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I unknowingly bought a written off car and the seller says he didn't know. What can I do?
I bought a vehicle two weeks ago. I did the full Hpi check and sent the logbook off to put it in my name as I’m the new owner of the vehicle. I received a letter from DVLA saying it's not going to issue me with a logbook because the car is a Cat B write off - which means it’s scrap. I went back to the person who I bought the vehicle from but he is saying when he bought it, it was Hpi clear and then I bought it off him. What do I do now?
Asked on 19 January 2021 by nasir s
Answered by
Georgia Petrie
If this was a private sale - which I'm going to assume it was - you’re going to struggle to win any argument or court case unless you can conclusively show that the seller has lied to you or misled you about the car’s condition. A private seller is not considered to be the same as a dealer or professional trader, so the argument of “I didn’t know it was damaged” is considered more acceptable.
Unless you have proof to show that the seller declared the car was not damaged (such as email correspondence or the seller’s original ad) and proof to show that the seller was lying (like a receipt for repairs undertaken during the seller’s ownership of the vehicle), it’s a tough case to win any claim. I would advise you speak to Citizen's Advice for some legal advice.
Unless you have proof to show that the seller declared the car was not damaged (such as email correspondence or the seller’s original ad) and proof to show that the seller was lying (like a receipt for repairs undertaken during the seller’s ownership of the vehicle), it’s a tough case to win any claim. I would advise you speak to Citizen's Advice for some legal advice.
Tags:
consumer rights
write offs
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