Which Write Off Categories is Safe to Buy & How to Know it in London?

     Sometimes buying a written-off car is a smart move that comes at a cheaper price than expected. But this is really challenging. It is because nearly 3, 80000 are written off each year in the UK, and thousands of vehicles are beyond repair. If you failed to do proper research on the written-off vehicles, then there are high chances of risk that you might fall for a scrapped vehicle. Running a write-off check to know more about the written-off vehicle categories will help the used car buyer pick the right vehicle.

When is a vehicle said to be written-off?

  Any vehicle that met with any major or minor accidents is declared as written-off. Another scenario is if the vehicle is stolen and didn't recover after a very long time, it is written-off by the insurer. You can get to know this information if you check the vehicle's accident history. The amount of damage the car has gone through is broadly classified into the following four categories. It is sometimes a confusing factor to fix which written-off vehicle to buy and skip.

• Category A: This type of vehicle is a complete scrap. It suffers from major damage and impossible to take to the roads again. The insurer will declare that the vehicle is irreparable. Most of the category A vehicles are scrap. In some cases, it is put back to the owners for personal reasons (maybe a gifted car or has an emotional background). However, it should not be driven to the UK roads else will face a penalty.

• Category B: These vehicles suffer from severe structural damage on one side when the other part of the car looks undisturbed, and these category vehicles are also unworthy to be roads again. However, some parts of the vehicle are saved for later. If the owner tries to repair the vehicle and make it fit for the roads again, it would cost him a price higher than the vehicle's resale value. Hence, the vehicle's damaged part is scrapped, and the salvageable parts are secured. You can check if a vehicle is written-off and its categories when you can afford to spend for a full car check at the car analytics at less than ten pounds (£ 8.95) 

• Category S: These category vehicles also suffer from major structural damage, but the advantage here is, it can be repaired and can be roadworthy again. But it needs professionals help and the repair will be a little expensive. After the vehicle's repair, it has to be re-registered legally with the DVLA to ride on the roads of the UK

• Category N: These category vehicles are the least damaged compared to the other three. Here the damage is nonstructural and repairable. In this case, the insurer will be ready to pay the car's resale value and send the written-off vehicles for an auction.

Can I buy a written-off vehicle? 

     Yes, it is perfectly legal to buy a written-off vehicle; the important factor here is to check under which category the car falls. You can go for a cat N or cat S vehicle without a doubt. A written off check will reveal you the accident history and the category of the vehicle. But you cannot check if the vehicle if a car is cat C or D for free as it falls under primary check (category S and N are known as category C and D before). 

Therefore, setting your hands on a category A or B would leave you with empty pockets. Make sure you go through a written-off check and categories well if you are about to buy a written-off vehicle.