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Ok, it just gets from bad to worse. I just texted that number and it came back with the following:
Reg was Extensively damaged Categeory = C on 13/09/2004. Insurers decided not to repair it. FAILED VIC TEST ON 10-01-2005.
:zx11::zx11: On the V5. It says it had the VIC on that date. Didnt say whether it failed or passed. Whats all this suppose to mean? The car has been MOTD since. The car has got road tax e.t.c. Does this mean this car is not even legit? OMG what have I let myself into.
ok firstly all cat c cars if they have been damaged will say (entensively damaged) even if it was light damage "example i once had a micra i bought cat c right off only needed a wing that was classed as entensively damaged on the logbook it also passed the vic check BEFORE i repaired it" as long as the car drives under its own power the it will pass the vic check just go,s to show how much of a scam that is.
2nd the dvla will not send out a new v5 logbook untill they have the letter from the vic office saying its passed.
if you now have the full logbook then the chance is the car is the originel.
unless the seller had the old v5 logbook himself.
anther thing which would explain the above is maybe the car was written off while he owned the car. a lot of the time the owner has the chance to buy the car back from the insurance company.
still strange through how it failed the vic check that could be a worry.
jasear, Here's what it says on the DVLA website for VIC checks -
When an insurance company writes off a car, the registration document (V5 logbook) is surrendered to them and destroyed. The insurance company will then notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) that the vehicle has been written off. This notification will set a ‘VIC marker’ on the vehicle record on the DVLA database. If the vehicle is subsequently repaired with the intention of returning it to the road, the DVLA will not issue a new registration document or vehicle excise duty licence until the car passes a VIC. The VIC is designed to help confirm that the vehicle being returned to the road has been repaired following accident damage and has not been stolen.
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) will carry out the VIC. This will involve comparing the vehicle presented to VOSA against the information held by DVLA, such as the vehicle identification number, make, model, colour and engine number. The VIC will also compare the record of previous accident damage with evidence of damage repair as well as checking other components to confirm the age and identity of the vehicle.
Do you know at which centre the VIC was carried out, if so contact them and ask if they can give you any further information. If not it may pay you to do a full HPI check on it as this will should give you which area of the car was damaged, what the mileage was etc. then you can look at the car and see if there are any signs of repair in the area indicated on the Cat C notification and whether the mileage tallies with that recorded at the time + an allowance for the interim period.
If you have any suspicions about the car check that the visible VIN in the lower left side of the screen matches to the stamped in VIN on the chassis (location should be in your handbook). Check that the visible VIN is not just a dymo type sticky label laid over the original. Also check round the area of the stamped in VIN for any visible signs of repair, i.e. rubbing or grinding marks below the surface of the paint, welding of the panel where the stamped in VIN is located or mastic missing from the joints of the same panel. If you get some acetone and gently rub over where the stamped in VIN is and it's been repaired or altered paint will come OFF, genuine factory applied paint is pretty resistant to acetone and won't usually come off.
If you think you've got a ringer go to the police.
1 more point i had a audi a4 written off about 3 months ago i had not long bought the car when i was hit up the ***. anyway the insurance classed it as a cat c. i then bought the car on and sold it as a cat c savlage car my self. but at no point did the insurance company or the dvla ask be to send them the logbook.
anther tip is ring your local vw dealer ask them if they have any service history for the car. should all be on computer tell them whats happened and they may give you a copy of the invoices.(nissan did for me)
on these will be the last owners name and address you could maybe then contact them and see if they can shed some light on it. you may even find the the last owner who serviced it was the man you bought it off. (hence he bought it back as above)
there for meaning he had the v5 and did not give it to you.
if that makes sense
I think two things are being confused. I am only referring to the seller knowing there was a fault with the car and not declaring it. Not whether it was an insurance write off or not.
But this may all be immaterial. Get the AA to check the car over or even..gasp..a VW dealer. They can confirm the safety and the legit nature of the car.
i was just saying try and trace the history of the car. if it has been repaired there will always be something that will tell you. look for the smallest of over spray, or have a look at your car under street lights say from a bedroom window, you should be able to spot diffrent shades where its been painted.
unless of corse its had a full respray
Oh for sure Minty...excellent idea. Interesting how a diffused light can show up diff paint jobs. Wonder if the insurance company...has a record of the damage as they should be on the docs somewhere ? If the VIC centre haven't got the details of the accident damage, which they should ?
Man, this gets confusing...
when ive taken cars for vic checks in the past you have to fill a detailed form. saying what repairs you have done. theres also a drawing where you have to show what part of the car was damaged and you have to show bills for any new parts you have bought.
on saying that when you get to the vic office they have never asked me for the parts bill.
the vic check also takes less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea:aargh4: ive now learnt not to bother buying a cupa while i wait.
this must be getting on to one of the longest posts posted lol
Minty, I had already chased up the Service History (before I knew it was a write off in the past) and VW had quite a lot. Upto 90,000. Believe it or not at one point it was owned by someone in the city I live in. My local VW had serviced it. I tried to get more details from them a while back but they said i need to bring the V5 in to them and they will give me more details. At the time I didnt have a V5 but I will try and go there tomorrow to trace as much as I can.
I can tell from the Bonnett that it had a lot of the damage. And I mean not just towards the front but in quite a few areas. Maybe Ill take some pictures tomorrow and post them. They are not that noticeable but you can see someone has done an OK job in trying to get those dents out.
I am really beginning to suspect this is a ringer. The VIN number is not in the normal place where it is suppose to be on a Passat. Ill take pictures of it tomorrow.
I am thinking, I should phone the DVLA tomorrow and try to find out if I can drive the car legally on the road?
I just sold my other car today so I need to start driving the Passat and Ill see if my insurance company insure me on this. Will they insure cars that have not passed their VIC? I am not sure.
If the DVLA tell me that the car never passed its VIC and it is not legal to drive it then surely I should be contacting the police? I am not sure what to do in that scenario. What do you guys think I should do? Should I be involving the police?
1st there is a number you can ring to find out if the car needs a hpi check cant think of the number at the moment. you could try ringing your local vic office tell them your not sure if the car needs a vic check or not that should help you some of the way
2nd as for the car having a valid mot means nothing realy you can mot the car before its taken for a vic check.
funy if they have repaired the bonnet this would make me think the car had only light damage in the first place. if it was heavy damge it would be quicker and less work just to change it.
3rd if there car is a ringer there will be a chance of you losing the car and your money.
(same as if you buy a car thats still on finance the car belongs to the finance company not the owner on the v5)
however if the police do take the car they then have to prove that it is a stolen car. if they cannot then they should hand it back to you but it may then be placed on a q plate. i know this is what used to happen few years ago but things may have changed since then.
when or if you recive the new logbook from the dvla then i would say naff all myself that must mean that it has passed a vic check at some point.
do you have the address of the guy you bought the car from or know where he lives.