Guide To Car Data Checks
Stolen or Dangerous Cars
Over 500,000 vehicles are stolen every year. One in seven currently taxed and on the road can be described as a total loss or an insurance write off. These vehicles are placed in category A, B , C or D (see table below) or theft i.e. stolen and/or recovered. This information is stored on the ABI (Association of British Insurers) database, where insurance companies classify a vehicle as a write-off.
Companies, such as mycarcheck.com, can query this database in order to supply you with a write off category, if applicable, such as:
A - Scrap only (i.e. with few or no economically salvageable parts and which is of value only for scrap metal).
B - Break for spare parts if economically viable (excluding any residual scrap value).
C - Repairable total loss vehicles where repair costs including VAT exceed the vehicle's pre-accident value.
D - Repairable total loss vehicle where repair costs including VAT do not exceed the vehicle's pre-accident value.
Clocked
Another issue is that many cars have been clocked, or in other words had their mileages turned back. This costs the motor trade millions of pounds per year. You would be strongly advised to ask the owner if the mileage is genuine or not, an answer that, "as far as they know it is correct", means it cannot be warranted or guaranteed. Mileages should be treated as a black or white situation. In other words is it genuine or not? It is most important to get this fact in writing if the seller says they are prepared to guarantee the mileage this means you can then pass this on when you come to sell the vehicle.
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