Why a damaged car can cost you more than a write off: the trouble with Cat C vehicles…

Sometimes, car owners get lucky. When they crash their vehicle, they damage it so badly that it’s no longer fit for the road and sent straight to the scrap yard – they’re able to make a clean break and buy a new car.

Others, well, they aren’t so lucky. Their vehicles actually survive…

It might seem a little counter-intuitive, but being the owner of a car that’s damaged to the point of being completely written is often less troublesome than being the owner of a vehicle that’s damaged and still deemed to be roadworthy.

So what’s going on here?

Insurance Categories

When a car is involved in a crash, insurance providers look at the vehicle and assign it to a category based on its condition. These insurance ‘write off’ categories are as follows:

– Cat A or Cat B? Things are looking good, you’re in the clear. Your car is declared a write off, and following all regulation, will be crushed.

– Cat C or D? This is where things get a little more complicated. Your car is declared a write off, but the insurance company have decided that it’s still serviceable after all relevant repairs have been made.

It might not look so bad to find yourself the owner of a Cat C car – it’s just that the cost of the repairs are often greater than the cost of the vehicle itself. And to make matters worse, most insurance companies won’t fork out for the repairs.

The problem with Cat C cars

So if your BMW 5 Series has been deemed a Cat C write off, where does it leave you?

Let’s say you’re able to cover the cost and can pay for the repairs on your car, to get the vehicle legally back on the roads it’s also necessary for the vehicle to have a Vehicle Identity Check to ensure its road worthiness. The car might now be fit for the road, but you’ll have lost a lot of money trying to get it there.

Many Cat C car owners try to get round the issue of insurance and attempt to sell their damaged vehicles, but what they soon realise is that most buyers aren’t really in the market for a damaged Cat C BMW 5 or 3 Series.

Of course, if you can’t afford the cost of the repairs, you’ll be without a car, unable to afford the cost of a buying another.

What to do?

We come across Cat C cars all the time. We also come across car owners who’re unable to afford the repairs and eager to get rid of their damaged cars.

Can’t find a buyer? Can’t afford the cost of the repairs? Whatever the make and model – Chrysler, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW – here at WeBuyAnyDamagedCar we buy broken cars (including those difficult to shift Cat C and Cat D vehicles) and take the hassle out of the sale process, collecting from anywhere in mainland UK within 48 hours.

We’re able to help you put some money towards the cost of a new car. So if you’re looking to sell your Cat C or Cat D vehicle, contact us today. Get in touch for a free, no obligation quotation. We offer cash for cars, and we’ll take that financial-headache of a car off your hands.