Cars "written-off" in the UK fall into various categories

The guidelines of the Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register

Brief explanation of "write-off" categories.

Cat 'A' Vehicle totally wrecked or burnt out. The car cannot be safely repaired. No parts from the vehicle can be reused. The car goes to the crusher.
Cat 'B' Vehicle has heavy damage e.g. badly distorted body shell which can't be repaired. Must be scrapped. Parts can be reclaimed as salvage, but the car cannot be safely repaired and must be scrapped.
Cat 'C' Vehicles of this category are vehicles which the retail repair costs were over the cost of the pre accident value . The car is uneconomic to repair, but could be repaired safely after which it would need a VIC (Vehicle Identity Check) test carried out on it. This is done by the DVLA at one of their testing stations. This checks the vehicle is really the one it should be and has not been "ringed" for example
Cat 'D' Lightest damage of all the categories. Vehicles of this category are vehicles which the retail repair costs were below the pre accident value of the vehicle. In some circumstances the car could still be uneconomic to repair. The car can be repaired and put back into the market without the need for a VIC.

The main purpose of this system and the VIC  is to clamp down on car crime.

The story of my car

Having paid for comprehensive insurance with a well known and "respected" company that advertises on television, imagine my surprise to find that my car had been written off and classified as a category A ! Remember this was an accident in a car park where a car reversed into mine, not a 70 mph crash on the motorway. I suppose you could expect some kind of less that reasonable treatment if you insure with some fly-by-night cheapo outfit, you don't from a household name. Also the amount offered in compensation was laughable.

When I tried to point all this out to my insurers, and that it was quite evident that whatever category it was, it could not be regarded as a category A write off, at the worst the car is category C, they were intransigent. Even after long negotiations to let me get the vehicle back as salvage, they would not allow it. First hiding behind the category A  rating as a reason, then changing their tune a little and now saying it is category B. Now  you would think they ought to know which it was in the first place!
Of course this still meant I could buy the car back off them. (And all this with only a slight increase to their derisory first offer which even now is less than I can reasonably replace my car with).

Naturally having the car back would enable me to find another similar car with good bodywork that could be brought back to the very high standard my car was in before the accident. It would also give me some transport and thus the opportunity to find a replacement.. Of course this could only be done if the car is firstly correctly categorised, which it was not, and secondly roadworthy which it most definitely was.

Lesson to be learned

Never accept the first offer of compensation, they will usually offer more the next time. Insurers will make an offer (eventually) that is based usually on the lowest sale prices on the market. This normally means private adverts. So if you feel more comfortable buying from a garage, with the admittedly far from perfect consumer protection laws in your favour, then in effect this right is denied you. The reason for private sales? Because the prices tend to be significantly lower than at a garage, so you can be offered the lower amount in compensation.

If you have a vehicle that is actually worth more to you than this "market value" (private sales, in god knows what condition, and what its history might be), try to get it insured for an agreed amount that you could reasonably  replace the vehicle for. In the event of a write off you know what you will get for the car in compensation, not just the lowest book price. Check each year the amount is realistic, you can't insure a £100 banger for £10,000 and expect them to pay out! "Agreed Value" insurance is available for classic cars, maybe we can argue we now own a future classic vehicle, something worth investigating.

If the car can be driven legally and safely after an accident, don't make my mistake and opt for the "approved repair centre" that the insurers may recommend. They will probably offer a courtesy car while your is waiting to be inspected. You are also entitled in some circumstances to have a hire car paid for buy the insurance equivalent to the model you are having inspected. BUT. Any such vehicles have to be returned immediately if the car is written off. At some (very inconvenient) stage you would then be without a vehicle.

You are entitled to get several estimates for the repair and the vehicle will still be in your possession. Once it disappears into someone's storage compound you will find it difficult to get it back! The old saying "possession is 9/10ths of the law may not be strictly true, but it sure does help to be able to at least have the car handy in case you want your own inspection done on it. Also you have still have some transport of your own.

This must have triggered some response, as my insurance company paid to get an independent engineer to look at my car. He classified it as Cat C.

And now one or two other little details start to emerge. I asked them something along the lines of 'How does one of their "expert" "engineers" inspect the car and get it so wrong?' Here now is something I did not know at the time but, the original inspecting engineer never actually saw the car, which was in a repair centre in South Manchester while he looked at either a video link or a bunch of jpegs sent over the net while sat in front of a pc in Swindon or somewhere!

 The explanation they gave for the mistake? It was the computer program they use!

I believe many companies have a no-buy-back policy even when the classification allows it, i.e. categories C and D. This simplifies the whole process for them with written off cars.

My insurers said they had this policy, but were for some reason now willing to offer the car back to me. After some haggling we agreed a sum for me to pay to get my car back, their compensation had improved somewhat from the idiotically low first offer too.  So the deal was struck.

Then I phoned the repair centre to arrange to pick up the car, only to find it had been removed by the salvage people just an hour before!

Just who authorised this is difficult to say. The insurers blame the repair centre, the repair centre blame the insurers. As the insurers had the car in their "care" it is their fault anyway.

I have been assured that my car has not been in any way further damaged and would be delivered to me f.o.c.

As with they way events seem to have run throughout all of this, although the car was returned more damage had occurred to it   See Rover's Return

Insurance some general ideas

In the event of even a minor bump, and where the value of a car is less than about £2k you can be almost certain whatever the damage it will be written off as an uneconomic repair.

For example. If you had a well looked after 800 that worth about £1 to £2k and someone damages the front spoiler / bumper in a minor accident, and you put in a claim through your insurance, guess what.

The bumper and other bits will come to over £500 without fitting, spraying, VAT etc and if you have a broken headlight add another £100 to that, needs an indicator housing and a radiator as well? Continue with some more parts and you soon get near the point it is written off (some say about 70% of the book value of the car).

If the insurers give you £1k for the car and won't sell it back (they don't have to) - you lose your car. Then if they won't change their mind your only recourse is to refuse the settlement then you will just have a broken car. (I believe it is possible to seek compensation from the person who was at fault off their insurance, but I bet it would not be easy.)

If it classified as A B or C the DVLA will already have been informed. Only classification C and D can be repaired and then C requires a VIC - remember? (only C and D would be legal and safe to drive anyway, assuming it is road worthy and has been classified correctly. A and B category cars can't be used again and can only effectively be disposed of by licensed salvage operators).

So instead you have the money and no car to get around to find a new one. Still got your pushbike in the shed?

And you would probably have been able to repair that kind of damage yourself with second hand parts for perhaps £200. You could buy a complete donor car with all the the parts you'd need for just a little more!

I'll bet you won't find a car as good as the one you had for a grand either. If you do you should buy a lucky dip, on a day like that it will be the best chance you'll ever have for the roll-over!

Here is a montage of scans that give the repair estimates!

Back to Rover's Return!