VW Polo - Category D Car - buying advice for novice

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 15:49
VW Polo - Category D Car - buying advice for novice - Clio87

Hi,

We are considering buying a Category D car which we know has been in an accident and suffered damage, been written off.

Please can anyone give us advice on things we should be checking - i.e. should there be a formal DVLA record stating exactly what the original damage was and/or something formal from the insurance company which wrote it off originally? Should the seller/dealer be able to produce these?

Any other safeguards?

Is it much more expensive or difficult to get fully comp insurance on these cars?

Many thanks.

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 16:51
VW Polo - Category D Car - buying advice for novice - pd

There are no formal records for a Cat D cat at all - a Cat C one will have it noted on the V5 but only that is has been subject to an identity check.

The insurance company might have records but are unlikely to release them to a 3rd party.

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 16:57
VW Polo - Category D Car - buying advice for novice - RT

As an admitted novice, be very wary - Cat D cars are typically written off because repairs will cost more than, say 60%, of their value - but the original repair estimate won't necessarily be thorough because once they find damage up to that repair cost they tend to stop looking for more.

For instance the chassis may be twisted but not even checked if the exterior panel damage is more than the car's write-off value.

If the seller claims all the damage is repaired, be even more wary as he may have only dealt with superficial damage.

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 19:30
VW Polo - Category D Car - buying advice for novice - Galaxy

I'm sorry but, particularly as a novice, I would advise you not to buy a Cat D car!

Although many Cat D s will only have been stolen/recovered and not actually damaged you can never be sure exactly what you are buying.

My brother nearly bought a Cat D car several years ago, but I carried out an HPI check and found it was a Cat D. When I had previously asked the dealer whether there was anything we should know about this vehicle he replied "No!" Although my brother had already paid a deposit, fortunately, armed with the print-out of my HPI check, he was able to get his deposit returned. The dealer had never, at any time, told us the car was a Cat D.

Although you will pay less for a Cat D car it will always be worth considerably less than a straight car. Anyone carrying out an HPI check will immediately find it's Cat D and a dealer will certainly find out if you attempt to trade one in. Although the V5C won't be marked in any way for a Cat D you could be commiting a trading offence if you were to sell the car without disclosing it was Cat D.

Many insurers will ask for an increased premium based upon just this fact alone.

Edited by Galaxy on 24/03/2013 at 19:31

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 19:57
VW Polo - Category D Car - buying advice for novice - Collos25

I believe if you are a private seller you do not have to declare its a cat d .

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 21:11
VW Polo - Category D Car - buying advice for novice - Galaxy

I believe if you are a private seller you do not have to declare its a cat d .

You do if the prospective purchaser asks you the question. If you tell a lie and say "No" and the car is Cat D you could still be prosecuted for mis-selling, even in a private sale.

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Sun 24 Mar 2013 20:00
VW Polo - Category D Car - buying advice for novice - Bobbin Threadbare

I'm sorry but, particularly as a novice, I would advise you not to buy a Cat D car!


Good advice from Galaxy. There are always more Polos about - they can seem like a bargain but it could end up being a big headache.

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Mon 25 Mar 2013 00:30
VW Polo - Category D Car - buying advice for novice - jacks

Yes - OP please follow the good advice given

There's 5068 used Polo's on Autotrader today from 400 quid all the way up to 21 grand * so

why pick one that could have problems today and will certainly be more difficult to sell on

tomorrow?

*and who pays 21 grand for a Polo ? http://tinyurl.com/c6myxth the list price is apparantly £24K !!!!

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