Whilst browsing through a popular online car selling website I saw an ex Thames Valley Police unmarked Vauxhall Omega for sale, 03 plate 3.2 V6 Special 54,000 miles, £3995.
On looking at the photo in the ad the registration number rung a bell from a recent WOMA police auction.
I referred back to my scribbles from that day and found that the vehicle in question was sold for less than £1000 as an insurance total loss, with some quite substantial offside front damage from what I can remember, it certainly wasn't driveable.
The ad on the website states that the car is in absolutely excellent condition and is clear on HPi.
Maybe one of our resident traders can whizz this through their HPi check out of curiosity?
I'd be very surprised if Thames Valley Police haven't recorded it on the register.
How do these traders get away with it??
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Hmm as far as I know the police dont insure vehicles, so they have no requirement or process to record it on the register.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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A lot of people misunderstand what HPI is all about. It merely records vehicles on which insurance companies have paid out on a total loss.
Many organisations such as police, hire fleets, some large fleets etc effectively 'self insure' , so badly damaged vehicles will not appear on the register. In my experience there can also be some write offs that, for whatever reason, are paid out on but don't appear on the HPI list.
Also bear in mind that being on the HPI doesn't tell you how badly damaged the car was. An immaculate low-mileage 8-year-old car can be written off (and appear on HPI) with very superficial damage whereas a nearly new car can have major damage repaired and not be written off and therefore be 'HPI clear'.
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I understand that they probably don't buy comprehensive insurance but surely by law they must have third party cover?
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Can't you insure your own cars yourself if you have something like 100 grand or something silly like that?
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I'm sure that they will have some kind of public liability insurance - but as I said above, any loss on their own cars will be 'self insured' and so not subject to notification to HPI.
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>>but surely by law they must have third party cover?
No, its called self-insurance.
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I've worked for a couple of companies who self-insure, but neither was exempt from RTA insurance requirements (i.e. third party liability).
However, local authorities, police authorities, and some other categories are exempt from the requirements.
RTA Section 143 (don't look unless insomniac)
www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880052_en_7....4
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" a policy of insurance or such a security in respect of third party risks as complies with the requirements of this Part of this Act"
Insurance OR a security - the security is a bond placed byt he company wanting to be self-insured. This does not make them exempt from RTA Insurance Require ments, it complies iwht them. However, it does mean that they do NOT have to have any other insurance in respect of RTA risks.
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A few years ago my wife worked for a huge multi national company that self insured their vehicles,an insurance certificate was lodged with a central London police station if anyone need to produce evidence of insurance.
As for the TVP Police car that will not be recorded with HPI.
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Re the question of insurance on official vehicles,I rode my own Norton motorcycle as a Home Guard despatch rider during the last war there was a choice of taxing and insuring it yourself with a mileage allowance or opting for a G or government licence which covered use on duty only and a lower mileage allowance was paid and the HG had the option to spray your bike all over Khaki matt finish,fortunately they never did the latter.
ndbw
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ISTR the insurance companies have invented the write-off category of 'X'. Vehicles written off under this class do not get placed on the register. This has been noticed in the motorcycle press and is assumed to be done so that the insurers get more money from salvage auctions with this new category. There is no way to find out if a vehicle has been badly damaged and repaired when they use this category. I think it needs stopping.
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Category X cars are stolen recovered or TP claims. So you think wrong!
Q. What is CAT X?
A. CAT X is a vehicle which has had a claim but not written off. E.g Not recorded, usually Stolen Recovered, and found after insurance has paid out!
And Securicor don't carry insurance they carry the risk as do a lot of very major companies.
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A lot of S/R have quite a bit of damage - thieves are not generally sympathetic drivers (as in 'drive it like you stole it').
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