Hoping for some advice from the fountain of motoring knowledge...
I'll be selling my Leon Cupra soon (53 reg, 43000 miles). I had a low speed shunt last summer (2004), which went through insurance and the bonnet & front bumper were replaced. Now, the garage did a smashing job, and you wouldn't know it'd happened. When a buyer comes along, am I bound to tell them about this? I'm an honest sort, so will probably mention it anyway, but I'd like to know the legal position.
TIA,
Alex.
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Dr Alex Mears
Seat Leon Cupra
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner.
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I'm almost certain that you don't have to. If they ask, you do.
Buyer Beware.
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No need to tell tham at all unless they ask.
It's obviously been repaired to manufaturer standards so I would still be advertising it as excellent condition...
Blue
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When a buyer comes along, am I bound to tell them about this?
I *think* you're supposed to declare it if asked, rather than freely announce it.
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It's not necessary to volunteer any information whatsoever. If a prospective purchaser specifically asks about accident damage then you might be duty bound to give an honest reply. But even then I see no reason to give chapter and verse. Just reply to the same extent to which the question is posed.
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L\'escargot.
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I'll be selling my Leon Cupra soon (53 reg, 43000 miles). I had a low speed shunt last summer (2004), which went through insurance and the bonnet & front bumper were replaced. Now, the garage did a smashing job, and you wouldn't know it'd happened. When a buyer comes along, am I bound to tell them about this? I'm an honest sort, so will probably mention it anyway, but I'd like to know the legal position.
Its probably a good idea to tell the prospective purchaser if/when they come to see the car, as if they do a HPi check, I think any insurance-related repairs will be declared on this anyway.
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I don't think it creates a good impression with a buyer. If I was a buyer and was only told about accident damage after I specifically asked about it, I would think "So, if I had not asked you were not going to tell" and then I would wonder what else I would have to ask about. If the repair is as good as you say, point it out, even ask if they can tell which bits have been replaced. Shows you are open and nothing to hide.
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Interesting- thanks for all your replies.
It seems clear that I don't have to declare the repair (not as if it affects the way the car operates).
As to whether I should declare it anyway is another question! I'm kind of torn: if I declare everything at the outset, I come across as open, and honest. But some people will run a mile if a car's been damaged & repaired, want it to be perfect. A dilemma! Any views?
Morally it's also ambiguous- although I would argue that if the repair is not detectable, then it shouldn't alter the value of the car, should it? It'll be low priced anyway, as the mileage is high and the car isn't perfect.
Actually, while I'm here, a scrote of some kind scratched the rear offside passenger door window (pattern of scratches). Can I do anything to get rid of these, should I source a new glass, or just leave it?
Thanks for your input,
Alex.
--
Dr Alex Mears
Seat Leon Cupra
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner.
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The bench-mark for my thinking on this is that a dealer wouldn't volunteer information regarding accident damage.
Regarding value, a dealer probably wouldn't offer less for your car in part exchange if the repair had been done to a competent standard. On one occasion my car was damaged after a dealer had given me a part-ex price, and the transaction was held up while I got the car repaired. Because I could no longer meet the original change-over date I had to tell the dealer. It made no difference to the price. Dealers don't have the same hang-ups about a car's history that private buyers do. They are used to buying and selling cars that have had accident repairs. In fact, how many cars have not had some sort of cosmetic repair by the time they come to be sold?
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L\'escargot.
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as if they do a HPi check, I think any insurance-related repairs will be declared on this anyway.
Not so. Only goes onto HPI if the vehicle is written off by the insurance company.
I'd say at leat half of cars for sale have been repaired in some way at some time. A goodly percentage are repaired before they even get into the showrooms.
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I'll second that, nothing will show on HPi.
Also, as Martin says, many new cars have already had accident repair by the time they are handed over, many of ours had to be machine polished to remove vast quantities of fall out and some of them arrived with damaged roofs off the transporter.
I can honestly say that a decent repair wouldn't bother me, I wouldn't be at all suprised if the second hand Focus I own now has been previously damaged but I have no way of ever knowing, which leads me to think one very important thing: - what people don't know doesn't hurt them. ;-)
Blue
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What's "fall out"?
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>What's "fall out"?
Something to do with nuclear bombs.
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fallout - it is usually "soot fallout". a google will reveal more.
paintwork on cars that used to imported at ramsggate, and stored next to richborough coal-fired power station, use to suffer badly from this.
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I wouldn't be at all suprised if the second hand Focus I own now has been previously damaged but I have no way of ever knowing ......
To check whether a panel has been replaced, compare welds and the sealant covering welds. Compare left-hand to right-hand etc.
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L\'escargot.
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as if they do a HPi check, I think any insurance-related repairs will be declared on this anyway. Not so. Only goes onto HPI if the vehicle is written off by the insurance company. I'd say at leat half of cars for sale have been repaired in some way at some time. A goodly percentage are repaired before they even get into the showrooms.
Thanks, I am mistaken then, I thought it was all insurance claims........
In that case I would revise my original advice and not declare the accident repair, especially if as yo say it is a perfect job...
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You can polish scratches out of glass, you need something a little stronger than jewellers rouge.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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It'll be low priced anyway, as the mileage is high and the car isn't perfect.
2 years old, 43k, not excessively high at all.
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