subject: Dont Buy A Stolen Car! [print this page] In 2006 thousands of registration documents were stolen and the Home Office estimates that between 2009 and 2010 45,000 number plates were stolen. Combined these could be used to clone cars. Buyers are being advised to check the details of sellers particularly the registered address.
Dodgy used car traders copy the number plate and other details of a legitimate car on to a similar, but stolen, vehicle. These rogue traders can also copy the genuine vehicle's logbook (V5C form) by using a stolen blank document.
To help counter cloning cars the Government introduced a new vehicle registration certificate in August, but cars already on the road will only get these new-style documents when they are relicensed or declared off the road.
In a poll of 1,500 people carried out by 192.com 14% said they had been a victim of car cloning and 33% said they do not trust a car dealer when making a financial transaction. 192.com also said Three thousand of the stolen documents have surfaced so far, but the police advise that as a worst case, 400,000 of the documents cannot be accounted for and could have fallen into criminal hands.
When buying a used car, buy from a reputable garage that has a physical location, a landline telephone number and ideally has been around for a while, for example Furness Park who sell used cars in Yorkshire have been around for a while and have a good reputation. Be extra vigilant when buying from a home trader as these guys often work on small margins and tend to be more likely to be involved with car cloning and stolen cars.
by: Benson
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