Category D Car Misold

Hayles2127

Please could anyone advise if it possible to remove a cat d from a car that has actually been involved in an accident, but repaired at a later date?

I have been advised by a certain large insurance company that all traces of the incident have been removed from the miaftr database? The reason for them doing so is they did not update it correctly, and therefore I have a cat d car that I paid full price for and showed as having no adverse data when I paid for a hpi check.

Instead of compensating me correctly they have advised they will clear the category. Is this a legal practice? I feel this is fraudulent?

Please could anyone advise? Who should I contact to further this?

Thank You.

AdrianC

Hayles2127 wrote: »

Please could anyone advise if it possible to remove a cat d from a car that has actually been involved in an accident, but repaired at a later date?

Not normally. The car was subject of a total-loss payout by an insurer, and the categorisation reflects that. The fact that it is now undamaged shows that it's been repaired.

If the car wasn't the subject of a total-loss payout, then the categorisation was in error.

If the car was the subject of a total-loss payout, then the categorisation was correct - whether it's later been repaired or not. Any initial error in the flagging, and subsequent HPI clearance, is between the insurer and HPI, and you need to read the Ts & Cs of the HPI service you paid to see how that would be handled as far as you're concerned.

...therefore I have a cat d car that I paid full price for and showed as having no adverse data when I paid for a hpi check.

Instead of compensating me correctly they have advised they will clear the category.

What compensation do you feel you are due, apart from having the category removed and whatever your HPI Ts & Cs say?

Hayles2127

Hello, thank you for your response. As the insurance company did not update the miaftr database correctly, I bought a car that I would definitely not have purchased knowing its history.

When I tried to trade my car in, I was then advised of the category against it. This was the first I knew of it.

I am trying to claim for the difference in my car value. Had it not been a cat d it would be approximately £5500-£6000. Instead I've had a valuation of £1500. I am trying to reclaim my loss.

I have sought legal advice and they too agreed it was the insurer at fault. Even the insurer agreed they had made an error.

Surely it is not rectified by just wiping its history, so the car is worth its value of £5500-£6000 again. I certainly would not be happy to sell this car on knowing it has had an accident and its category removed.

Thank You.

londonTiger

so the insurance company is happy to bend the rules so as to avoid paying out for losses.

bigjl

londonTiger wrote: »

so the insurance company is happy to bend the rules so as to avoid paying out for losses.

Rules?

What rules?

The only way this could come about is of the car was written off but sold and repaired before the Cat D marker showed up.

The person the OP should be speaking to is the person that sold them the car.

Then look through the paperwork given to them by HPi.

Though as the OP did a HPi check I suspect it could have been a private sale, it is not unusual for people to buy their car back from the Insurance and fix it, the less than honest might then sell it before the Cat D marker is applied.

Traders also buy cars and repair them, the unscrupulous would also have no problem not declaring a Cat D if it wasn't showing up on a HPi.

And there is no way a properly repaired Cat D is worth that much less than a car without a Cat D marker.

It might be worth 20% less at most, though there are many variables to consider, age , mileage and type of car. Some drivers look for CatD cars because it means they can get a slightly newer car for less.

Also not sure how this could be fraudulent. Insurance companies are the ones the write cars off not the Police.

bigjl

Hayles2127 wrote: »

Hello, thank you for your response. As the insurance company did not update the miaftr database correctly, I bought a car that I would definitely not have purchased knowing its history.

When I tried to trade my car in, I was then advised of the category against it. This was the first I knew of it.

I am trying to claim for the difference in my car value. Had it not been a cat d it would be approximately £5500-£6000. Instead I've had a valuation of £1500. I am trying to reclaim my loss.

I have sought legal advice and they too agreed it was the insurer at fault. Even the insurer agreed they had made an error.

Surely it is not rectified by just wiping its history, so the car is worth its value of £5500-£6000 again. I certainly would not be happy to sell this car on knowing it has had an accident and its category removed.

Thank You.

Loads of cars on the road have had accidents.

