Does anyone know anything about having a car written off?

[lilibet]

Has anyone ever bought one back? Or managed to have the value increased?

I'm confused. Why would you want to do that? If it's written off it's irreparable isn't it?

My DB's old car (very old escort) got hit by a lorry when it was parked. The bodywork was badly damaged on lots of panels and therefore the cost of repairing it was greater than the value of the car (which was only about £100). The car still drove fine though.

The insurance company send you a cheque for the value of the car and they are obliged to inform the authorities (I think DVLA or similar) that the car has been "written off". If you still wish to drive the car (without having it repaired etc), you can, but you have to have it tested at some (DVLA?) testing centre to prove that it is the vehicle that you say it is, rather than the back of one car welded to the front of another etc. So, the car is still yours, you can keep it and do what you like with it, even if insurers pay you the full value. You must inform authorities, though, if ins co have told them it is written off.

My next-door neighbour's car was an economic write-off this time last year. She really wanted to save it as it only had a damaged wing and headlight and 20,000 miles on the clock. However, when she looked into it, it was such a complicated procedure to get it back on the road that she didn't bother in the end. I wanted to keep my car as well when the insurance company wrote it off but they said they would no longer insure it and I did wonder if I would have to pay a lot more insurance with someone else as you have to declare that it's been written off. Maybe you could get some quotes for re-insuring your car, getting the new mot etc and then decide if it's worth it?
Elphaba, if it's written off it may not be irrepairable, it just may be that the cost of repair is more than they think the car is worth so they won't bother, especially it it's an older car.

An ex bf of mine 'bought back' a car from his insurance co that had written it off after a twatty taxi drove in the back of us at a give-way line and he repaired it with the help of his bro-in-law. The boot only wanted pulling out (it was jammed shut from the impact) and a new rear bumper which was easily obtainable from a breakers . It was an old A-reg metro (this was about 1996). I can't really recall now how he went about it but I imagine his insurance co gave him the option of letting it go or buying it back when they had the loss adjuster to see it. He was a student so it wasn't practicable to let it go since he needed transport - to see me!!

He drove that car for another 2.5 years after that but we did 'rest' it as much as possible after I bought my car.

My first car was written off 5 years ago but I never even thought about buying it back. I wonder if I'd have been any better off if I had? .

My car was written off and I am still driving it. I think there are different categories of write-off, and the procedure would be different depending on how it has been categorised. It all worked out quite well for me as I had the car cheaply repaired and still received a cheque for its full sale value! Garages which deal in insurance claims are very well informed and can be very helpful with this sort of thing.

Our golf spontaneously caught fire, due to an electrical fault. It was written off, the insurance company paid out, we did have to negotiate a bit, they offered something silly, we said no, they offered something a bit better which we accepted but they did say if we werent entirely happy we could email similar cars on autotrader etc. fetching for more but we didnt bother as it was the time of the floods and insurance co. were busy and slow.

Once they paid the car belonged to insurance co. so we could have bought it back, my dh did consider it as he wanted the alloy wheels! but didnt bother as it was too complicated in the end.

you dont have to accept insurance companys first offer, in fact some people have said never to as the always play it low.

Someone ran into the back of my car and repairs will cost more than car did.

Advice from repair place was,

if I go through my insurance, I pay excess they get car asessed and pay out what I valued it at, I themn have to claim excess back from the other persons insurance company as they were at falut, they keep the car.

If I claim it on their insurance they pay excessthey get car assessed and pay out what they value the car at, plus I should get to keep the car.

Turned out the guy want to settle privately due to his previous claims and large excess.