Take back my stolen car

[SparklyDeer]

My house was broken a week ago into and my car stolen. Lovely 10yr old mini countryman...bit of a banger but my banger. It has turned up. It has obviously been parked up for a while then a play thing for a couple days. No damage. More damage from the police fingerprinting.
Insurance firm says its a write off. I saw it today and seems fine. Do I take the insurance money (no idea how much yet) or go and get it back, get it checked over, locks changed etc.
Looked at second hand cars today and they are all so expensive. I am tempted to get my mini back but I dont know if that is the most sensible thing to do.

AiBU - to take the mini back.
AiNBU - take the insurance money

Any advice if I do take it back? Thanks

They should pay out and allow you to keep it as an option

I'd take it back, car buying is such a ball ache.

I took mine back in similar circumstances, they originally tried to write it off, they hadn't even asked if I wanted it back and seemed surprised when I said it did. It had some minor damage to a piece of trim and needed a good clean and inspection but nothing else.

It would depend how much the insurance are willing to pay out for it

My worry would be used syringes in the car seats.

WTAF?!

If there's nothing wrong with it and you can't really afford to buy a new car, what choice do you have? In your situation, I'd just get my car back.

I think if it was officially written off but you elect to keep it, it has to be insured/listed as a category D (?) vehicle. That’s not an issue per se u less you then try to sell it on where you would have to declare it.

I got to see it and it's all fine. No signs of any drugs usage in it.

It would depend on the type of write off. If it’s just Beyond Economical Repair, there would be no issue, they would offer you a lower amount than them taking it for salvage, but you could then use the money to get it repaired yourself.
If it’s a Catagory S - which is Total Loss with structural damage, I would let the insurance company take it. It’s repairable by a qualified professional, but structural stuff tends to be expensive than just a bit of bodywork.
I was a claims handler until I moved department a year ago.

I have taken the lower off to keep a car in the past, you do need to let your insurance company know - for future insurances I mean.

I would worry that they'd driven it like maniacs and damaged it mechanically, ie weakened the suspension, but the defects wouldn' t present until a few months time. With it being 10 years old as well they could have exacerbated normal wear and tear.

With a stolen car they try to write it off with no damage at all. I got mine repaired and returned (the valet job they did on it was amazing) when I said I'd like it back, it wasn't written off at all.

Mine had 70,000 miles on the clock when stolen and did another 70,000 before I replaced it.

Why have they written it off if it’s been found with no damage?

Well that escalated quickly

Why have they written it off if it’s been found with no damage?

Also would like to know.

If they write it off you can buy it back for the salvage value I think and make it roadworthy- it would impact its resale value in the future i think as a previously written off vehicle.

Apparently it is because there is no keys and the cost to sort out new locks and a couple scratches is worth more than half of the value of the car so they write it off

Because heroin addicts love a joyride and then hiding the syringes in the seats.

They write off perfectly repairable cars now. I'm pretty sure it's an initiative by the government to try and get ICE cars off the road.

I'm amazed a 10 year old car is considered a 'banger' as and write off

You take thecinsurance money and ask to buy the van back.

It's so anti the reduce, reuse, recycle message. I had a hybrid car written off (1800 damage on a car worth 3k). I don't understand why the insurance company prefers to pay out 3k rather than 1.8k??

One of my cars was a write-off after someone hit it while I was parked but the insurance company let me keep it and I sold it for parts. Between that and the payout I could get a new (to me!) car. So you could take the money and keep it.

i’m not an expert in this but I wonder how you’d insure a car that’s considered a write off?

DH had a van about to be written off, problem was he couldn't find the same van same mileage, same specification (needed specifically) in anywhere near as good a state of repair, so he got the loss adjuster out to plead his case and they repaired (2 new panels and a respray one side) which actually DID cost less than they'd have paid out.(about 2.5k less).

It's likely to be more expensive to insure and not all insurers will offer cover.