Stolen recovered ?

[8145keith]

Hi every one,

I’m thinking of looking at a C32 AMG estate for sale its on a 51 plate, and looks quite good. However its bean recorded as stolen recovered, the seller states its had no damage, so will this black mark on its history effect a future sale, or insurance?
Has any one on here bought a stolen recovered car and if so does it make any difference.

Thanks for any replies KJ

 

[timk]

Hi every one,

I’m thinking of looking at a C32 AMG estate for sale its on a 51 plate, and looks quite good. However its bean recorded as stolen recovered, the seller states its had no damage, so will this black mark on its history effect a future sale, or insurance?
Has any one on here bought a stolen recovered car and if so does it make any difference.

Thanks for any replies KJ

If it's declared as stolen recovered it's likely to be category D (i.e. the insurance has paid out on it) and will appear on HPI as having been subject to an insurance claim. Therefore it will always be worth at least 15-20% less than the market value of an equivalent 'straight' car. May well be a sound car that was stolen with keys (as they mostly are these days) and recovered undamaged. If it checks out and you get an inspection then it may be worth a punt, as long as you negotiate a price commensurate with the history of the car.

 

[Oily Rag]

if it's declared as stolen recovered it's likely to be category d (i.e. The insurance has paid out on it) and will appear on hpi as having been subject to an insurance claim. Therefore it will always be worth at least 15-20% less than the market value of an equivalent 'straight' car. May well be a sound car that was stolen with keys (as they mostly are these days) and recovered undamaged. If it checks out and you get an inspection then it may be worth a punt, as long as you negotiate a price commensurate with the history of the car.

+1

 

[jonnyboy]

+2 maybe 25% less and + around 25% more difficult to sell on.....

 

[bennesspipers]

If you later wish to sell it ,it'll STILL be listed as cat D, so keeping the price down IF you can find a customer, not easy to sell in my opinion.

 

[janner]

However its bean recorded as stolen recovered

There's no such thing as stolen/recovered on HPi; it's either a total loss (cat A,B,C or D) or it's not. If the seller says it's recorded then it's been damaged.

 

[jonnyboy]

agreed. what it will have going for it is that it will be a cheap way into a rare-ish car for someone, would certainly be easier to shift than say a w124 e200 on the hitlist.

 

[bpsorrel]

I guess if you regarded the car as a keeper, and sold it in a few years, the additional devaluation would probably end up a lower percentage and therefore, if the car's otherwise sound, could be a good buy. A friend of mine bought a Porsche Boxster in the same way and got it at quite a reduction. He intends to keep it a long time so isn't too bothered about resale value.

 

[janner]

The biggest problem is that the seller is saying it wasn't damaged which just isn't true if it's been a write off. I'm not sure I'd want to buy a write off if I didn't know where it was damaged and how it was repaired.
If the car was stolen with the keys then recovered undamaged it wouldn't be recorded on HPi.

 

[8145keith]

Hi guys,

Thanks for your expertise on this matter the cars on e bay item no 260563158088
Don’t know how to do a link on here, ill have to look it up.

Thanks again, don’t think I trust the seller enough to buy this car now. So I think ill keep looking.

Cheers KJ

 

[CE230]

There's nothing in the advert that says it's a Cat D, did the buyer state this to you personally?

 

[BlackC55]

There's nothing in the advert that says it's a Cat D, did the buyer state this to you personally?

Yes there is!

It is a bit overoriced. Expect to pay 5-6k for it in reality

 

[GordonTarling]

A bit suspicious to me - the item specifics give the mileage as 84000, the bold description gives it as 29000, yet the smaller text further down says it's 86000! I'd say it was worth a look IF you can verify the mileage and IF you can get it for the right price.

