Is it worth buying a CAT S Car? (formerly known as CAT C)
Comments
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The dealer won't be inclined to disclose full facts. Because they know it will scare people off. It's no surprise they are not very forthcoming tbh. Damage probably was more severe than he's letting on - but still... there is no reason a proper repair shouldn't render the vehicle safe and roadworthy again.
Take it to a professional body shop for inspection. Not a garage. Mechanics aren't bodywork experts. In fact I've done work for bodyshopa whose mechanical knowledge is poor, and likewise mechanics who wouldn't know where to start with fixing a chassis.
If it drives fine. A professional can deem it repaired properly and there's no other indication of existing issues such as unusual tyre wear then there is no reason you should be put off.
However I agree with another poster... If you buy it then do so with a view of keeping it a while as selling it on again will negate the savings as you'll then come across more cautious people like yourself looking for a reason to say no0 -
2 year old polo matches seem to be going for over £10k. So to write it off you're in that sort of region of damage. Not saying that's a deal breaker but it's worth bearing in mind.
Bluemotions sit lower I think, do they have different suspension or body kits?
Buying got a brother that didn't like it sounds a lot like the old driveway dealer spell if "bought it for the wife but she doesn't like the colour". It's likely been bought to repair and sell on.0 -
The seller said he bought the car already damaged and doesn't have documentation for what caused the damage but has details of the repair which seemed odd to me.
He said he bought it for his brother, but the engine in too small for him. The insurance company had written it off in November 2017 and he bought it the following December.
It's a Volkswagen Polo Match Bluemotion. So, yes it is a relatively cheap car, it seems that VW no longer sell this specific model. Ideally I wanted a Golf but would settle for a Polo if the price was right.
I would almost without doubt say he has bought the car to repair and sell at a profit.
A way he is going to do that is by cutting corners on repairs. He has already lied to you twice, so what makes you think hes going to have had the car repaired to the absolute highest standard :-- He says he doesnt know what all was repaired / replaced yet he bought the car damaged
- He says there was not structural damage yet there must have been for it to be Cat S and not Cat N
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Svein_Forkbeard wrote: »Yes, went through a spell of leasing for 3-4 years and now buy car to see me through.
We are not the kindest on cars rough track to the house, dogs and horses and associated feed stuffs so they lead a a hard life with us.
I am looking for the youngest car I can get at the best price, to do the job I want it too.
Selling cars in my view are a pain and if i do sell them they normally go overseas. Old Merc to Nigeria and a Jeep Cherokee to Poland.
Recently bought a salvage repaired Nissan Note 2014 in a hurry for £3,500 which i would have hoped to have got on the road for £2,500- £3,000 if I had bought it and done it myself.
Salvage and salvage repaired are great value if you don't have to sell them until near the end.
Have a look at the Nissan Note 1.2 DiG-S , I was very pleasantly surprised at how nippy it is and not a car that was on my short list at all. We also run a Jeep Commander for the heavy work but MPG is a killer!
Thank you for all the information. Will definitely look into it for consideration.0 -
The dealer won't be inclined to disclose full facts. Because they know it will scare people off. It's no surprise they are not very forthcoming tbh. Damage probably was more severe than he's letting on - but still... there is no reason a proper repair shouldn't render the vehicle safe and roadworthy again.
Take it to a professional body shop for inspection. Not a garage. Mechanics aren't bodywork experts. In fact I've done work for bodyshopa whose mechanical knowledge is poor, and likewise mechanics who wouldn't know where to start with fixing a chassis.
If it drives fine. A professional can deem it repaired properly and there's no other indication of existing issues such as unusual tyre wear then there is no reason you should be put off.
However I agree with another poster... If you buy it then do so with a view of keeping it a while as selling it on again will negate the savings as you'll then come across more cautious people like yourself looking for a reason to say no
Thank you. Yes, if definitely a tough one when it comes to private sellers as legally they don't have to disclose if the car is a write off. It's made me realise how important a HPI check is but even that doesn't tell you everything.
I didn't consider a profession body shop and now you have mentioned it, it would make perfect sense. Since the car was a structural write off, it would be best for it to be seen to by a professional who can identify any faults with the body work.
Initially, I was looking for a car that was reliable and hold it's value, in order for me to save and upgrade later. So now I have to weight up my options, whether is best to buy an older car (non write off) and keep it for a couple of years or to buy this car and keep it tell the end.0 -
2 year old polo matches seem to be going for over £10k. So to write it off you're in that sort of region of damage. Not saying that's a deal breaker but it's worth bearing in mind.
Bluemotions sit lower I think, do they have different suspension or body kits?
Buying got a brother that didn't like it sounds a lot like the old driveway dealer spell if "bought it for the wife but she doesn't like the colour". It's likely been bought to repair and sell on.
That the part I don't understand. Cars are written off when the damage is higher than the value of the car? So then how to private sellers or dealership get the car repaired and sold on for less than the car was originally worth. What the reason why insurance companies repair costs are so high?
The seller has told me he bought the car at auction, the insurance company was selling it and although he doesn't have documentation of the damage, he has pictures. Should that suffice?
I have read that is more likely for older cars to be written off because of it's low value, which makes sense.
I believe the bluemotion is to do a start-stop technology that VW has introduced. It helps to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, the tax is very low at £20 per a year.0 -
I would almost without doubt say he has bought the car to repair and sell at a profit.
A way he is going to do that is by cutting corners on repairs. He has already lied to you twice, so what makes you think hes going to have had the car repaired to the absolute highest standard :-- He says he doesnt know what all was repaired / replaced yet he bought the car damaged
- He says there was not structural damage yet there must have been for it to be Cat S and not Cat N
I think he very much did too. He says he bought it at auction in December, the insurance company was selling and the evidence of the damage is in pictures that the insurance company provided.
Is there any way to tell that the car has been repaired to the highest standard?0 -
What valuation price? Where did that come from? Comparable cars right now on Autotrader, or the insurance valuation done 6 months ago / last year?
I did a price valuation on Autotrader (and a few other online valuation websites) of cars of the same model and year with similar milage. I also compared it to cars I saw being sold online by private sellers (that haven't been written off).
They seem to sell for around £10k, and seller is selling for £5.9k. I'm still not sure whether this is a good deal of worth the money being saved in the long run.0 -
If it wasn't worth the insurance company repairing it then how can the seller have repaired it and be selling it below book price and making a profit without cutting corners?0
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