Ebay Car-Cat C not listed-What would you do?

savagevixen

Hi
I have been looked for a cheap and cheerful minibus off ebay for several weeks. We have a large family, and wanted something we could all fit in, but money is tight. I have been watching loads of buses and this evening as 1 was ending I bid and won. The vehicle had a very limited description and 4 pictures, and a phone number and after I had bid, I realised that I had actually bid on a different one than I intended! I am a good ebayer, and as it was cheap, I panicked not. I realised the description had no mileage (seriously, I have looked at so many I have gone mad) but as this was clearly my fault.
I then paid £9 for a vehicle check and discovered that the vehicle was a Cat C write off, due to accident damage in July 2009. Also listed as not having a VIC.
I understand that under ebay rules, as a commercial vehicle seller, the seller is obliged by law to make the buyer aware of the Cat C, and therefore I could back out of the transaction as the item is not as described. Also he said the vehicle was registered in 2000 and the check says May 99.
My question to anyone that knows, is should I consider this vehicle, or run a mile. The pics look pretty good, tiny bit of rust n the rear, but otherwise tidy and the inside looks tidy. Until tonight I had never heard of Cat a/b/c/d and had no idea about anything, so considering I have 6 children and the vehicle is an hour away, what is your gut feeling?
I know I wouldn't have bid what I did if I had known.
Many Thanks


Just to add, as soon as I had done the check, I emailed the seller and asked if he knew what the damage was and that I was concerned, but as yet no reply.

forgotmyname

Pay for a vehicle inspection and find out if it was repaired properly.

If it was fairly new it would have been badly damaged, But if it was 5 years old+ a few scratches and a small dent could have been more than it was worth to fix.

If he is a dealer i would be haggling the price down or maybe a call to trading standards
If you dont know what your looking at and dont want to pay £100+ for an inspection just walk away.

Leave a negative, Dealer failed to declare category C writeoff or something along those lines to warn the next buyer.

Maybe he was hoping an older vehicle and people wont HPI it.

paddedjohn

If the vehicle was written off in 2009 then how have the owners got an mot/tax on it since then without the vic? You say the seller was a commercial vehicle seller, do you mean they were a trader or are they privately selling a commercial vehicle?
If the repairs are done to a good standard then the vehicle could still be worth buying but at about 2/3rds of the price due to the cat c

atrixblue.-MFR-.

crossed my mind how they taxed the bus for 3 years with a vic marker on it, i take it the check simply doesnt say having being vic tested and you assumed there havent been a vic test?

only way to find out, is run a full HPI report at £20-30.

personally i'd run a mile from it telling seller that you have done relevant checks on the vehicle on its come back with discrepancies to your description i.e CAT C listed, and registration date is may 99 not 2000.

TrickyWicky

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

crossed my mind how they taxed the bus for 3 years with a vic marker on it

Post Office.

mikey72

When you send away the v5, (for the change of ownership) theat's when you'll need a vic check, as they won't action it without one.
I'd walk away.

colino

OP if I was you I'd walk from this deal and tell the vendor it is not as described (and hope your non-HPI check stands up to scrutiny).
Also, don't buy anything like this unseen on ebay, its fine for the trade, but a PSV? You must be joking. Every bit of useful life has already been wrung out of it if it has come up cheap on ebay.
Have you got an insurance quote for this type of vehicle, it might surprise you how, unlike an MPV, an old minibus will be through the roof to insure.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Post Office.

if the vehicle was bought salvage then repaired and not had a VIC done there will be no VIC test+NO V5C =no tax can be issued.

even if the owner bought the salvage back the insurers nor DVLA will issue a V5C or return it (if insurers have it) again = no tax because a VIC will have to be completed.

s_b

commercial vehicles dont go for a vehicle identity check its just logged on the hpi register
our local church had its minibus windows put through and the very reverend bought back the chariot and with the good hand of the congregation they made the windows better themselves (leaded:D)

atrixblue.-MFR-.

s_b wrote: »

commercial vehicles dont go for a vehicle identity check its just logged on the hpi register
our local church had its minibus windows put through and the very reverend bought back the chariot and with the good hand of the congregation they made the windows better themselves (leaded:D)

quite right, me brain in shut down. .

either case wouldnt be happy running around in a cat c minibus.

savagevixen

Thanks so much for all your help and advice. It's 2 o clock and I have still not heard a word from the seller. He only has a feedback of 6, and 1 is a negative that says he is unreliable.
I am annoyed he didn't list it as Cat C and describe the damage as I would not have gone over £1000, or would definately have gone to see it before bidding. It is so tricky on ebay as when your needs are quite specific (ie large cheap vehicle!) there are not always many close by.
My current car had significant damage and would've been a write off if the insurance had realised the extent of the damage when the repair was started! But that was me in a car park, at about 2 mph driving the side of car into a new post that had been put up! It was a door mainly and electrics, but I knew what had happened and there was no great force etc, and the car has been fantastic. So I am not necessarily against Cat c if you know the history, but I don't like nasty surprises!
If I don't hear from him by this evening, I am going to email and say I will not be going ahead with the purchase.
On an ebay forum it does state that commercial sellers have to list if it's Cat c, and as his name is *******comercials, and he sells vans and parts from a yard full of vehicles, then I guess he qualifies!
Is an HPI check, 1 that checks the hire purchase status? I would've done that if the car was of any real value and we intended to sell it on at some point, but it's nearly 13 years old (although it stated 12) and I couldn't imagine it had any finance outstanding!
Thanks again, I appreciate all your time.