RSS Feed

Related Articles

Related Categories

Uncovering the hidden history of used cars for sale

4th November 2010 Print

Strengthening its arsenal once again against unscrupulous used car sellers, Exchange and Mart has teamed up with Experian to give buyers the fullest possible history, past and present, of a car they are looking to buy.

Experian’s AutoCheck,the UK’s most popular vehicle checking service, is now available at ExchangeandMart.co.uk and will confirm if a vehicle is on outstanding finance, is stolen, has been an insurance write-off or has been clocked.

Every private car advert featured on ExchangeandMart.co.uk has already undergone an automatic screening check against the Experian database, to ensure it is not stolen or a security risk.  Once approved and listed on the site, the ad includes a ‘Check History’ link, offering buyers the opportunity to purchase a single or multi AutoCheck for an instant online confirmation of the vehicle’s status including specification and road tax implications.  Between them, these two checks protect buyers and provide them with the confidence to buy, knowing they will not get any nasty surprises.

Explains Debra Healy, Digital Director of Exchange and Mart: “Figures from AutoCheck confirm the very real risks used car buyers face from car criminals;   160,000 cars are stolen each year, the majority of which are sold on at bargain prices.  One in four is on outstanding finance.   This is the biggest threat of all facing used car buyers, as anyone who buys a car that is still on finance stands to lose the car, which could be returned to the finance company, as well as losing the cash they paid for it.”

Driving a vehicle that’s unfit to be on the road leaves motorists vulnerable to being involved in an accident or even worse, injuring someone.  However, 600,000 vehicles are written-off by insurance companies every year many of which should not be returned to the road.  Opportunistic fraudsters will often try and make a quick profit at the expense of unsuspecting consumers by selling on a write-off that should have been scrapped for parts or crushed.

“It’s easy to be taken in by shiny paintwork and an attractive price tag, but what seems like a dream vehicle may have something to hide,” added Jon Sheard, Head of Experian’s AutoCheck. “Exchange and Mart is a trusted brand and we want to ensure that buyers enjoy peace of mind when shopping for used cars on our site. Our new AutoCheck service aims to bring our visitors the ultimate in protection from the petty to the professional car criminal and forms the latest in a range of features we have developed to empower buyers and close the net on used car crooks.”

AutoCheck comes with a £30,000 insurance policy, giving Exchange and Mart users the ultimate confidence that they have the right information and protection to ensure that their perfect purchase doesn’t turn out to be a nightmare on wheels.