ID Theft

My car is classed as a Category C insurance write off. Can I appeal against this?

Before I owned the car, a 1997 Ford Escort Estate, it was involved in a minor bump. The car was stationary, and was hit at low speed by a reversing car. The only damage was to the tailgate. The insurance company had the repairs valued at over £1000, and thus offered the owner £900 to scrap the vehicle. The owner refused, as the car was otherwise immaculate. He took it to a private but reputable bodyshop, who replaced the tailgate, at a cost of £500. They re-MOT'd the car, and the insurance was re-instated. On applying for a new V5, having just bought the car, I have just had a letter from the DVLA saying I need to get a Vehicle Identity Check, as the car is classed as an insurance write off, Category C. As no claim was pursued, and no money was handed over by the insurance company, surely the car was NOT written off, and my car should not have "The vehicle has been substantially repaired and/or accident damaged" on it's log book.

Public Comments

1. I managed a body show for a while, and this does not sound right. I suggest contacting the insurance company and asking them about it. They can not list the car as scrap, if the owner did not accept payment and let the insurance take possession of the car. Interesting question, and good for a star.
2. You need to tell this to the DVLA. Sounds like either there's a c0ck-up or the previous owner is telling porkies. Certainly something's wrong here. Hopefully you'll be able to establish who the insurers were and what happened.
3. Make sure the previous owner didn't receive the money from insusrance.I know one case, the insurance gave the money and allow him to keep the car aswell,because he was not happy with the claim money. But they clearly told him to do the VIC and the car was cat C. I think , you can appeal against it ony if there a mistake from insurance people.
4. You need to check with the DVLA and the insurance company to get the true story here. When an insurer writes off a vehicle for whatever reason (economic total loss - where repairs would cost more than the car is worth, or severe damage etc) they pay out for the car in total and then they effectively own it. In all cases they then have a scrap vehicle to dispose of and it is sold as salvage, usually to a breakers yard. In some cases the original owner may agree a settlement where they keep the salvage, ie the insurer would pay out the value of the car less what they could get from a salvage yard, and this may well have happened here. If the previous owner accepted a cash figure from the insurers and as part of the deal retained the car then they were duty bound to inform the DVLA that it had been a write-off. In some cases insurers also have to inform the DVLA of a total loss even if they don't pay out anything, that data then makes it onto such registers as HPI etc to protect possible future buyers from unknowingly buying a car that was once a write off. The only way you will get the full facts is from the insurer concerned, but the Data Protection Act may stop them from revealing too much info. Good luck
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