Appealing Cat B?

[tradegirl 112]

Good morning guys.

Looking at a car, 2018 BMW, not a mark on it. Flood damaged but the engine runs. It's been written off in September as a Cat B...? The car's worth £20k all day long, who the hell wrote it off for a £2k rebuild?

Even if the gearbox has gone it's what...£5k? Maximum.

Has anyone had any experience in this in contacting the insurer to get it overturned? To be clear, this is going through auction, it's not my car.

[Mikey360 68]

I thought Cat B meant it could only be broken for parts? My bike was a Cat B write off after a crash on a round about years ago, I bought it back off the insurance company, I couldn't sell the frame but could sell everything else (that wasn't broken or bent).

[Del Boy 76]

5 minutes ago, Mikey360 said:

I thought Cat B meant it could only be broken for parts? My bike was a Cat B write off after a crash on a round about years ago, I bought it back off the insurance company, I couldn't sell the frame but could sell everything else (that wasn't broken or bent).

Correct. Cat A and B cannot be put back on the road. 
However the parts from cat b can be re-used 

[tradegirl 112]

Mikey, that's exactly it. But the car is near mint, it's classed as Run and Drive. Clocks are at 1000 revs and EML is on.

I'm baffled as to why it's a Cat B. Should be Cat N at worst.

[trade vet 702]

Water damaged,18 plate,1k ,there will be little wrong with it. 5 grand should be OK.Just a quick call to Aviva or whatever to get it taken off the list.Then ‘ bobs your uncle ‘ ,it will ‘ waltz out at 10 grand ‘..............sorry,I think you should just forget it .

[Mikey360 68]

I don't think they'll ever reverse a cat b, it wouldn't be worth the risk. 

[sparky 274]

Just had a look at this and it does seem a bit odd.

I'm sure someone in Eastern Europe or Somalia will find a good home for it.

[tradegirl 112]

1 hour ago, sparky said:

Just had a look at this and it does seem a bit odd.

I'm sure someone in Eastern Europe or Somalia will find a good home for it.

Sparky, what about the COD? Unless they do fake ones out there.

2 hours ago, trade vet said:

Water damaged,18 plate,1k ,there will be little wrong with it. 5 grand should be OK.Just a quick call to Aviva or whatever to get it taken off the list.Then ‘ bobs your uncle ‘ ,it will ‘ waltz out at 10 grand ‘..............sorry,I think you should just forget it .

Haha, TV there goes my bright idea then.

1 hour ago, Mikey360 said:

I don't think they'll ever reverse a cat b, it wouldn't be worth the risk. 

What a shame though. I'm not being a know it all, but I'd love to meet the muppet who wrote this off.

There are Category Ns smashed to within an inch of their lives. And this is a Cat B...poor car.

[Mikey360 68]

3 minutes ago, tradegirl said:

What a shame though. I'm not being a know it all, but I'd love to meet the muppet who wrote this off.

There are Category Ns smashed to within an inch of their lives. And this is a Cat B...poor car.

Owner could have cheekily asked the inspector to give it cat b write off so they got a pay out and able to get a newer car!

[tradegirl 112]

13 minutes ago, Mikey360 said:

Owner could have cheekily asked the inspector to give it cat b write off so they got a pay out and able to get a newer car!

Ooooh....I hadn't even thought of that.

[justina3 518]

three words spring to mind...................can of worms.

[tradegirl 112]

6 minutes ago, justina3 said:

three words spring to mind...................can of worms.

Justin, I wouldn't buy it as it is. Was just wondering if it's reversible.

As it stands, I've sent it to our BMW guy maybe he can make money off it breaking it.

[have a word with the wife 299]

4 hours ago, tradegirl said:

Good morning guys.

Looking at a car, 2018 BMW, not a mark on it. Flood damaged but the engine runs. It's been written off in September as a Cat B...? The car's worth £20k all day long, who the hell wrote it off for a £2k rebuild?

Even if the gearbox has gone it's what...£5k? Maximum.

Has anyone had any experience in this in contacting the insurer to get it overturned? To be clear, this is going through auction, it's not my car.

I did not realise you had a waste management licence and a waste carriers licence, where is your authorised treatment facility based ?

[Casper 272]

It is meant to be break only a cat b just for parts didn't mark from TVS not come across a Range Rover that was on road and a cat b so guess some slip through 

but as of you trying to do it TG I wouldn't bother a can of worms as someone said and it wouldn't happen anyway 

I remember seeing break only cars years ago when collected parts and the guy explained that the reason is they had been submerged in flood water and the reason the insurance wrote them of was due to the time they had been submerged in the water on hygiene reason so don't know maybe something like this 

if it's not dragged water into to the engine been driven ... this might explain it . 

 

Edited October 27, 2019 by Casper

[metcars 397]

But what if the car was used for private hire/chauffer etc? Its a year old BMW with turds in the carpet? It will need a lot more than a russian jet wash! He'd have a replacement vehicle paid by insurance for 2/3 weeks. Loss of earnings. Would all stick a big hole in 20k?

[CRW 73]

3 hours ago, Mikey360 said:

Owner could have cheekily asked the inspector to give it cat b write off so they got a pay out and able to get a newer car!

Had similar a few weeks ago.  Customer bought a 2013 Suzuki Swift from me last year for his granddaughter to replace her rolled VW Polo they had off me a year before (recurring theme coming up!)  Within a year she trashed the Suzuki as well.  Insurance company was going to repair, with a view that they wanted to trade it in with me after the repair.  I took a look over the car and said I wasn't keen, because a lovely shiny front end wasn't going to hide a dog chewed, cigarette burnt interior and it was scratched and dented all down the sides.   My customer then pushed the insurers to write it off, which they did.  I then sold them another Polo without having to take back the ropey/ half shiny part ex.

