Hidden Cat B?

michaels

Could a car be in a write off accident but repaired and sold before the DVLA/Insurance DB was updated so the new owner could be issued with a V5 and be unaware despite having done a pre-purchase check?

Grumpy_chap

There were a couple of threads recently where similar had happened, apparently.
I will try to find the threads and link them here.

EDIT:  Found them
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79578138#Comment_79578138

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79567032#Comment_79567032

What "pre-purchase" checks did you undertake?  
When?
Were they done by yourself, or by the Dealer?

facade

If it is Cat N there is no marker on the V5. It only shows with a HPI check.

Cat S will have a note on the V5, it shouldn't be possible to get a V5 without the marker on as it should have been applied as soon as the insurer paid out, they would have to move very quickly to repair it and sell it quick enough for a V5 to be issued whilst it was still in the system.

A Cat B car cannot be repaired only broken for parts. I'd expect DVLA to send someone round to get it taken off the road if a V5 was issued.

Some severely damaged cars have no marker as they were never paid out on e.g. the driver was uninsured/drunk/drugged up, these fetch a bit more at auction as once bodged up repaired to a high standard they can be sold at full price  as HPI will not show anything.

michaels

Apparently the marker was added 8 days after purchase and v5 issue.  DVLA did not contact the new registered keeper to inform them so they were blissfully unaware.  Cat B so perhaps an offence has been committed in the sale (beyond obviously fraud) although I guess it was not recorded as Cat B at the moment of the sale?!

The car check company in their small print claim zero liability and in this case no doubt there was no marker when the check was done.  Car had been for sale for a few weeks prior to purchase with repaired photos so it seems odd there could have been such a long delay in the marker being recorded?

Nobbie1967

Did the insurer contact the new owner when the marker went on the database? Surprised the insurer didn’t pick this up when they got insurance for it since I assume the insurance database would have been updated as soon as the Cat B determination was made.

michaels

Nobbie1967 said:

Did the insurer contact the new owner when the marker went on the database? Surprised the insurer didn’t pick this up when they got insurance for it since I assume the insurance database would have been updated as soon as the Cat B determination was made.

Car has been sorn with no insurance since purchase.  You can run a new insurance quote without anything flagging up so not sure if the insurance companies are aware.

michaels

So the dates are as follows:
28/2/22 - Cat S accident recorded
18/4/22 - Car for sale on copart with mileage 20,417
Mid June - repaired car for sale on ebay
29 June Car purchased mileage 20,447
30 June MOT 20,469 and SORN and on our drive/in our garage since
7 July 22 - Car registered as CAT B and scrapped

This last only discovered this week when attempting to unsorn.

Apparently the 7 July date is not necessarily the claim date.

Given the mileage between the dates it seems very unlikely that there was a second accident so it would appear to either be an error or that someone has fraudulently used the original accident damage to claim on their insurance.

Apparently I need to use one of the vehicle check companies to chase up re the second claim as no one is allowed to tell me the insurance company for me to contact.

facade

Does the V5 show the Cat S? They used to put it in the notes section on the front page, something about accident damaged and declared satisfactorily repaired.

The Cat B may be a mistake- caused by finger trouble when data was entered, or possibly due to a private plate transfer.

I don't know how to dispute it though.

michaels

facade said:

Does the V5 show the Cat S? They used to put it in the notes section on the front page, something about accident damaged and declared satisfactorily repaired.

The Cat B may be a mistake- caused by finger trouble when data was entered, or possibly due to a private plate transfer.

I don't know how to dispute it though.

V5 I have shows Cat S as expected.  It would not be possible to get a new v5 now it is officially cat B

Two options seem to be either a keying error as you suggest or a fraudulent insurance claim, perhaps using the images from the cat s accident from February as it seems pretty unlikely there was a second accident in the less than 30 miles the car travelled between the Feb accident and my purchase that was serious enough to be a cat b but repaired to a standard where the inspection and MOT carried out when I purchased...

jimbo6977

Are all the identifying marks for the car (vin / chassis number, engine number) present at the various points they are usually recorded on the model in question? Do they all match each other and where appropriate do they match the V5? 

jimjames

How/why did it become cat B? Was there another accident in that sequence above? How was the car scrapped if it was in your garage? Do you suspect it was cloned?