buy cat D car?

blue-kat

I've made an offer for car on ebay, it's the exact make and model, and spec, minute mileage etc (automatic, space for family of 5 and wheelchair/scooter, yet compact), there's not many about, a few at car supermarkets for £ 1500 + more.

it's 15 months old, so presumably still under manufacturer's warrantee, unless it's unvalidated as ....
the HPI check says:
" VRM and VIN recorded as 'total loss' by insurers.
VRN and VIN not recorded as a reparied insruance 'total loss'.
Category D - vehicle damaged but repairable - the insurer decided not to repair. "

the seller seems really genuine, totally shocked, he's the 2nd owner, 1st owner was on motobility finance.

should I walk away ?
I have no mechanical knowledge, and am finding it really fraught searching for new car:eek:. Thought I'd found the one, and was getting the cash together, just shows you get what you pay for

thanks for any advice or tips.

kitchpoo

All manufacturer warrenties will be invalidated. if you want to buy a Cat D car it can be a good investment, but I would only go to someone who is up front about the fact, although the seller appears genuinely shocked - can you be sure? And if there is an element of doubt what else are they hiding. It is also an offence to sell a Cat d (or other categorised ) car without disclosing the fact.

If you REALLY REALLY want this car, i would invest in an independant car inspection, maybe with the RAC or AA, which will give you some peace of mind. If the car was repaired after (was it April last year IIRC), the car will also need a VIC - Vehicle Inspection Certificate, but that may not apply to Cat D, but to Cat C (my memory gets hazy on that!).

knnicho

Hi. A cat D car isnt as bad as it sounds. Its when an insurance company decide it will cost more to repair than the cars worth so they write it off. They then sell them through salvage auctions to get some of their money back. You can save a lot of money buying a cat d car but it is worth just getting someone who knows about cars to have a look over it to make sure it has been repaired properly. It does sound abit strange that the seller didnt know it had been damaged but it could be genuine I guess.

speedyjoe

This is a very simple one - walk away. You have no idea to what standard the repairs have been done to. Somebody at some point has been deceived about the history of the car, it might be you or it might be the previous owner, who knows and who cares? Don't be the sucker who ends up holding the potential lemon. £1500 extra for a car which doesn't have a bad history seems worth paying to me.

knnicho

oh by the way the vic check is a vehicle identity check where basically the check the vin numbers etc to make sure the car is what it should be and not a ringer or such like and i think this only applies to cat c cars as cat d's dont need it

balsingh

These days, cars get written off for minor things and can be repaired to a very high standard so provided the price is right, I wouldnt say no, especially if you plan to keep the car for several years.

Ideally, find out why the car was written off and look for obvious signs of poor repairs (bad paintwork, mis-aligned panels/gaps etc)

pianeet

kitchpoo wrote: »

All manufacturer warrenties will be invalidated. if you want to buy a Cat D car it can be a good investment, but I would only go to someone who is up front about the fact, although the seller appears genuinely shocked - can you be sure? And if there is an element of doubt what else are they hiding. It is also an offence to sell a Cat d (or other categorised ) car without disclosing the fact.

If you REALLY REALLY want this car, i would invest in an independant car inspection, maybe with the RAC or AA, which will give you some peace of mind. If the car was repaired after (was it April last year IIRC), the car will also need a VIC - Vehicle Inspection Certificate, but that may not apply to Cat D, but to Cat C (my memory gets hazy on that!).

it is not an offence not to dislose that a car has been a write off but it is if they ask you if it has ,and you knowingly deceive them,,
i have owned two cat d cars toyota yaris,which the lady i bouight it off burst into tears when i told her it had previously been written off and did not believe me,until i showed her the hpi check,but ended up buying it off her 2 years ago for £1600 with full service histrory and only 26,000 miles on the clock and my sister is still driving it round every day with no problems what so ever,
as long as they have been properly repaired and you declare it when you sell it on they make excellent buys

anewman

pianeet wrote: »

it is not an offence not to dislose that a car has been a write off but it is if they ask you if it has ,and you knowingly deceive them,

I would argue it is knowingly deceiving if this Ebay seller does not point out the fact in the Ebay listing. You assume a car is roadworthy and in good working order, unless told otherwise, and would therefore bid accordingly.

mrbadexample

How about you ask the seller if he's prepared to pay for an independent inspection, and that if it comes back clear you'll give him the asking price?