Advice on Cat D car

altin_2

Hi all.

Will appreciate any advice on this issue I have: (edited for clarifications)

Will try to make it short...about 3 weeks ago bought a 2012 Corsa at a car dealers place.
Yes, the dealer told me the car had have a couple of "cosmetic" Cat D dents which are repaired now. So I took the car for a drive...seems ok and bought it.
Now I took it to the main dealer to check for a few little issues (it's on manufacturers warranty), but the mechanics where really surprised to see the ISSUES....parts missing (under the bonnet..I think is called engine trim), battery loose...engine cooler loose, headlamps not fix properly...so with one word the car had a massive accident, and insurance have declined repairing (HPI check).

I took it to the dealer who refuse to give money back saying I know about issues...all I know was a cosmetic issue...not a massive accident and insurance declined repairing.

Anyone can advice what to do please...

Thanks in advance.

I edited this on the end as a lesson I learned : anyone new to Cat D or C or whatever....if you are average Joe to cars (like myself) and looking to buy these type of cars, please move away...there are a lot better cars out there.
Or...as there are some "bargains", please do your homework and know what you are up to.
--- GOOD LUCK ---

colino

Is it Cat D or are you guessing? If it is, it is illegal for a trader to sell you a retail car without specifically telling you something so important that would have affected your buying decision. Get it back and get all your money back.

altin_2

Thanks for your response colino.

Get it back and get all your money back

and if he refuses (actually he is...)?
I bet I have to go to court...

fivetide

Get on to trading standards first. Sometimes that can help motivate.

Courts (if it gets there) like to see you've tried other options first as it shows the other party is not being reasonable. Plus is TS support you that will add weight to your argument.

Aretnap

altin wrote: »

and if he refuses (actually he is...)?
I bet I have to go to court...

If he refuses then ultimately yes, the only way to force him to give you your money back is to go to court. Of course you can try gentle persuasion first - a phone call to Trading Standards (or the threat of it) may encourage him to see things more reasonably.

Netwizard

altin wrote: »

Hi all.

Will appreciate any advice on this issue I have:

Will try to make it short...about 3 weeks ago bought a "new 2012" car at a car dealers place.
Yes, the dealer told me the car had have a couple of "cosmetic" dents which are repaired now. So I took the car for a drive...seems ok and bought it.
Now I took it to the main dealer to check for a few little issues (it's on manufacturers warranty), but the mechanics where really surprised to see the ISSUES....parts missing (under the bonnet..I think is called engine trim), battery loose...engine cooler loose, headlamps not fix properly...so with one word the car had a massive accident, and insurance have declined repairing (HPI check).

I took it to the dealer who refuse to give money back saying I know about issues...all I know was a cosmetic issue...not a massive accident and insurance declined to repair.

Anyone can advice what to do please...

Thanks in advance.

P.S. Any way I can "rate" this dealer somewhere at all?

Did you not notice any of these issues while inspecting the car before you bought it? Surely they would have been apparent on the test drive?

Did you not HPI the car before you bought it? Surely that would have highlighted whether it was CAT D?

altin_2

Thanks for your comments.

Did you not notice any of these issues while inspecting the car before you bought it?

Well, where to start?....I inspected the car....but obviously didn't shake parts to see if they are loose...how is average Joe supposed to know if a part is missing?
This is why you buy at a dealer to have more "protection".

Lessons...to be learn.

forgotmyname

CAT D on a 2012 car would have been a fair bit of damage. Possibly lots of panels with faily minor damage. Or a fairly major accident but not serious enough to say the vehicle is unsafe.

The underbonnet trim is cosmetic. The car didnt have them when you viewed it.
Sometimes manufacturers delete underbonnet panels to save weight and/or money.
I know my car has a few bits missing compared to my older one. And newer ones had even fewer panels. Undertray got removed etc.

Did he tell you it was a CAT D though? Or just accident repaired? Got a link to the advert?

colino

Sorry for topic drift OP, but on these pages there is a whole lot of ill informed guff, especially about write-offs. A 2012 write-off could have been due to a great insurer who provides a new car on a nearly new one when it sustains substantial damage, or a part is so obscure on a newish car, they cannot rebuild in a reasonable time.
Your case, where there was not only body damage (cosmetic, my eye) but a degree of dismantling work had been done under the bonnet doesn't sound like a Tesco tickle to me.
Do your own HPi, if it is recorded, get it back and tell the trader you want all of your money back or the local authority Trading Standards will help you sue under the Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

altin_2

Thanks a lot for your input and comments.

To clarify: I was told the vehicle had Cat D (twice) "cosmetic" issues (bump and scratches)....but NOTHING about accident or insurance write-offs.
I know about write-offs when HPI was done (twice insurance write-offs)...I know my fault... should have done that first..
Colino: Unfair Trading Regulations 2008...seems like I need it (reading regulations now). Thanks.

Netwizard

altin wrote: »

Thanks a lot for your input and comments.

To clarify: I was told the vehicle had Cat D (twice) "cosmetic" issues (bump and scratches)....but NOTHING about accident or insurance write-offs.
.

Oh dear. Sounds like you should have had a google about what a CAT D is before you bought it. I guess they didn't specifically mention insurance write off, because they had already said "CAT D" which is another way of saying "insurance write off" Probably assumed you knew what CAT D meant.

/edit - second result on google: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/486818