The world of used cars is not what it looks like. A seemingly clean and presentable vehicle could have a dirty secret no one can see, such as tampered mileage to vehicle theft. It is there that a reg plate check serves as your early warning device.
As we shall find out in this article, registration plate checks are not only assisting the drivers in the UK to escape car fraud but are vital in cases of both buying and selling a car.
Alert The rise of Vehicle Fraud in the UK
Frauds in relation to vehicles are on increase in the UK. As the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) further submits, used vehicles are involved in cases of fraud in thousands every year, involving:
- Cloned vehicles: This is the one where one car plate is cloned onto the other so that the theft can be concealed.
- Clocked cars: In which the mileage has been clocked down in order to increase resale.
- Cut and shut cars: They were created using the parts of several different vehicles, frequently in a risky way.
- Vehicles that have outstanding finance, logbook loans withheld.
A vast number of them are sold privately or through the online market without showing the right situation. The buyers are usually too late in their discovery; police start taking the car away or the finance company requiring their money.
What A Reg Plate Check Can Show
Using a reg plate check helps you to confirm the identity of a vehicle and history of it by entering a vehicle number plate into a reputed database. It has a number of ways it can detect fraud:
1.Verify Identity
Is the automobile that you are about to purchase what you see? A plate check will verify make, model, engine size, fuel type and registration year. When the description of the seller does not correspond with the information found in the DVLA they should see red.
2.Check for Cloning
When a car possesses a different number plate that is cloned, mostly it is similar to another car that a reg check will reveal an inconsistency with colour, VIN or MOT history which shows that the identity of the vehicle has been compromised.
3.Expose Mileage Fraud
Frauds such as mileage fraud or clocking are still frequent. Plate check gives all the MOT history including the records by mile rounded up year by year. Missing or lost mileage may be a sign that the odometer has been tampered.
4.Identify Written off Cars
A reg plate check reveals the fact that insurers declared a car to be Category A, B, S, or N write-off. Although a car appears to be good, it could have a past of severe damages.
5.Determine Excellent Finance
When the vehicle remains to be on finance agreement the person is not the owner yet the lender in technical terms is the owner. A plate check will reveal whether finance or logbook loans have been taken against a vehicle and you will not end up with a vehicle which you have not legally purchased.
The Safeguarding of Sellers by Reg Plate Checks
It does not favour only the buyer as it helps a seller to demonstrate the authenticity of his car with the help of reg plate checks, meanwhile, buying trust of the buyer. Presenting a complete vehicle history report to the interested buyers is a sign of transparency and lessens problems in negotiations.
Which place to Conduct a Reg Plate Check
In the UK, there are a number of well-established services you can help you:
- Gov.uk Vehicle Enquiry Service Free basic details such as MOT and tax status
- HPI Check - Paid service included in-depth reports
- CarVertical, TotalCarCheck, RAC Car Check All of them check deeply on the fraud i.e., theft and finance
Paid checks range between 5-15 pounds and are really essential to be sound.
Final Thoughts
Never buy a car without doing a proper reg plate check. It only takes a few minutes but could save you from thousands of pounds in losses and legal trouble.
Whether you’re buying from a dealership, a private seller, or an online marketplace like Facebook or Gumtree — always verify the car’s identity and history before making a payment.
Think of it this way: if someone’s hiding something, a reg plate check will usually find it