Cat-D car sold by dealer

jakec589

Hello, my name is Jake and I am 21 from Kent in England. For years I saved up to buy myself a Mini Cooper, I finally had enough and I've stumbled across some information. I bought the car privately from an add I saw on auto trader, I found out today that this car is a Cat-D and I was never told. However the guy I bought it from bought it from a dealer, he has all the paper work that the dealer gave him (including receipts) to prove there was no information on this car being a cat-d and as I have read up, dealers have to declare a car that has been written off to the new owner, me and the previous owner have contacted the dealer and he has said he is going to check his record for 2013 which is understandable, what I need to know is, if he doesn't play ball or agree he has done wrong, do I have a case? All I want back is what I paid for it.. I cant afford to lose so much money..


(I know I should of checked the car out more but that is a lesson learnt, so please dont just say "should of checked" I know that now.. T-T )

Hintza

How do you know the dealer knew?

Anyway it is irrelevant as you contract is with the guy you bought it from and he didn't know. So it now comes back to Caveat Emptor.

jakec589

How would a dealer not know? surely being professionals they would of performed a check on it when they bought it themselves?

mjm3346

Looks like you have no comeback the seller.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/consumer_e/consumer_cars_and_other_vehicles_e/consumer_problems_with_the_car_you_bought_e/consumer_the_vehicle_you_bought_doesnt_match_its_description_e/the_car_you_bought_is_a_write_off.htm

Alias_Omega

The only problem with a Cat D is the price. If you had paid full value for a car, then there is an issue.

Pay the Cat D price, and let the previous owner worry about the difference.

I would buy a Cat D car, but not at full face value of a normal car...unless it was a Mini Cooper Diesel Convertible in Hot Orange...

jakec589

I paid full value for the car. Do I have a legitimate reason to believe the dealer who sold it without telling the new owner it was a cat D is at fault as there is laws against that?

Stnaptol

Did you ask if it had been an insurance write off?

Unless you ask, they don't have to declare.

As other's have said the issue would be the price, I had a Cat D car I paid £2,700 for a car that should have been worth about £4.5k, I sold it a year later for £2,500.

I bought it as I needed a cheap car, it served its purpose. I knew it was a Cat D and had seen pictures of the damage and it was repaired by a professional.

OlliesDad

jakec589 wrote: »

I paid full value for the car. Do I have a legitimate reason to believe the dealer who sold it without telling the new owner it was a cat D is at fault as there is laws against that?

Maybe so, however that has no bearing on your purchase. Unfortunately you have very little rights if the seller genuinely did not know about the cat d.

vaio

Stnaptol wrote: »

Did you ask if it had been an insurance write off?

Unless you ask, they don't have to declare........

Dealers have to declare even if not asked and are still responsible even if they didn't know

Private sellers have to declare only if asked and they know.

Bantex_2

Doesn't it say on the log book?

vaio

Cat C does, cat D doesn't