Probably be seeing them again soon on current form!

[Casper 272]

1 hour ago, CRW said:

Had similar a few weeks ago.  Customer bought a 2013 Suzuki Swift from me last year for his granddaughter to replace her rolled VW Polo they had off me a year before (recurring theme coming up!)  Within a year she trashed the Suzuki as well.  Insurance company was going to repair, with a view that they wanted to trade it in with me after the repair.  I took a look over the car and said I wasn't keen, because a lovely shiny front end wasn't going to hide a dog chewed, cigarette burnt interior and it was scratched and dented all down the sides.   My customer then pushed the insurers to write it off, which they did.  I then sold them another Polo without having to take back the ropey/ half shiny part ex.

Probably be seeing them again soon on current form!

There's also the factors involved in car hire costs etc I know of a claim where the damage to the car was £200 but the total value of the claim was 2.5 k with. Cost of a like for like vehicle etc

also some Insurance companies offer new for old if the car is under a year old and also with gap insurance etc I guess some would argue they wanted a new car rather than there 11 month old one repaired doesn't explain the b cat though and I would more likely to think its to do with the time spend in the flood water before recovery .. 

Edited October 27, 2019 by Casper

[awc1000 93]

7 hours ago, tradegirl said:

Good morning guys.

Looking at a car, 2018 BMW, not a mark on it. Flood damaged but the engine runs. It's been written off in September as a Cat B...? The car's worth £20k all day long, who the hell wrote it off for a £2k rebuild?

Even if the gearbox has gone it's what...£5k? Maximum.

Has anyone had any experience in this in contacting the insurer to get it overturned? To be clear, this is going through auction, it's not my car.

Back in the 2007? there were a lot of cars damaged in the worst floods we had seen in our lifetime, the insurers at the time were looking at big loss's, many insurers foolishly attempted to repair some of these instead of paying out, it didn't work and many cars were littered around workshops for months before it was conceded it was a bad idea, since then if it's been in the water it's usually an instant write off.

You mention £2k rebuild? any idea what that involved? a rewire alone on that car would be a huge cost an enough to write it off.

If it's been payed out and has a marker you have no chance of having it being changed / overturned.

[Lakeside 94]

Flood damaged cars are nearly always Cat B. It’s due to the fact water seaps in everywhere and may not cause issues until months down the line when corrosion starts in ecu’s etc. It’s not worth the hassle and come backs for insurance companies.

[Casper 272]

12 minutes ago, awc1000 said:

Back in the 2007? there were a lot of cars damaged in the worst floods we had seen in our lifetime, the insurers at the time were looking at big loss's, many insurers foolishly attempted to repair some of these instead of paying out, it didn't work and many cars were littered around workshops for months before it was conceded it was a bad idea, since then if it's been in the water it's usually an instant write off.

You mention £2k rebuild? any idea what that involved? a rewire alone on that car would be a huge cost an enough to write it off.

If it's been payed out and has a marker you have no chance of having it being changed / overturned.

I agree with everything awc has said here it all makes sense . 

4 minutes ago, Lakeside said:

Flood damaged cars are nearly always Cat B. It’s due to the fact water seaps in everywhere and may not cause issues until months down the line when corrosion starts in ecu’s etc. It’s not worth the hassle and come backs for insurance companies.

Also this is the case too as lakeside said it could take months for the damage to truly show corrosion in Ecu connections  I was also told they do it by an insurer assessor and owner of a large breakers that deals in a lot of cat cars that's there health implications of bacteria in the dirty water etc 

Edited October 27, 2019 by Casper

[Arfur Dealy 823]

8 hours ago, tradegirl said:

Good morning guys.

Looking at a car, 2018 BMW, not a mark on it. Flood damaged but the engine runs. It's been written off in September as a Cat B...? The car's worth £20k all day long, who the hell wrote it off for a £2k rebuild?

Even if the gearbox has gone it's what...£5k? Maximum.

Has anyone had any experience in this in contacting the insurer to get it overturned? To be clear, this is going through auction, it's not my car.

Don't even look at it... Its a non-starter.

[TangoVictor32 90]

Lots of good points on here...

 

There could be and there are a number of problems that aren't met to the eye - electrical damage, mechanical damage, locks, wiring, water inside key components.

But I guess a little £10 wash and dry would sort it out for retail at £20k.

The car would have been assessed and only some of the abovementioned issues would have been provisionally mentioned as to potential causes of it to not starting.

Too many folk think cars are boats 

 

[Casper 272]

50 minutes ago, TangoVictor32 said:

Lots of good points on here...

 

There could be and there are a number of problems that aren't met to the eye - electrical damage, mechanical damage, locks, wiring, water inside key components.

But I guess a little £10 wash and dry would sort it out for retail at £20k.

The car would have been assessed and only some of the abovementioned issues would have been provisionally mentioned as to potential causes of it to not starting.

Too many folk think cars are boats 

 

Haha seen it last week 420 i bmw in the middle of a puddle with the lady driver turning it over funny thing is the old diesel vectra px i was driving at the time ploughed through it no probs 

[BHM 994]

Appealing Cat B?

Not very appealing. 

[TangoVictor32 90]

1 hour ago, Casper said:

Haha seen it last week 420 i bmw in the middle of a puddle with the lady driver turning it over funny thing is the old diesel vectra px i was driving at the time ploughed through it no probs 

Some places are prone for for flooding. 

And if you're not local to that area you might ruin your motor. Even worse if the driver is inexperienced