Do you buy both repairable and statutory write-offs?

Yes, both. A repairable write-off may potentially return to the road after repair and the required inspections, while a statutory write-off is valued for parts and salvage only because it cannot be re-registered for road use in Queensland. If you are unsure which yours is, confirm the status with the QLD WOVR or Queensland Transport and we will price it accordingly.

How do I find out if my car is on the WOVR?

When a car is written off it is reported to the Written-off Vehicle Register, and the status follows the vehicle. If you are not certain whether your car is recorded or what category it falls under, do not guess, check it with the QLD WOVR or Queensland Transport. Knowing the correct status lets us give you an accurate offer the first time.

Can I sell the wreck after I kept the salvage from an insurance payout?

Usually, yes. If the insurer settled and let you retain the salvage, we can buy the car from you, provided you have the right to sell it and the paperwork that establishes your ownership of the wreck. Any finance owing needs to be accounted for too. Tell us how the write-off came about and what documents you hold, and we will explain what is needed.

Sell a car · Written-off & WOVR

Written-Off Car Buyers in South East Queensland

SEQ Car Buyers purchases both repairable and statutory write-offs in South East Queensland. A repairable write-off may return to the road after repair and the required inspections, while a statutory write-off can only be sold for parts and salvage because it cannot be re-registered in Queensland. Both are recorded on the WOVR, and we price each fairly on its salvage value.

Repairable or statutory write-off — priced on salvage reality.

An insurer writing your car off is not the end of its value, it is a change in what that value is. We buy both repairable and statutory write-offs across South East Queensland, explain plainly what each status means and what can legally happen next, and price the car fairly on its parts and salvage.

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Written-off cars

Selling a written-off cars car in South East Queensland

When an insurer declares a car a total loss it becomes a write-off, and many people assume that means it is now worthless or unsellable. Neither is true. A written-off car still has real value in its reusable parts and recoverable materials, and there is an established market for buying it, that is exactly what we do across South East Queensland. What changes is the kind of value and what the car can legally be used for next, which depends on whether it is a repairable or a statutory write-off. We will explain that honestly, price the salvage fairly, and where the answer depends on your own paperwork or current Queensland rules, point you to the QLD WOVR or Queensland Transport rather than guess.

Repairable vs statutory write-off

Once an insurer assesses a car as uneconomic to repair, it is generally classed as one of two things, and the distinction matters because it determines what can lawfully happen to the vehicle. It is worth understanding plainly rather than guessing, since the two have very different futures.

A repairable write-off is a vehicle that was not worth the insurer repairing, but that may be repaired and, after passing the required inspections, can potentially be re-registered and returned to the road. A statutory write-off is damaged severely enough that it cannot be re-registered for road use in Queensland at all, so its value lies entirely in parts and recycling. The exact criteria, categories, and process are set by Queensland Transport and can change over time, so treat this as the general picture rather than legal advice, and confirm specifics for your car with the official source.

Repairable write-off: potentially returnable to the road after repair and the required inspections; valued for repair or for parts.
Statutory write-off: cannot be re-registered for road use in Queensland; valued for parts and salvage only.
Both are reported to and recorded on the Written-off Vehicle Register (WOVR), and that status follows the vehicle.

The WOVR and what we can and cannot buy

When a car is written off it is reported to the Written-off Vehicle Register, and that record stays attached to the vehicle from then on. We are happy to buy both repairable and statutory write-offs, because there is genuine value in each, but being upfront about the recorded status lets us price your car correctly the first time rather than discovering it later.

Where we have to be honest about limits is around what can be done with the car afterwards, which is governed by law, not by us. A statutory write-off cannot simply be patched up and re-registered for the road in Queensland, and we will not pretend otherwise or imply a path that does not exist. If you are not certain whether your car is on the WOVR, or what category it falls under, do not guess, confirm it with the QLD WOVR or Queensland Transport. With the correct status known, we can give you a firm, fair figure for the salvage.

How a written-off car is valued

A write-off is never priced from a clean retail figure, because the car is not going to be sold as a clean retail vehicle. Instead the value is built from what the car is genuinely worth in its current state: the reusable parts and components, the salvage and scrap value of the body and driveline, and, for a repairable write-off where putting it back together is realistic, the cost and difficulty of repair weighed against what it would then be worth.

That means two written-off cars of the same make and year can fetch quite different figures depending on where the damage is, which parts survived, whether it still runs, and how sought-after its components are. Clear photos and any insurer assessment or salvage paperwork you were given help enormously here: they let us price your specific car accurately rather than a generic one, and they keep the process quick because there are no surprises later.

Selling after an insurance payout

It is common to want to keep the wreck after a payout, sometimes the insurer settles and lets you retain the salvage, and then to sell that salvage separately. We can buy the car from you in that situation, but it is worth being clear on a couple of points first so it goes smoothly.

Make sure you actually have the right to sell the vehicle and any paperwork the insurer provided when you retained the salvage, since that establishes your ownership of the wreck. If a finance loan was attached to the car, that needs to be sorted as part of the picture too. Tell us how the write-off came about and what documents you hold, and we will explain what is needed and price the salvage fairly. Where ownership or the retention terms are unclear, check with your insurer or Queensland Transport before selling.

How it works

From first message to pickup

Send photos and the status
Use the form or call with clear photos, the make, model, year, kilometres, and whether it is a repairable or statutory write-off, plus any assessment paperwork.
Get a fair salvage figure
We price the car on its parts and salvage reality, not a clean retail estimate, and come back the same day with a number and any questions.
Confirm the WOVR status
We confirm the recorded write-off status so the offer is right. Where it is unclear, we point you to the QLD WOVR or Queensland Transport to check.
We collect it where it sits
Runner or not, we arrange pickup from wherever the car is, account for any finance, sort the paperwork, and handle payment on collection.

Value your car

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Where we buy

We collect across South East Queensland. Find your area:

Helpful guides

Plain-language answers for Queensland sellers:

Other selling situations

Selling in a different circumstance? We buy in these too:

Common questions

Do you buy both repairable and statutory write-offs?: Yes, both. A repairable write-off may potentially return to the road after repair and the required inspections, while a statutory write-off is valued for parts and salvage only because it cannot be re-registered for road use in Queensland. If you are unsure which yours is, confirm the status with the QLD WOVR or Queensland Transport and we will price it accordingly.
How do I find out if my car is on the WOVR?: When a car is written off it is reported to the Written-off Vehicle Register, and the status follows the vehicle. If you are not certain whether your car is recorded or what category it falls under, do not guess, check it with the QLD WOVR or Queensland Transport. Knowing the correct status lets us give you an accurate offer the first time.
Can I sell the wreck after I kept the salvage from an insurance payout?: Usually, yes. If the insurer settled and let you retain the salvage, we can buy the car from you, provided you have the right to sell it and the paperwork that establishes your ownership of the wreck. Any finance owing needs to be accounted for too. Tell us how the write-off came about and what documents you hold, and we will explain what is needed.

Your next step

Get a fair figure for the salvage.

Send photos, the write-off status, and any paperwork, and we will reply the same day with a fair salvage offer for your written-off car, plus a plan to collect it across South East Queensland.

Prefer to talk? Call 0422 676 073