Hi Guys,
I am new to the forums and if I have posted this into the wrong forum, please feel free to move it.
I have bought a car off eBay which was a Cat D insurance write off, but had been repaired. The guy insisted that the works done were all carried out by an Insurance Approved Workshop and that he would forward all the documentation to me regarding the write off.
I bought the car - but the guy will just not forward me the documentation. I badly need this because my insurance company said if I need to claim, and the work was not done properly then it may invalidate my insurance.
I was probably foolish accepting the guys word, but he sent me email after email explaining how little damage was done and that it was an easy repair. I have had a mechanic look over it and he said it looks fine - but without knowing what damage was done and without knowing if it was repaired to insurance standards I am worried in case I ever need to make a claim.
Is there anyway I can find out which insurance company wrote it off so I can ask them directly what the damage was?
Thanks
Rob
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I've got a Cat D write off, but the only time the insurance asked was when I took the policy out and even then they didn't really care. I know that if it ever gets re-written off (!!) then I'll get book less probably 30% for it...
Cat D is not really badly damaged - I would phone the insurance and ask them why they want the proof??
Is it really Cat D, have you HPI'd it?
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You don't need any documentation for a Cat D as far as I know, so long as it's got an MOT then you're fine. Don't expect to get a big payout if they write it off though, you'll get a lot less than the going rate as the car won't be worth as much as one that has just been damaged (not written off) and repaired.
I wouldn't worry though, one of my friends is driving round in a very nice Cat B cut and shut BMW E46, it's a very good weld and he's got a lot of motor for £2K (it's a new boot section so I suppose if he was rear ended hard it may be a little weaker than usual), he doesn't dare put his private plate on though in case it triggers something nasty with the DVLA!
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Cat D doesn't even need to have been damaged in an accident, it can just have been stolen and then recovered. Before it has been recovered the insurance company may well have already paid out, so when it's returned it becomes the property of the insurance company and they then sell it as Cat D.
All that's needed to put a Cat D car back on the road is a new MOT test, nothing else.
However, if you ever to have to make an insurance claim for total loss, as others have correctly already pointed out, you will receive a lot less for the car because your insurance company will already know that it was previously a Cat D.
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Thank you all for your wise words. You have reassured me no end.
I think that when it has its MOT (less than 3 yrs old), my worries should be over. I just have to be careful not to get into any scrapes before this point.
Once again thanks for your advice
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There's nothing to stop you getting an MOT at any age. You could take a brand new car in for one if you wanted to.
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There's nothing to stop you getting an MOT at any age. You could take a brand new car in for one if you wanted to.
If it failed would you be duty bound to have the non-compliance rectified?
Edited by L'escargot on 14/08/2008 at 23:11
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If it failed would you be duty bound to have the non-compliance rectified?
No more so than if you hadn't had an MOT and were driving an unroadworthy vehicle.
Note:- There are plenty of things that can fail an MOT but not make a vehicle unroadworthy.
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If it failed would you be duty bound to have the non-compliance rectified? No more so than if you hadn't had an MOT and were driving an unroadworthy vehicle.
But if you got caught they would have proof that you knowingly drove an unroadworthy vehicle, they would throw the book at you!
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They have no way of knowing. An enquiry of the MOT database will show a valid MOT covering the vehicle. My neighbour managed to tax his vehicle online the other week even though he had failed the MOT - the existing MOT was still valid on the 1st of the month.
VOSA roadside checks or a plod stop don't care less if you knew a fault exists. It is up to the driver to keep it in roadworthy condition.
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