one, the car has been damaged and repaired through the insurers, that's why it's on record, That should ensure a good quality repair.


When the car is sold on again, say in 2 or even 3 years time, the 2 1/2grand car will achieve maybe a grand, probably less. No one bothers with insurance issues with cars of that age/price. Get over it, do better next time, and remamber you can chose your friends, but not your family?:rolleyes:;)

hartcjhart

is the car ok? if so what is the problem