Do Franchised Dealer sell CAT cars?

Do Franchised Dealer sell CAT cars?

Author
Discussion

eltax91

Original Poster:

10,049 posts

213 months

Friday 30th August
quotequote all
Hello all

In the market for a new (to me) car and been looking at one from a private seller. 2018 car, right spec and engine etc, price is well under what i should be and the seller has been very open in the advert that the car is a CAT S. The car has just 27k on the clock vs most around this price being 80-90k.

I intend to keep forever until it's scrap so the CAT status doesn't bother me so much and i accept if i sold i'd expect a lower price.

Where I'm wobbling, is that the seller says he's the second owner, bought it from a franchised dealer and its not been written off in his ownership. He was told by the dealer that it was "light rear end damage" and of course doesn't have any evidence or pictures of the damage.

Here - I smell a rat, right? Skoda franchised dealers don't sell former CAT cars, do they?

sasquartch

105 posts

109 months

Friday 30th August
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Why not do a Car Vertical check or similar - that would I'd think reveal when it was written off

samoht

6,289 posts

153 months

Friday 30th August
quotequote all

If buying a car with structural damage repair, I think you really want photos of the damage and repair process. So attractive as the price may be, I think I'd pass.

GeniusOfLove

2,258 posts

19 months

Friday 30th August
quotequote all
Don't buy a Cat S car unless you really really know what you're doing. Funny how they always had "light rear end damage".

I've seen loads of supposedly repaired ones where the inner wings or crash structures are clearly buggered, you know the bits that stop you dying if you ever have an accident.

WPA

10,158 posts

121 months

Friday 30th August
quotequote all
Not a chance that a franchised dealer would sell a repaired car, never worth the risk for them.

The Rotrex Kid

31,678 posts

167 months

Friday 30th August
quotequote all
WPA said:
Not a chance that a franchised dealer would sell a repaired car, never worth the risk for them.
This.

Seller sounds like a part time trader who ha possibly bought a ‘trade’ part exchange from the dealer.

Lester H

3,055 posts

112 months

Sunday 1st September
quotequote all
I wouldn’t think so, as a rule, but of course there may the odd rogue amongst the dealer. Cat S is much louder alarm bell…it’s very unlikely to be the proverbial pat on the rear quarter! Others on here will have come across CatS “ before” legitimately advertised and lots look bloody awful. Walk away.

Hugo Stiglitz

38,038 posts

218 months

Sunday 1st September
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Never trust someone who is selling something.

Why are most CAT cars listed as low low mileage? ..



Aren't there any other cars for sale?



Lester H

3,055 posts

112 months

Sunday 1st September
quotequote all
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Never trust someone who is selling something.

Why are most CAT cars listed as low low mileage? ..



Aren't there any other cars for sale?
I’m in the avoid camp, as below, but they could be low mileage because they took so long to repair.

eltax91

Original Poster:

10,049 posts

213 months

Sunday 1st September
quotequote all
Off to see a different one tomorrow. My spidey senses tingled too much so I’ve left the CAT car where it is

CoolHands

19,451 posts

202 months

Sunday 1st September
quotequote all
The seller is lying. Now decide if you want the car as it stands or not!

bennno

12,735 posts

276 months

Sunday 1st September
quotequote all
eltax91 said:
Hello all

In the market for a new (to me) car and been looking at one from a private seller. 2018 car, right spec and engine etc, price is well under what i should be and the seller has been very open in the advert that the car is a CAT S. The car has just 27k on the clock vs most around this price being 80-90k.

I intend to keep forever until it's scrap so the CAT status doesn't bother me so much and i accept if i sold i'd expect a lower price.

Where I'm wobbling, is that the seller says he's the second owner, bought it from a franchised dealer and its not been written off in his ownership. He was told by the dealer that it was "light rear end damage" and of course doesn't have any evidence or pictures of the damage.

Here - I smell a rat, right? Skoda franchised dealers don't sell former CAT cars, do they?
Probably been clocked as well, if not then it was just off the road for ages due to the shunt.

Are you talking about a £15k or £2k car? Has the seller had it 2 months or 5 years?


eltax91

Original Poster:

10,049 posts

213 months

Sunday 1st September
quotequote all
bennno said:
Probably been clocked as well, if not then it was just off the road for ages due to the shunt.

Are you talking about a £15k or £2k car? Has the seller had it 2 months or 5 years?
See above. I’m moving on. For context he’s had it 2 years and it’s £12k

ninepoint2

3,506 posts

167 months

Sunday 1st September
quotequote all
I bought a cat car some time ago as a commute/station car park heap for a grand and it did the job very well for what I wanted for a couple of years and sold it for much the same as I paid after that time, however not sure I would risk £12k, anyhoo as you say you have moved on, good luck with your search

ACCYSTAN

1,030 posts

128 months

Monday 2nd September
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Cat S - no

Cat N - yes


Cat N can be a real bargain especially if you plan on keeping the car for a long time

I did see a Franchise dealers sell a Cat N during covid due to the car supply shortage, it was a Cat N Corsa they had taken in as a part EX, I was interested as they priced it to sell but couldn’t live with cramped interior of new corsa.

Sir Bagalot

6,619 posts

188 months

Tuesday 3rd September
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Run a VCheck on it, usually you'll see pictures of the damage

Jayho

2,177 posts

177 months

Tuesday 3rd September
quotequote all
GeniusOfLove said:
Don't buy a Cat S car unless you really really know what you're doing. Funny how they always had "light rear end damage".

I've seen loads of supposedly repaired ones where the inner wings or crash structures are clearly buggered, you know the bits that stop you dying if you ever have an accident.
When scouring the usual FB Marketplace etc for my latest daily I came across a seller who claimed that the car was a Cat S because a previous owner defaulted on his payment and the car was repossessed. Needless to say I swiftly ignored that car and advert.