Private car purchase-unknown s cat and insafe

KateCoulson

Mercdriver said:

452 said:

fred246 said:

The car was described as in perfect condition. The seller obviously knew it wasn't. I have a barrister who lives near me. He is very entertaining to talk to. Lawyers can tell very quickly who is telling the truth. If you got the buyer and seller in a court you would know exactly that the seller knew that this was a dodgy car.

But could you prove it?

You won't find Fred (either of them) being prepared to put his money where his mouth is.

I've already lost 3300, so another 500 to get the car checked and go to small claims would be worth it. Even if I don't  win, but it gives her a few sleepless night like the many I've had. I've not drove the car since, and have purchased another one so it doesnt matter how long this takes, I just want some kind of moral justice. To do this to someone is so wrong.  

LiGhTfasT

I've heard many older cars getting cat s for minor scrapes/scratches. At the price you paid its probably getting on for 10 years old and a bit of filler on the sill could be from years ago mounting a kerb. The rest may be wear and tear, what car is it? year, model, etc?

452

Scrapit said:

452 said:

fred246 said:

The car was described as in perfect condition. The seller obviously knew it wasn't. I have a barrister who lives near me. He is very entertaining to talk to. Lawyers can tell very quickly who is telling the truth. If you got the buyer and seller in a court you would know exactly that the seller knew that this was a dodgy car.

But could you prove it?

Car ad and a report saying it's cat s would sort that quite quickly. 

Unless the seller was a trader then how?

AdrianC

LiGhTfasT said:

I've heard many older cars getting cat s for minor scrapes/scratches.

No, you haven't.

Cat C/D/N, perhaps. C was "damage above the value". D was "damage below the value, but insurer wrote off anyway". N is "Non-structural".

But Cat S requires STRUCTURAL damage. That's what the S stands for.

Scrapit

452 said:

Scrapit said:

452 said:

fred246 said:

The car was described as in perfect condition. The seller obviously knew it wasn't. I have a barrister who lives near me. He is very entertaining to talk to. Lawyers can tell very quickly who is telling the truth. If you got the buyer and seller in a court you would know exactly that the seller knew that this was a dodgy car.

But could you prove it?

Car ad and a report saying it's cat s would sort that quite quickly. 

Unless the seller was a trader then how?

How what?

facade

AdrianC said:

LiGhTfasT said:

I've heard many older cars getting cat s for minor scrapes/scratches.

No, you haven't.

Cat C/D/N, perhaps. C was "damage above the value". D was "damage below the value, but insurer wrote off anyway". N is "Non-structural".

But Cat S requires STRUCTURAL damage. That's what the S stands for.

That is what I thought too. But watching youtube videos it appears that a lot of lower value cars are written off as S by photos on a mobile 'phone, no physical inspection at all, and often there is no sign of any structural damage.

AdrianC

facade said:
...But watching youtube videos...

I think I spot the problem.

Care to point us to one of these vids?

facade

Next time I watch one, I will save the link.  For now you could wade through "salvage rebuilds uk", "cars for paul" and similar- there are literally hundreds of them and I can't remember which exact ones talk about how the cars get categorised. I did find you an example of category S that I'd say shouldn't be, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmG24D0EeTA from 9:30 to 16:00.

Apparently the structure includes bolt on parts like the front crash beam, subframes and suspension arms, so a cat S can have a perfectly straight shell, they are not all bent like bananas as we think.

forgotmyname

Its the straight looking ones you need to be wary off, what damage is under the skin.

Posted pictures previously,  light frontal = the 5ft bonnet is now only 2ft and everything forward of the bulkhead
is crunched, with windscreen and roof damage also.  Thats a light frontal?

Herzlos

Scrapit said:

452 said:

fred246 said:

The car was described as in perfect condition. The seller obviously knew it wasn't. I have a barrister who lives near me. He is very entertaining to talk to. Lawyers can tell very quickly who is telling the truth. If you got the buyer and seller in a court you would know exactly that the seller knew that this was a dodgy car.

But could you prove it?

Car ad and a report saying it's cat s would sort that quite quickly. 

The seller could claim it was in their view a in perfect condition for a cat s, which they never hid. It was on the V5.

It's worth a punt though.

The best avenue is to prove they are actually a trader (if they are) and use that to get them to buy the car back from you.