Seller didn’t declare car written off

400ixl

budget888 said:

What significance has the age of the car got?
They do own a business, but they're past sales include the sale of 6 cars in the last 3 months, that could be classed as a dealer?
The car was over 20k, so not cheap.

I would assume the question was whether a car of that age would be worth the hassle. 90% of 24 year old cars are going to be in the hundreds to low thousands, not £20k.

A £20k car which is 24 years old is typically a modern classic and as such much research goes into buying it with detailed inspections and history checks.

You have peaked my interest now. What car is it if you don't mind disclosing. Thats Fast Ford type money for that age.

budget888

400ixl said:

budget888 said:

What significance has the age of the car got?
They do own a business, but they're past sales include the sale of 6 cars in the last 3 months, that could be classed as a dealer?
The car was over 20k, so not cheap.

I would assume the question was whether a car of that age would be worth the hassle. 90% of 24 year old cars are going to be in the hundreds to low thousands, not £20k.

A £20k car which is 24 years old is typically a modern classic and as such much research goes into buying it with detailed inspections and history checks.

You have peaked my interest now. What car is it if you don't mind disclosing. Thats Fast Ford type money for that age.

Hi, yes it's a modern classic and I thought I'd done enough: Thoroughly read the listing, spoke to the seller, checked his 100% feedback, purcahsed a full hpi report. But still shafted.

Alderbank

Okell said:

If he's not a car dealer and if you didn't specifically ask about the car's accident history and whether it had previously been a write-off, I think you're stuck regarding the seller.

If you paid for a professional "car-check" and it wronlgy came back as clear, surely they're the people you should be suing?  You've got evidence of them telling you it was clear and you've also got evidence from the old V5 that that statement was wrong.  They should also be insured against this sort of claim and it'll probably be easier than trying to sue the seller.

(Surely the whole point of doing this sort of check is to avoid buying a dodgy vehicle.  If you pay for the check and then find out it was wrong, they're the first people you should complain to.  Otherwise why bother paying for the service????)

Yes, the OP should get something.

They said 'I paid for a car-check full report, it came back clear..'

Car Check's T&Cs say:

 for reduction in market value as a result of the VRM you checked upon being deemed, to our satisfaction, a 'total loss' or 'write-off' in insurance category C or D, as at the date and time of your check and this information having failed to reach us due to an error on our part (as opposed to a natural and / or unavoidable delay): a sum not exceeding £1,500 or 1/3rd of the market value as at the date of claim, or 1/3rd of the price you paid for the vehicle, whichever is the lesser

...so unless it was due to a 'natural delay' (whatever that means) they should recover at least a part of what they paid.

DullGreyGuy

budget888 said:

LightFlare said:

So you part-ex your previous vehicle for a 2000 vehicle ?

What was the sale price of the vehicle and what did you part-ex ?

Seriously though, with a 2000 car, being classed as a write off - you are lucky it’s still running and doesn’t have any major underlying mechanical issues

Yes.
25k was the new car

What car is worth £25k at over 20 years old that was written off when it was fairly new? Unless its a hens tooth few cars are a cat D or C when nearly new that remain that expensive so many years later.

LightFlare

DullGreyGuy said:

budget888 said:

LightFlare said:

So you part-ex your previous vehicle for a 2000 vehicle ?

What was the sale price of the vehicle and what did you part-ex ?

Seriously though, with a 2000 car, being classed as a write off - you are lucky it’s still running and doesn’t have any major underlying mechanical issues

Yes.
25k was the new car

What car is worth £25k at over 20 years old that was written off when it was fairly new? Unless its a hens tooth few cars are a cat D or C when nearly new that remain that expensive so many years later.

As already stated by someone, but doesn’t help the OP - plenty of  cars from 2000 could easily attract that price. 

Anything that was based on the rally cars of the era spring to mind (multiple manufacturers)

I would definitely be pressing the search company for engagement 

prowla

If it's an exclusive car then the write-off might've been because the cost of repair was more than its perceived value at the time; the fact that it wasn't spotted until finding an old document suggests that the repairs were done well.

