A recent British crime survey has revealed that vehicle theft in Britain is up by 7%. In light of this news HPI is beginning a new drive to urge car buyers to get a vehicle check before making a purchase.
The latest quarterly update from the Home Office on Crime in England and Wales shows that vehicle-related thefts rose by 7% in the year up to September 2011. In response to this news the expert motor fraud organisation HPI is urging buyers to ensure that they are protected from the growing risk of purchasing a cloned or stolen vehicle. The Consumer Director for HPI Kristian Welch says:
"The Home Office figures show that vehicle-related thefts increased by 7%, which means there are potentially more stolen vehicles out on the road. And our figures show that 1 in 3 cars checked with HPI have something to hide, confirming the dangers of buying something with a suspect history.
"Motorists need to consider the risks they face as buyers, not just car owners. Buying a car that has been stolen could see them left seriously out of pocket. One of the best lines of defence against this spike in car crime is to do an HPI Check, and help minimise the risk."
Many buyers think that they would be able to spot a dodgy seller themselves, but in reality most vehicles with a hidden history seem totally legitimate. Two top tips offered by HPI are to check to make sure that all the VIN/chassis numbers on the car match up with each other and haven't been tampered with, and to check the ID of the person who you are buying from to make sure that they are the current registered owner.
In addition to these tips an HPI check is able to confirm whether or not a car has been registered as stolen, clocked or written off. It also offers buyers a guarantee, which provides up to £30,000 compensation if the car turns out to be something other than what it was claimed to be.