It has clearly been repaired well otherwise you would have seen the repair.

A CatD on a car of that value was likely a damaged bumper cover, plastic grill and two headlights.

I have seen cars made a Cat D because somebody keyed one side. Due to the paint job it had a full respray would have been needed to ensure a proper colour match, it was one of those fancy paint jobs that changed colour as you walked round it.

The car was clearly repairable but due to the cost and time involved they deemed it cheaper to write it off. The owner got it back as part of the payout and had it repainted. Does that make the car unsafe?

bigjl

AdrianC wrote: »

Not normally. The car was subject of a total-loss payout by an insurer, and the categorisation reflects that. The fact that it is now undamaged shows that it's been repaired.

If the car wasn't the subject of a total-loss payout, then the categorisation was in error.

If the car was the subject of a total-loss payout, then the categorisation was correct - whether it's later been repaired or not. Any initial error in the flagging, and subsequent HPI clearance, is between the insurer and HPI, and you need to read the Ts & Cs of the HPI service you paid to see how that would be handled as far as you're concerned.



What compensation do you feel you are due, apart from having the category removed and whatever your HPI Ts & Cs say?

After reading the posts a couple of times I think the OP bought a car that was HPi clear as the Database was not updated quickly enough, after purchase the Database was updated so at sale time he now has a CatD car.

Though as he was happy to sell it prior to this issue I am unsure what has changed.

Everyone wants compensation these days.

As I posted above it isn't a rare occurance, though it is often people find themselves in this position due to a dishonest seller taking advantage of the delay between a car being assessed as a write off and the database being updated.

I would be checking the HPi paperwork, perhaps there is some form of indemnity.

Nodding_Donkey

If the car was HPI checked and that sowed clear when it wasn't you must have a claim with HPI. That's what their guarantee is for.

[Deleted User]

AdrianC wrote: »

What compensation do you feel you are due, apart from having the category removed and whatever your HPI Ts & Cs say?

Presumably the difference between the value of a CAT D and a Non-CAT D. I agree if the CAT D marker is removed, the trade in value shouldn't be affected and the OP has presumably been driving around quite happily in the vehicle up to now. If he had discovered this immediately after purchase, I would have suggested that he return to the seller as he may not have bought it as an insurance Total Loss.

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

If the car was HPI checked and that sowed clear when it wasn't you must have a claim with HPI. That's what their guarantee is for.

I agree - you may have a claim against HPI to get your fee refunded, but that's about it

Hayles2127 wrote: »

Surely it is not rectified by just wiping its history, so the car is worth its value of £5500-£6000 again. I certainly would not be happy to sell this car on knowing it has had an accident and its category removed.

I believe the situation is rectified - I can't comment on your willingness or otherwise to sell the car on - this is up to you, but the vehicle is no longer a CAT D. You weren't responsible for adding it to the database as a CAT D (for whatever reason, but I guess that cosmetically it may have been 'beyond economic repair') and you're not responsible for removing it as such therefrom

I don't think there was any 'dodgy activity' in the vehicles previous history - certainly not from either the insurers or HPI. And if an individual decided that for them it was financially viable to repair the vehicle ... you seem to have been happy with it until now when you've come to sell!

With no loss suffered, in your situation, I would feel overall relief at how the situation has panned out eventually.

arcon5

Yay no longer a cat D. Car is safe again.


Not sure why people are so bothered tbh

AdrianC

Hayles2127 wrote: »

Hello, thank you for your response. As the insurance company did not update the miaftr database correctly, I bought a car that I would definitely not have purchased knowing its history.

On another day, with an insurance loss assessor in a different mood, that very same car with that very same damage may well not have been written-off and been given the Cat D flag. They would have repaired it, and there would have been no trail of that claim available to you.

All Cat D means is that the insurance decided not to repair, even though the damage was below the value of the car. Perhaps the insured needed a hire car and there was going to be a delay in parts supply.

The ONLY difference between a Cat D car and a non-Cat D car is a note in the history.