Cat D Write Offs

[The Rolling Stones]

Help please. I'm looking at buying a 2011 MoHo that was stolen in 2016 and later recovered. The current owner bought it as a Cat D (Damaged but Repairable) and is now selling, but has no Engineers Report or details of how it was written off. There is obvious damage which is cosmetic and definitely repairable but my Insurance Company want an Engineers Report - and so do I, but.... I have no idea of the Insurance Company that wrote it off or of the damage that resulted in the write off. The price is good and reflects the outstanding problems.
Has anyone got any ideas how I could find this information to get it inspected?
I can go to another company that aren't so pedantic but I need to know for my own peace of mind what happened to it.
Even if I do find the Insurance Company - are they likely to quote Data Protection nonsense and say they won't tell me?
Or should I just walk away now.......?
Thanks,
Stonie

 

[pappajohn]

If there's no engineers report don't walk away..... Run away, fast.
Regardless of the damage It could have been bodged and until it has that report to say its been repaired to a satisfactory standard its still classed as a right off and no insurer will touch it.

 

[StitchesnFluff]

Leave it alone is my advice

 

[Theonlysue]

Data protection covers people not vehicles.
Wouldn't touch with a bargepole!

 

[Zepp]

I agree with the above walk away very fast

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[The Rolling Stones]

Sound advice Funsters, this is me walking away...........!

 

[DavidG58]

Car D never needed a report, it covers relatively minor damage through to no damage such as stolen with keys and recovered

Even Cat C with a report is still a Cat C, it can never lose that status nor can can any other written off vehicle

But all these categories have been reclassified now and I thought had been in 2016

I would say Cat D possibly covered the damage you can still see and if the price is good enough I would still be tempted , subject to finding insurance of course

 

[pappajohn]

Ask yourself why didn't the current owner repair the damage and ask a proper price rather than make a quick buck.

 

[TheBig1]

an independent garage can inspect the vehicle and draw up a report

 

[The Rolling Stones]

an independent garage can inspect the vehicle and draw up a report

....what might they charge for such a job?

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[TheBig1]

a couple of hours labour is about right

 

[Deneb]

Car D never needed a report, it covers relatively minor damage through to no damage such as stolen with keys and recovered

Of course there will have been a report, otherwise they would not have been able to decide how to classify it. The details of the insurer who classified it will be on the industry MIAFTR register, together with a very approximate indication of the area(s) of damage. In my professional experience Cat D can encompass anything from stolen and recovered with no/minimal damage to something that should really have been economically unrepairable.

I doubt an individual would be able to get any information from either MIAFTR or the insurer though, even if you could discover who they were. My involvement was on the police side and we always had to submit DPA applications, with varying levels of responsiveness. If the classification was more than a few years ago, the insurer may also no longer have the information available.

It was also my experience that insurers are often quite happy to insure written off vehicles if the customer does not bring that fact to their attention at the time of seeking a quote, but substantial problems may later arise in the event of any subsequent claim.

 

[Geo]

Remember you will have as much trouble selling it as he is

 

[The Rolling Stones]

Thanks everyone. I'll leave it alone, I can do without the hassle - now and in the future!

 

[138go]

Well that certainly makes a change on here. We usually get someone come along and ask a question then we never here from them again or they do the complete opposite of what has been suggested. In this case looks like the Don't Buy won by a landslide which just goes to show what might happen if you try and sell it later.

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[Jev88]

On the flip side of obviously being careful with CatD.... I purchased a car for my Mum - saw before and after photo of passenger door and rear door deep scrapes, no report, just valid new MOT - when insuring the Cat D made ZERO difference to the policy and the subsequent policy we switched to after 12 months.