Stolen/Recovered car on salvage auctions

[Andrey77]

Hi
Just bought Mini Cooper 2022 with 5K on the clock from the salvage auction, going to pick it up in the morning.

I just noticed that more and more cars coming for sale with some little plastic trims, boot carpets missing only.

My Mini have ceiling roof opening switch unit, headlight switch and boot floor missing and stated as CAT N.

I may understand if some expensive parts dismantled and insurance don't want to pay for it but its nearly new car and parts cost couple hundred quid to make the car perfect again.

No one will steal the car to get some little parts off, there is no profit if they sell bits on eBay.

What's that and how it works?

rgds

[SteBrown91]

Was it definitely a stolen recovered? And was it an insurance company sale or private entry?

There’s a lot of people now buying smashed up cars and tarting them up badly to appear ok/light damage on the photos but are a basket case underneath. Beware.

[soxboy]

A friend had their Mini stolen a little while back (via keys taken from house).

Police said it’ll never be seen again and insurance company agreed, so payout immediately.

2 weeks later the car was found parked up undamaged. I assume similar case here where insurance co have done their claim and just want some money back quickly.

[blue_haddock]

If you've bought it from copart it will almost certainly be worse than the pictures show.

It doesn't help when they lift everything with a forklift under the body which often crushes exhaust etc.

[jeremyh1]

soxboy said:

A friend had their Mini stolen a little while back (via keys taken from house).

Police said it’ll never be seen again and insurance company agreed, so payout immediately.

2 weeks later the car was found parked up undamaged. I assume similar case here where insurance co have done their claim and just want some money back quickly.

Its cheaper than going to Enterprise hence no damage!

[Andrey77]

Got the car, its like new.

The parts was inside, 2 hours and I put all back.

Boot shelf is missing only.

ASM recycling very carefull when loading the cars so I had no problem with it for the last year or so compare to Copart.

Stolen recovered cars with dismantled parts in theory stolen and thief have limited time to find the tracker otherwise police gona find the car.
They probably know approximate places where the tracker can be hidden so they take a chance, if its failed they just run away leave the car in dead end.

Autotrader price about 20K , I got it for 10350 delivered to my door. Lets see what the profit can be.

Edited by Andrey77 on Thursday 17th October 14:45

[Limpet]

SteBrown91 said:

Was it definitely a stolen recovered? And was it an insurance company sale or private entry?

There’s a lot of people now buying smashed up cars and tarting them up badly to appear ok/light damage on the photos but are a basket case underneath. Beware.

You can't normally go too wrong with a Cat N (assuming it's been correctly categorised), as the damage will only be cosmetic/non-structural by definition. I would hesitate to buy anything Cat S from a private seller on Copart though, for the reasons you mention. Generally, they've either had a go at repairing it, and found it to be too difficult or expensive, or they've stuck good (or more craftily, slightly damaged) panels over serious structural damage to make the car look like an easy repair.

I've bought 2 Copart cars now (one Cat U (unrecorded), and one Cat N) and both turned out well. I had a good idea what was wrong with the Cat U and took a gamble which paid off. Paid about 1/3 of its retail value, and a £75 part and 20 minutes labour had it running like a Swiss watch. I had 6 months of faultless service out of it, until I sold it on (for a handy profit). We still have the Cat N as a daily driver. Needed a pair of wings and a bumper, all bought second hand in colour. Straight through an MOT with one (unrelated) advisory. But it can be a gamble.

Edited by Limpet on Thursday 17th October 15:59