Cat C Write Off in 2002, UK Car.

[nickyandlee]

Hi, I've just found out that my Mini Cooper Sport i bought 2 months ago was a Cat C write off in 2002, then it was approx 18 months old, i have had it inspected by the AA and only a wing has been replaced. As cat C of 2002 is now i've been told Cat D, Is there anyway my car's Cat C can be removed from HPI?? Also the garage said when purchased it was HPI clear, can I get a refund??, HELP PLEASE, i'm gutted.Lee

[rdv]

difficult to see why this was a cat. c just for a wing at that age. unless you have an HPI cert. its your word against theirs as to what was said when you bought it, perhaps they said it was HPI clear of finance

[nickyandlee]

Thats what i thought!, but my own opinion is that the original owner had a policy that give a new for old if under 2 years. All I can remember is they said it was HPi'd. I got my original receipt, but that says nothing about HPI.
WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?? Trading Standards???

[NORMANTHEDOG]

the cat c stays with the car forever,it cannot be removed,you should have got a copy of the HPI yourself,you have been conned by the garage,try trading standards.but i doubt you will get any joy,the garage will wriggle out of it.

[jake-the-peg]

You might be interested in this:

http://www.autoligninspections.co.uk/inspectio ns.html

[nickyandlee]

Cheers Jake!!!, what a find!!! :-)

[rdv]

Autolign are not cheap and the database at Swansea will always show the car as a cat. c anyway

[nickyandlee]

Thanks RDV, if it takes the cat C off then i think �195 & vat aint a bad price, who's looks after the VCAR database??, DVLA??

[jake-the-peg]

�200 sounds pretty cheap to me against a mini cooper sport - less than the price of a couple of tyres I'd think

[NORMANTHEDOG]

yes,rdv is right,even if you have this test done,it will not remove the cat c from the dvla records.

[jake-the-peg]

But buyers don't check the DVLA records do they? The DVLA supply data to people like HPI and it's the HPI condition register that what it's removed from.

Buyers do HPI checks.

Personally I think I'd want it done if only because as rdv says the claim that it was cat c'd at that age for some wing damage sounds like a pile of pooh and an independant assessment of the car will probably set your mind at rest - if they take it off the register it's a bonus

[NORMANTHEDOG]

so if you sell it without telling the buyer its a cat c,thats ok is it.

[rdv]

When ever the car has an MOT the loss is flagged up on the testers screen. Its not recorded on the MOT certificate but if the tester asks the owner about it and the owner is unaware of it you can imagine its a concern for the person who is completely in the dark about its history, not very nice!

[nickyandlee]

Hi Guys, I spoke to the DVLA earlier and they inform me that it's on their records as had an accident on 10/10/2002, but not Catagorised as it was before the VIC check came into force. I put my situation to them and they stated that no "cat C" as it were, is recorded on their systems.
I also spoke to the insurance company who wrote the vehicle off, they stated that their decision to write it off was because of the extensive labour costs, the parts were of "minimal expense", for legal reasons they stated they could not tell me more, but did indicate it was the O/S/F which was damaged, where the new wing was fitted.

[NORMANTHEDOG]

well it sounds like there was also a lot of mechanical work done on the suspension.etc

[nickyandlee]

but it's still cat c on an HPI check, so i might go down the road of what RDV recommended!. thanks to all, if anyone else has any suggestions i would appriciate it.

[carparts]

Are RDV actually offering to remove it from the Hpi records as I am sure this can not be done. I would ask as to what "the vehicle will be removed from the HPI condition alert register." actually means.