Thanks for getting back to me on that.

I did as you suggested and took it up with my insurance brokers and, subsequently, with my insurance company.

It turns out that my car had 'mistakenly' been marked as a Category C write off! I received a very apologetic phone call from someone in Aviva, my car has been removed from the MIAFTR system and a duplicate log book with the offending entry removed is currently in the process of being sent to me.

I think the moral of this story is to take nothing for granted.

Yes they should have informed you, if they were going to inform DVLA of a write off. You needed to know this, so that you could do whatever was necessary.

Suggest that you make a formal complaint in writing to the Insurers you had the claim with.

Category C Insurance Write Off – the vehicle is repairable but the parts and labour would exceed the value of the car. This is a tricky situation as there are plenty of amateur and professional mechanics who could use second hand parts to repair these vehicles at much lower prices than the list costs for parts and labour. Discuss this with your insurance company if you want to keep the car rather than have it written off.

In February 2010 I was involved in an accident when someone drove out from a side road and hit my car. My insurance dealt with subsequent fixing of my car and, I assume, retrieving the cost of the repairs , my hire car, etc. from the third party (who assumed liability).

Two years on, and after moving house recently, I went to tax the car (the second time since the accident) and I was required to undertake a Vehicle Identity Check. When I queried this with the DVLA they informed me that this was standard procedure for a car that had been classified as a 'Category C Insurance Write Off'.

This was a complete shock to me because at no stage (the or since) has my insurance company informed that they were classifying the car as such. I am now selling the car as I'm moving abroad but am looking at a greatly reduced value as this classification appears on any HPI check.

My question is, if anyone knows, was my insurance not obligated to inform me of their decision to classify the car as a Category C write off and, if so, give me some sort of options on how I could proceed with the vehicle?

Thanks!