Thetownend.com

Bought a car off E-Bay a few months ago for £1500.

Got rear-ended last week and although the damage is fairly minimal (need a new light cluster and the wraparound bumper is knocked out of shape a bit) the other driver's insurance have decided to write it off and have offered £2385 or I keep the car and get that amount less 12%.

Seems a no-brainer to me but as the car will be classed as a Category D write off - what does that exactly mean in terms of what happens next.

I will obviously fix the car myself but is there anything I have to do re the DVLA and will it affect my insurance cover at all

Ta

I did this years ago with an RS2000 when it was knicked, all you do is inform the DVLA/VOSA and they inspect it for a fee (less than £50) and then it is registered again for road use, but it will always flag up that it has been an insurance write off if anybody checks so the resale value will be a lot less than the actual value of a non written off car.

Thanks

You get to keep the car AND get the money you paid for it? That is fucking ace.

Yep you get the money -the write off cost of the car, I got a payment of £2000 and was able to buy the car back at scrap cost which was £400 so I got a car and £1600 cash and a car that cost me £400 to put back on the road which I sold for £2500 :) so I made £3700.

I'm actually getting the car back plus £2100 for a car I paid £1500 for 3 months ago.

I reckon it will cost me about £200 to get it fixed

I'd obviously be warey because some insurance companies will not insure cat d cars. If you do sell the car on in the future you have to declare it and it loses about 40% in value I think.

If you are going to keep the car for a few years I would keep the car, if you have no emotional value I would take the pay off as it is less hassle in the future.

Seems good now but in the long run the car might be 'un-insurable' and you'll get sod all if you try and sell it.

I'd take the payoff and invest in a new vehicle if I were you.

I think I've got all the info now.

Cat D write off will not require any involvement with DVLA

My present insurer will suspend my insurance until the car is fixed and has been issued with a new MOT

When the time comes to sell the car it will flag up as being a Cat D

My other option is I could try and sell it on E-Bay as a Cat D write off, add that to the insurance money and start from scratch.

Must say I'm surprised that the car has been valued so much higher than what I paid for it.

What car is it?

2005 BMW 320 Estate

Good price. Has it done 200,000 miles? :)

Great shout! I'ts done 201,000

And what is your mother's maiden name?