Browsing through autotrader online for a Focus, there is one which appears to be be cheaper than similar age etc. In the description it says Stolen recovered.
Apart from having suffered damage (not mentioned) why might this be a Bad Thing?
|
|
Maybe because the insurance have already paid out for it once, and won't be prepared to do so again a second time if a claim were made again.
|
|
If a new insurance policy was taken out on it, then they would pay out, it is policy dependent not vehicle dependent.
|
|
But there would be a log of it being previously claimed upon, so wouldn't the new insurance have access to that log? Don't all insurances share data about cars?
|
It's not insurance that will be the problem. What you have to ask is what was done to the car that gave the "riders" so much "joy".
As most stolen cars are ragged to death on the limiter for a few hours you can expect the engine to have suffered excessive stresses and potential long-term damage. What about the suspension? Speed ramps and kerbs are there for driving at when it's not your car, especially if the Police are following. Steering? Again, it's likely to be less than perfect. Add the potential damage to the Cat, the possibility of mismatched keys, hidden damage to wiring on the immobiliser circuit..... I could go on (and usually do).
You gets what you pays for. I would think long and hard about parting with any "dosh" for this so-called bargain.
No Dosh ** Quick, talk motoring, Mark's coming! **
|
|
No-D - the thing we all need to worry about is the car which has been Stolen/Recovered, bought cheap and done-up cheap in a back street, then advertised at a more 'normal' price. At least when buying a S/R car you know what you are getting.
|
Hi Andrew,
I agree completely, you make a very valid point. The only time I didn't research the history of a car I bought was the time I got a duff one. Not excessively duff, but duff enough to hurt.
Always view the V5 and note the former owner. Check for dealer name on number plates and tax-disc holder. HPI for finance and insurance unmentionables. Make a few calls, save a few grand.
I haven't said anything new here, but it could do with being repeated from time to time, especially given the number of posts we see for "bad" cars, recently purchased.
Back to the original point, you need to thoroughly inspect the car and be aware that your "bargain" may end up costing as much or more than a "straight" car, so budget accordingly. Nothing worth having is for free and the pint glass is always half empty, blah blah blah.
No Dosh ** Quick, talk motoring, Mark's coming! **
|
|
|
|
Why should that matter? What if you buy a second hand car that has been involved in a minor prang, would you expect the insurance company to pay out in the event of another prang by yourself?
I think (and am happy to be corrected) that they mainly record information about the individual rather than the car (although they do hold information about the cars). The car itself as an individual won't affect the insurance, its the owner, the location and the type of car and model rather than the actual car (insert pet name).
Insurance in this country is person specific rather than vehicle. So buying one impreza wont make any difference to insurance from another as long as it has exactly the same spec and protection.
Jonathan
|
The insurance would pay out again on the car, but would pay out at it's market value, which in this case, is less than other cars of it's age.
On the other hand it's possible that they paid out before the car was recovered, so obviously when it was recovered, the car became their's and they sell it on. But as this is a private sale I don't reckon it's likely.
Blue
|
|
|
|
|
