Data disaster
It’s easy to let your head rule your heart when buying a used car, but a leading industry expert’s warning buyers not to part with their cash if the vehicle’s missing its logbook.
Used vehicle data specialists HPI say they’ve seen a rising number of customers fall prey to sellers passing on vehicles without a logbook, otherwise known as the V5C, leaving them vulnerable to a number of scams.
Commenting on the issue, Phil Peace, operations director for HPI, said: “We’ve seen a number of buyers going ahead with a vehicle purchase without having seen the logbook for the vehicle. This is an enormous risk. Buyers who don’t see the logbook are missing vital information about the car, such as confirmation of the seller’s name and address.
“Logbooks are an integral part of verifying a car’s identity and ownership. If a seller claims to be waiting for one in the post, the buyer should wait until the seller has it before continuing… If it turns out to be stolen then they will lose the car and the money, so it pays to be patient.”
HPI offers its own vehicle status check, capable of verifying not just mileage details but also outstanding finance, or even if the vehicle’s been stolen or written-off. That said, the bottom line is always ensure a car’s logbook is present before striking a deal.
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