Okell

Alderbank said:

... Car Check's T&Cs say:

 for reduction in market value as a result of the VRM you checked upon being deemed, to our satisfaction, a 'total loss' or 'write-off' in insurance category C or D, as at the date and time of your check and this information having failed to reach us due to an error on our part (as opposed to a natural and / or unavoidable delay): a sum not exceeding £1,500 or 1/3rd of the market value as at the date of claim, or 1/3rd of the price you paid for the vehicle, whichever is the lesser

...so unless it was due to a 'natural delay' (whatever that means) they should recover at least a part of what they paid.

I'd suggest "natural delay" refers to the time it takes to process paperwork etc if it isn't done in real time online.  (eg you send a form to DVLA or whoever through email, then there's a delay while they process it etc etc).

There couldn't be a "natural delay" here because DullGreyGuy reckons the write-off must have been pre-2020 and the OP thinks it might have been almost as long ago as the age of the car.

I don't like the look of those T&Cs and my first reaction would be "Are they Unfair?".

As I read it the greater the reduction in market value caused by Car Checks error, the lower the amount the OP is entitled to:  "a sum not exceeding £1,500 or 1/3rd of the market value as at the date of claim, or 1/3rd of the price you paid for the vehicle, whichever is the lesser."  That doesn't sound right...

So if the market value at the time of the claim is £9k the OP would get £1500.  If the MV was £6k they'd get £1500.  If the MV was £3k they 'd get £1000.  If the MV was £1500 they'd get £500.  If the MV was £1200 they'd get £400.

So the greater the loss in value caused by Car Check's error, the lower the amount they have to pay?

Have I got that wrong?

budget888

DullGreyGuy said:

budget888 said:

LightFlare said:

So you part-ex your previous vehicle for a 2000 vehicle ?

What was the sale price of the vehicle and what did you part-ex ?

Seriously though, with a 2000 car, being classed as a write off - you are lucky it’s still running and doesn’t have any major underlying mechanical issues

Yes.
25k was the new car

What car is worth £25k at over 20 years old that was written off when it was fairly new? Unless its a hens tooth few cars are a cat D or C when nearly new that remain that expensive so many years later.

Lots, but I think you're missing the point. This car is NOT worth 25k as it's been written off! If it was a clean car it most certainly would.

budget888

prowla said:

If it's an exclusive car then the write-off might've been because the cost of repair was more than its perceived value at the time; the fact that it wasn't spotted until finding an old document suggests that the repairs were done well.

Hi, yes the repairs appear to have been done well, but the insurance will be higher and the sale price when I sell it "honestly described" will be around 40% lower than the market value.

budget888

Okell said:

Alderbank said:

... Car Check's T&Cs say:

 for reduction in market value as a result of the VRM you checked upon being deemed, to our satisfaction, a 'total loss' or 'write-off' in insurance category C or D, as at the date and time of your check and this information having failed to reach us due to an error on our part (as opposed to a natural and / or unavoidable delay): a sum not exceeding £1,500 or 1/3rd of the market value as at the date of claim, or 1/3rd of the price you paid for the vehicle, whichever is the lesser

...so unless it was due to a 'natural delay' (whatever that means) they should recover at least a part of what they paid.

I'd suggest "natural delay" refers to the time it takes to process paperwork etc if it isn't done in real time online.  (eg you send a form to DVLA or whoever through email, then there's a delay while they process it etc etc).

There couldn't be a "natural delay" here because DullGreyGuy reckons the write-off must have been pre-2020 and the OP thinks it might have been almost as long ago as the age of the car.

I don't like the look of those T&Cs and my first reaction would be "Are they Unfair?".

As I read it the greater the reduction in market value caused by Car Checks error, the lower the amount the OP is entitled to:  "a sum not exceeding £1,500 or 1/3rd of the market value as at the date of claim, or 1/3rd of the price you paid for the vehicle, whichever is the lesser."  That doesn't sound right...

So if the market value at the time of the claim is £9k the OP would get £1500.  If the MV was £6k they'd get £1500.  If the MV was £3k they 'd get £1000.  If the MV was £1500 they'd get £500.  If the MV was £1200 they'd get £400.

So the greater the loss in value caused by Car Check's error, the lower the amount they have to pay?

Have I got that wrong?

Yes, agree. It seems a pants company. But I thought it looked ok at the time, there is a free report plus a paid for report (the full report), I paid it. I've filled in a few contact forms off their website, no reply, and the email address shown on their T's & C's bounces back. The rats.