Category D write offs

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Sun 29 Jul 2007 21:25
Category D write offs - ajsdoc
Does anyone know if a car is written as a "Category D" (ie not financially viable to repair) whether you can settle and buy back your own car from the insurance company (presumably this is kept by them as part of the process as will have some value). I ask because my Dad has a very good high mileage mondeo which someone kindly hit damaging both doors on one side. He offered to have two scrap doors painted and fitted but this was still too expensive for the other party and so he wanted to go through his insurance.

When getting quotes as part of the insurance claim he's been told repair will likely be deemed non viable leading to a write off. Clearly he has a perfectly good car, looked after by him with known history that he'd be happy to have fixed with a couple of scrap doors. How do you go about this through the insurance? Will they agree a value and then allow him to buy back the "write off" at a lower sum?

All help appreciated.
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Sun 29 Jul 2007 22:43
Category D write offs - martint123
If it's all the other parties fault and their insurance is paying up then I'd sit and wait to see what their offer is.

Certainly a few years ago, you got an offer and they kept the car. It was possible to keep the car and take a lower offer. I don't know if it is the same now though. They can't write it off until you accept what they are offering.

Don't forget that their first offer may well be on the low side and you can argue it up if you present a list of similar vehicles in age and condition from Autotrader or somesuch.
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Mon 30 Jul 2007 08:34
Category D write offs - cheddar
I know someone who was knocked of his motorcycle, minimal damage to the bike, he was offered £2600 which was more than fair and bought it back for £750 as a Cat C or D and it cost him £500 to put it back to better than before, so he made over well £1000 but for the fact that the bike is now worth less than it was. So your approach can work.
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