Take the Risk Out of Buying a Used Car Now By Pre Checking Its History for Damage, Mileage, Outstanding Finance or Even If It Has Been Stolen

If you have been thinking of buying a used car then you need to check out Carwatch UK. Carwatch UK’s Used Car Buying Advice offers Used Car Buying tips, and there is also a Used Car Buying Guide to ensure you make the right choice in buying a used car.

(PRWEB) April 6, 2005

There are no hard and fast rules regarding the best source of used cars. You will need to weigh up the protection of buying from a reputable dealer against the potential bargains of the private market. However, whichever route you choose it's vital to check the hidden history of the vehicle before you go ahead with the purchase. You wouldn't buy a house without a survey, even if you trusted the seller, so exercise the same caution when choosing a car. Even the seller might not be aware of the vehicle's true history: it's just not worth leaving it to chance.

Carwatch UK offers an affordable Car Data Check, Vehicle History Report, Car Finance Check and advice on buying a used car to potential buyers of used cars, motorcycles and many other types of vehicles.

What exactly do you get with this service? Set out below are some of the most common problems highlighted by a Carwatch check:

"Vehicle is recorded as a Category Loss or Total Loss."

The vehicle has at some point been damaged, perhaps in a major accident, and the insurer has subsequently decided to write the vehicle off. Although it is sometimes possible to repair a "write-off" to a roadworthy standard, its history will de-value the vehicle and you might not be able to get insurance cover. Your insurer could even refuse to pay out on a claim, if the insurance company wasn't made aware of the write-off history when you took out your policy. In the worst scenario, the car could be unsafe to drive.

"Vehicle is recorded as Stolen"

Self-explanatory really: the vehicle belongs to the original owner and you could lose the car – and your money.

"Vehicle is an Import"

So-called "grey" imports – which are imported cars of non-UK spec – are not worth as much as genuine, UK-spec cars. They frequently attract higher insurance premiums while parts can be difficult to obtain. Furthermore, there will be no UK record of the car's history while it was being used abroad.

"Vehicle has had Private or Cherished Number Plates"

A change of number plates could be completely innocent. Or it could be an attempt to conceal a vehicle's dubious history. A vehicle might read "all clear" under its new registration although it was, perhaps, written-off under its previous plates. For this reason, you need to be sure you have checked a car's history under ALL its number plates - right back to the date of first registration. A Carwatch check can provide you with that information.

"The Chassis/VIN Number Doesn't Match the Number Plate"

The vehicle could be a "ringer" or a clone". Both these terms refer to stolen vehicles with a false identity. A ringer uses the identity of a scrapped vehicle to conceal its history, while a clone simply takes the identity of another car on the roads – so you will have two cars with the same number plates driving around! If the chassis number (VIN) doesn't match the number plate be extremely cautious – and be ready to walk away from the sale.

A vehicle history check costs, on average, less than 1% of your overall spend on a used car. At the very least, it provides you with peace of mind. But it could be saving you the loss of the car, your money – and even your safety on the roads. Do you really want to take that gamble? Check before you buy: don't wait until you've handed over your money or it could be too late.

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