Category S write off

Peggster1979

Hello, I’m looking for advice please regarding a no fault accident and I have just been informed that my car is being written off as a structural total loss.  

I was expecting my car to be an economic write off as it’s a 2012 Honda Jazz and the damage was to the rear bumper and hatchback where a drive went into the back of me.  I have queried the Category S status though as it means if I take the car back I can’t drive it until I have it MOT’d again and insured with its new Cat S status.  The insurers are saying it’s a Category S as they can’t guarantee that there isn’t any structural damage. I have contacted the assessors asking for clarification as it was a low speed impact the damage appears very superficial to me. 

Could anyone offer advice as to how best to proceed with this and the implications of keeping a Cat S car? The difference between them keeping it and me keeping it is only £250 so I thought I’d take it back if only to scrap it myself if it’s going to be too expensive to insure.  How much more expensive do you think it would be to insure? I currently only pay £20 a month. I would never try to sell it, it’s just my runaround car. I know that second hand cars have increased in value lately and am concerned at what I would be able to buy in my price range of about £5k. 

Any advice gratefully received. 

Flight3287462

I don't think it will be anymore expensive to insure, I have insured a number of write offs and they have never asked the question.  

Peggster1979

Thanks for your reply but I’m pretty sure you have to declare it as a Category S. They don’t specifically ask the question when you ask for a quote but I think it comes under assumptions and the like. 

Flight3287462

They know it is category S as soon as they give you your quote.  They have the database.  Tell them if you want that is up to you probably no harm done.

Aretnap

Peggster1979 said:

Thanks for your reply but I’m pretty sure you have to declare it as a Category S. They don’t specifically ask the question when you ask for a quote but I think it comes under assumptions and the like. 

99% of the time you don't. See for yourself. Try getting quotes on a couple of insurers websites. Read the questions and assumptions carefully. You will almost certainly find that there is no mention of whether a car has been written off. (There may be an obscure insurer somewhere that does ask, but if so they're the exception, not the rule).

And unless the insurer does ask - either directly or by asking you to confirm that a list of assumptions are correct - you don't have to tell them. As a consumer you are not expected to guess what insurers might or might not want to know - it's down to them to ask you.

In most cases the only difference the fact that it's been written off will make to insurance is that if the car ever gets written off again any payout would be reduced, to reflect the fact that the write-off marker reduces a car's market value even after it has been repaired.