How To Avoid Buying A Stolen Vehicle – 2024 Guide

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Buying a car is usually a big blow to the household budget, but also a very serious task, especially if it is a used one. Given that it is a large investment, as well as your safety while driving, the car must meet very high criteria from which you should not deviate. For that reason, it is recommended that you drive it and take it to a mechanic for inspection before you buy it, there is another equally important thing, and that is to check that everything is in order with the documentation, that is, whether the car may have been stolen. Several indicators can guide you to this. This will allow you to cancel the contract before signing the documents and transferring the money, thus saving you from many problems with various government agencies during registration or further operation of the machine.

Given that there are many different cars in the world, buying a well-maintained vehicle can be a real headache. One of the main problems in the used car market is the inability of the buyer to recognize all the scams used by used cars.

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Start with the documentation. In these papers, you will find all the necessary information, and one of the most important is certainly the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). This number is something that people often call the chassis number and represents the vehicle identification number. It is also a number that will tell you absolutely everything about the car – the country and year of manufacture, manufacturer, technical characteristics of the vehicle, security code, vehicle serial number, and so on. This number is usually found in several places.

The next thing you can check is whether the car is the original color or is freshly painted in another. The second color does not necessarily mean that the car has been stolen, but it can also indicate that the car has been repainted due to major damage.

However, to be completely sure that the vehicle you are dreaming about is absolutely correct, and that there is no need to fear whether it has been stolen or not, you can do an additional check for a very small amount. So, it is necessary to get a REVS check done. You can find out more about this by visiting quickppsr.com.au. This check is very simple, all you need to do is enter the license plate number and in just a few minutes you will get all the necessary information about the history of the car.

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The markings on all glasses should be the same. Deviation on only one glass is a sign of alarm and giving up the purchase, regardless of the subsequent explanation of the seller!

It is also advisable to choose a vehicle that has been serviced regularly, as confirmed by the service booklet. A properly completed service booklet, whose data can be checked in the service, means multiple safety, in terms of vehicle condition, mileage, absence of caroms. Without it, everything is more suspicious and riskier.

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So, buying a used car is a good and, in most cases, profitable thing. It is known that when you buy a new car, its value drops in the first year by 23-30%. In case you are buying a used car that is a year or two old, you will save this amount and you may also buy a car that is still under warranty. Of course, if you are careful when buying.

Before you start looking, think about the amount of the budget, and the model of the car you want, that is, that fits the budget. Keep in mind that you should never spend all your money on a purchase, as you have to count on service after the purchase. In most cases, service is necessary, and many new owners do it even when it is not, purely out of precaution and their own safety.

When you have found several vehicles that meet your budget at a price and additional cost, call the seller and find out about the vehicle. Ask about the mileage, because it is a parameter that can be returned, ie reduce the number of kilometers traveled. On the other hand, if the car has covered many kilometers in a short time, it is better to skip it, because it is in a dilapidated condition.

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Avoid buying damaged vehicles. This does not mean that you should not buy a car that was slightly hit (bumper, wing, etc.) However, if the seller says that the vehicle was hit, be sure to insist that the mechanic looks at it. Small accidents are not a problem, but only a tinsmith will remove the suspicion that the vehicle did not suffer a serious accident. Avoid such vehicles.

Although it is often a slightly cheaper option, buying a car from a natural person carries with it another additional risk. Unlike car dealers, a person who sells his own vehicle does not have to give a warranty of correctness for a certain period. This leaves a lot of room for a scam. The buyer is in a much better situation than the seller and there is no reason to hurry. Don’t fall for emergency sales stories for any reason. One should look carefully at as many cars as possible and listen as little as possible to what is being said about the car. Make a purchase decision solely based on your observations.

Final thoughts

It is your right and obligation to buy someone else’s best car for as little money as possible. Examine the documents in detail. If the car has changed owners, check the correctness of the documents with the competent notary and, if at all possible, seek the help of appropriate experts in the selection and verification. Do not hesitate to check the vehicle in all possible ways. Since the vehicle has been used for many years, it is necessary to choose the one that is adapted to your needs and possibilities. Only in this way can you make sure that buying a used car is not something you will later regret.