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Hi all

Was watching a van on Ebay that is at a local sellers to us in Ingatestone, it is stated as Cat C insurance claim from an accident as the pics show slight cosmetic damage to a rear corner that hasn't pierced the skin.

We didn't go to view it but it got me thinking, what are the pitfalls of buying a van that has been an insurance job or even stolen and recovered?

Has anyone bought one and had any problems?

Being a category C van the cost to repair was more than the value of the caravan. So the price being asked should not be much more than the cost of the repairs.  Check with the seller why it was viable to repair contrary to the principles of category C. Find out who did the repair - was it an approved workshop or some bloke in a pub. What warranties can the dealer provide for the van. If its three months or less then forget it.

Some insurance companies will not cover category C vehicles so if you are to buy then you need to check first that you can actually get insurance for it. 

Check the CRiSS registration just in case it has been stolen damaged repaired and put back on the market

If you have a choice between genuine second hand and a cat C always go for the genuine second hand.

Phil

Most of that definition applies to a car, in particular the section about DVLA and registration. In the case of a caravan the cat C is limited to it being beyond economic repair.

So what can you do to satisfy yourself that the van is roadworthy. The dealer and private seller have a statutory duty to sell you a roadworthy caravan. It is a criminal offence under s 75 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to sell,  offer to sell or expose for sale an unroadworthy vehicle or trailer (caravan) punishable by a fine of up to £2000. In the case of a business sale, where the facts of a case would support a charge under s 75 of the 1988 Act there is also a potential charge under s 1(1) of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 (false trade description). This  may, on conviction, lead to a term of imprisonment of up to two years.

Quote: Originally posted by cwdc56768 on 08/10/2011

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Most of that definition applies to a car, in particular the section about DVLA and registration. In the case of a caravan the cat C is limited to it being beyond economic repair.

So what can you do to satisfy yourself that the van is roadworthy. The dealer and private seller have a statutory duty to sell you a roadworthy caravan. <SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>It is a criminal offence under s 75 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to sell,<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>offer to sell or expose for sale an unroadworthy vehicle or trailer (caravan) punishable by a fine of up to £2000. I<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>n the case of a business sale, where the facts of a case would support a charge under s 75 of the 1988 Act there is also a potential charge under s 1(1) of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 (false trade description). This<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>may, on conviction, lead to a term of imprisonment of up to two years. </SPAN></SPAN>

<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>

<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>If the seller does not indicate that the van is being sold either a) as scrap to be used as spares or </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN" lang=EN>b) on the understanding that it is unroadworthy and the purchaser will be responsible for restoring it to a roadworthy state then it is implied into your contract to purchase that it is roadworthy.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN>

</SPAN></SPAN>However, never rely on implied terms. You should be asking just what evidence the seller has that it is in fact roadworthy. Once you have bought such a van the duty to make sure it is roadworthy rests with the buyer.

Phil

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