So basically I'm looking for a new motor as my C2 VTS was cruelly wiped out and written off by a bus a few weeks back. I've only just had everything finalised so I'm on the lookout for a new car. There's a garage I go to a lot and the people who run it are family friends who we've known a very long time. One of them is selling a 64 plate Fiesta ST3 for £10k with 11000 miles on the clock, but it's a Cat D... Now I do trust him that everything would be in working order. He says the damage was some lad crashed into the back of someone and had bonnet, bumper, wings, dash and windscreen damage but it's back to brand new. I've never been in this situation before so is the first time I've come across buying a previous write off. If anyone has some sound advice it would be appreciated.
No. I found a couple of nice BMWs before I bought my car that were ultra-low mileage Cat-Ds. They were only about £1,500 under market value (in the £15-£20K range), so it wasn't worth the risk. Plus, I change insurance pretty much every year if I can get a better deal, and I didn't fancy telling a new company the car was a write-off every year at renewal time.
Mate stear the f*ck away from any car that's had a smash, especially one heavy enough to do that much damage. My mate bought an Audi S5 that was a cat D due to a fire in the wiring loom and that wasn't too bad but crashes are a big no no. Plus as Stret says, your insurance will go up a lot as you'll have to declare it as previously written off. They can be an absolute nightmare whilst looking fine on the surface. Trust me, don't do it.
I've never seen a question on a motor policy which specifically asks whether or not the car to be insured has been involved in an accident?
Being in accident is one thing, being written off is another. I imagine the insurance companies will have access to information re. write-offs, and I think it's recorded on the V5C (log book). Either way, my view is that insurance companies are little more than highwaymen at the best of times, so giving them a reason to refuse your pay out is asking for trouble.
