Floody write-offs

A staggering 237 thousand written off cars are uncovered
every year by hpi as being offered for sale by sellers who won’t always declare
to buyers that they are insurance write-offs.
Flood damage
However, warns hpi, with the used car market anticipated to
be swamped with flood damaged cars in the coming months, the risk of purchasing
a write-off could significantly be on the rise and buyers are being urged to
take the necessary precautions.
Write-off
Whilst it’s not illegal to professionally repair and sell
Category C and D insurance write-off cars, those that have been declared a
Category A and B write-off are only good for the scrap heap or should be broken down
for spare parts; they should never be returned to the roads. Unfortunately,
there are fraudsters willing to patch up and disguise written off vehicles and
sell them on to unsuspecting buyers for a quick profit.
Risks
The risk with unwittingly buying a water damaged insurance
total loss, that hasn’t been properly repaired, is that engine components that
have been flooded need to be completely replaced to ensure they work correctly.
Brakes, starter motors and catalytic converters can fail at any point and pose
a risk to drivers, their passengers and pedestrians.
However, there’s an added danger in the coming months for
buyers in that some car owners may innocently try to sell on their flood
damaged vehicle, once its interior has dried out and has been professional
cleaned, oblivious that it is potentially hazardous. Whilst they are genuinely
unaware of the hidden dangers that flooding may have caused to the mechanics of
the car, omitting its history to a potential buyer will leave the new owner in
the dark about its real condition.
Neil Hodson of hpi said: “To avoid landing
yourself with a nightmare on wheels, rather than your dream car, we urge you to
conduct a vehicle history check. This will tell you if the car has been
declared an insurance write-off and importantly, what category write-off it
is."
Hodson added that it's really important to
understand that not all written off cars should be avoided. "Category C
and D write-offs that have been professionally repaired and declared roadworthy
can present a bargain for buyers.
"In a repaired state, cap Black Book estimates a category write-off vehicle is normally worth 50% -70% of its pre-accident value, so if you’ve done an hpi check and know the car has history, you will be armed to negotiate a good deal."