Nissan Qashqai cat s and n write off and wrong vin on car check???

cammyuk

Previous Plate. Category N Insurance Loss. No Structural Damage and Repairable - Insurer Decided Not to Repair	2023-11-02	2023-11-02
Category S Insurance Loss. Vehicle Structurally Damaged But Repairable-Insurer Decided Not to Repair

cammyuk

I am sorry to be a pain in butt , but this is the above off the rac car check I have just done, can you tell me please, what does Repairable -insurer decided not to repair mean, does it mean the insurance company or the person who owns the car? Thanks 

cammyuk

No I paid him cash as that is what he wanted 

Herzlos

He sounds like a typical dodgy dealer masquerading as a private seller to avoid any kind of warranty because he knows the car is crap. It's presumably a trade-in that he wants rid of. 

Do not pay him any more money. Contact him, in writing if possible (sms is fine) to say you've discovered the car is a write off, so not as described. You are not proceeding with the purchase and want your deposit back.

Then see what happens. A good dealer would offer the deposit back without any hassle, but if that's not the case here you're still best taking the £800 hit and not being stuck with the car. 


It's got dodgy written all over it. 

Mildly_Miffed

cammyuk said:

I am sorry to be a pain in butt , but this is the above off the rac car check I have just done, can you tell me please, what does Repairable -insurer decided not to repair mean, does it mean the insurance company or the person who owns the car? Thanks 

Insurance company.

Cat N = all bolt-on stuff, but the estimated cost to repair was high enough that they just paid the owner the value instead. Effectively, the insurance company buy the car from the previous owner.

Cat S = actual structural damage to the bodyshell. Repairable, but the cost again too high to bother.

Obvs, that's full insurance repair - new parts, etc. It's much cheaper to repair with used parts, so most write-offs get auctioned off at salvage auctions. Some for breaking, some for repair.

So this Qashqow has been damaged once, sold on, repaired. Then damaged AGAIN, sold on, repaired.

One question mark is that mention of a previous plate. SOMETIMES there can be confusion when a plate is changed. The damage can end up being recorded against the wrong vehicle.

Grey_Critic

Considering the problem with the VIN I would suggest you give him a choice - Give you back your money or you will contact the police If they decide it is a ringer then he as the supplier is in deep do da

angrycrow

Others have hinted at another possibility here but not expressly stated it so I will for benefit of OP. 

Some scammers buy written off vehicles cheap at salvage auctions in a damaged condition. They then steal an identical car and change the vin numbers on the stolen car to match the written off car. 

Structurally clean car on the false identity is sold on and the damaged car disappears forever by being dismantled and the shell chopped up or crushed.

The crook profits because they buy the damaged shell for around 25% of undamaged value and sell the stolen car for around 75% of undamaged value. They also make money selling parts from the damaged vehicle. 

With changes to how vin numbers are marked on cars it is harder to do than in the past but not impossible.

Not saying this is what is going on but it could be.

Whatever is going on the cars clearly a dud and the dealer is dodgy for not declaring the write offs. and you should try to get your deposit back asap.

Salvage categories.

A - burnt out, catastrophic structural damage or biological contamination can't go back on road, no parts can be reused and must be crushed.

B - major damage to structure can't go back on road but parts can be reused.

S - previously cat C, structural damage to shell. Repairable but insurer decided not to repair due to economics. Can be repaired and returned to the road.

N - previously cat D, non structural damage but insurer decided not to repair due to economics. Can be repaired and returned to the road.

The problem is you have no way of knowing what the damage was. Cat n can be a scuff on an old car or pretty major front end panel damage on a newer car.

born_again

cammyuk said:

Thank you all for replies , he is a dealer but sells all his cars from his houseI
He also knew about the bad dpf filter I found out yesterday he took it before I gave him deposit to get it cleaned but for whatever reason they didnt do it? 
I dont think he will give me my money back so what can I do now as he will be coming for it today and I have paid for new part to be fitted to solve the problem of the smoking .
When I rang him just a few mins after giving him deposit on the car {when it was chucking out so much smoke you couldnt see the cars behind, } he said he thought was dpf filter but he already knew as he had tried to get it cleaned a month before! 
I really cant afford to lose £ 800 but what else can I do please advice as dont want this to blow up into trouble .
          Thank you 

So if he won't return the deposit, you could gently mention that you hope he is declaring to HMRC. Has planning permission for running a business from his home. If he threatens you then inform the police.
Then send letter before action & take him to court, as well as informing HMRC

cammyuk

He has told me he only got it 2 weeks ago and knew nothing off the write offs ,he said there was nothing on the log book, Now I know  he had booked the car in for a dpf clean on the 15th May as Halfords confirmed it, I didnt know of this car until 17th June when I paid the deposit ! 
I am taking it back to him tomorrow and dont really now what to expect , I am chewing it over whether to get him to pick it up from mine as he has a recovery truck , just worried if he starts to get arsey with me and refuse  to give me money and tries to take the car !