 

[timk]

There's no such thing as stolen/recovered on HPi; it's either a total loss (cat A,B,C or D) or it's not. If the seller says it's recorded then it's been damaged.

it doesn't have to have been damaged to be recorded as Cat D. It just means that the insurance company has paid out on the car and recorded it as an insurance loss on the HPI register, the marker stays with the car regardless of whether it is subsequently recovered either damaged, or undamaged. As you say there is no way of recording a car as stolen recovered on the HPI register, so all such cars, assuming they aren't recovered and returned to owner before being paid out on, would be recorded Cat D regardless of damage, or even Cat C if damage is more extensive.

 

[trainer]

I bought my C32 as a Cat D last year. The previous owner had bought the car as a Cat D 2 years previously repaired it and got it back on the road.

I got it for 35% less than market value for cars the same age, spec and mileage. It has been fun to drive and not expensive to service. It has had some of the C class niggles of the early W203s but nothing major.

It is a great way to get a bargain if you want to run it for a while. In a few years time if I make £3k instead of £4k for non Cat D that is fine.

 

[janner]

it doesn't have to have been damaged to be recorded as Cat D. It just means that the insurance company has paid out on the car and recorded it as an insurance loss on the HPI register, the marker stays with the car regardless of whether it is subsequently recovered either damaged, or undamaged. As you say there is no way of recording a car as stolen recovered on the HPI register, so all such cars, assuming they aren't recovered and returned to owner before being paid out on, would be recorded Cat D regardless of damage, or even Cat C if damage is more extensive.

Sorry, but none of the above is true.
When a car is stolen a marker is put against it until it's recovered.
If it is recovered without damage then it won't be recorded at all, even if the insurance has paid out. The stolen marker is removed and no one can ever tell.
Only if it's recovered with damage will it be recorded as a write off.

 

[timk]

Sorry, but none of the above is true.
When a car is stolen a marker is put against it until it's recovered.
If it is recovered without damage then it won't be recorded at all, even if the insurance has paid out. The stolen marker is removed and no one can ever tell.
Only if it's recovered with damage will it be recorded as a write off.

One of my best friends has bought three stolen recovered cars over the years and two have been recorded. Both were totally undamaged and recovered with keys, and were Cat D on the HPI register.

 

[janner]

Doesn't make sense for insurance companies to classify undamaged cars as damaged. Maybe ask your friend to clarify?

 

[Mudster]

Sorry, but none of the above is true.
When a car is stolen a marker is put against it until it's recovered.
If it is recovered without damage then it won't be recorded at all, even if the insurance has paid out. The stolen marker is removed and no one can ever tell.
Only if it's recovered with damage will it be recorded as a write off.

Cat D is used to record Stolen recovered, it is used as a category to categorise an insurance loss on a vehicle that has little or no damage or a vehicle recovered from theft after an insurance settlement has been reached. HERE is a simple explanation.

Contrary to popular belief a vehcile can have it's category removed (applies to CAT D only) by a full engineers inspection by a company called AUTOLIGN.

If the car passes the inspection it is no longer classed a CAT D but as Engineer Inspected. this generally makes cars worth about 10% less than completely unrecorded. You are safe in the knowledge that if repaired it's been done to a standard that is equivalent to manufacturer repair.

I have personally done this with a Cat D vehicle.

The inspection cost £150 when I went through it about 4 years ago. It even includes a paint depth test on every panel of the car to note any repainted parts.

 

[Beetnik]

Having had a car stolen and recovered before the insurance paid out I'd stay well clear. Mine was supposedly undamaged but I later discovered it had been ragged around, handbrake turns, over kerbs etc etc. It went back for repair three or four times iirc and every time it was a battle as to whether the problem was caused by the scrote who took it (it undoubtedly was) or, as the insurance company line taken by 'normal wear and tear'. Independent engineer required to convince them to pick up the tab. I'd have been well fed up if I'd bought it and had the problems I had with it. As it was I got rid a couple of months after it was supposedly sorted - the car was never the same after I got it back and I was well pleased to see the back of it.