Experian Car Check - Why Its Essential Before Buying A Used Car
One of the most important things that you can do before buying a used car is run a vehicle check. Unlike a brand new car a used or second hand car could have a questionable history. Even though a car can look bright and shinny on the outside it could be masking a darker history that your eyes would never pick up on. Running an Experian car check can save you a lot of time and bother later on by revealing information you may be unaware of.
With an Experian car data check you can check the background history of the pre-owned vehicle you are interested in buying. The autocheck vehicle report will take into consideration the vehicles life from the time it rolled off the factory floor to its current owner.
Like a humans unique fingerprint a car has a unique vehicle identification number or 'VIN' number for short. For this reason car checks can also be referred to as a VIN car check. If anything has happened to the vehicle in the past this information can be sourced through the cars VIN number.
When you request a check you will receive a document called the Experian car check report. This report will include vital information about the vehicles registration details, previous owners, repairs, vehicle valuation data and odometer readings.
Risks Of Buying A Pre-Owned Vehicle
The key aim of conducting a check is to find out if the pre-owned vehicle been involved in a collision or received any damage to the frame or engine. Other factors that you will want to know about are odometer rollbacks or clocking.
This involves the mileage on the odometer being rewind back to give the impression that the car has traveled less than it really has. Dishonest sellers do this to get a higher price for the car by fooling the buyer into thinking the car has not received as much wear and tear.
Other factors that an Experian car data check can bring up is if the vehicle has been stolen or involved in any criminal activity. If you buy a stolen car the ownership of the car remains with the original owner, not you. If the car is traced the original owner can reclaim it and you are left having spent money on a car that you no longer have.
Someone who is selling a car with a colorful background is more than likely to keep this to themselves if they are a dishonest type of person. There also the situation were the current seller is completely unaware of their cars history because they did not run a vin check before buying it.
Very few cars these days are paid in full. This means that the vast majority are bought with finance. This fact also means that many used cars for sale will have finance owing on them. Dishonest sellers who cannot afford to back the car loan will try and sell it. If the buyer is unaware of this they could end up buying a car that could be repossessed by the finance company that is still owed the money.
An increasing number of autocars that are being sold on the second hand market are insurance right offs. This is when insurance companies write off a car when the expense of repairing it will cost more than the car value is actually worth. For these reasons always do a check and buy from authorized dealers.
The Experian Auto History Check Service
There are 3 Experian auto check packages and the following information is sourced from their website:
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AutoCheck Single — $29.99
Whether you're buying or selling a used vehicle, this option will tell you the vehicle’s history.
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AutoCheck Unlimited — $44.99
When searching for a used vehicle, you can use this option to run unlimited vehicle history reports for 60 days.
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AutoCheck with TitleGuardSM — $59.99
Receive ultimate protection when searching for a used car. AutoCheck with TitleGuardSM not only protects your used car purchase up to $50,000, but it also allows you to run unlimited reports for 60 days.
On their website Experian provide a free VIN check service. By typing in the vehicles VIN number you will have access to their Autocheck record summary.
Experians AutoCheck Score
Experian also provide an autocheck score which works on a similar principle as a credit score. The auto score can enable you to see at a glance if the automotive has any problems. There are certain criteria that can lower the vehicles score. These can include accidents, water damage,theft,fraud, odometer rollback etc.
The score is based on a number scale of 1 to 100 however, each model has its own score range . For example, if a Ford has a score of 80 and a Mazda has a score of 88 then, you would automatically think that the Mazda would have a more favorable car history report.
However, if that particular Mazda model has a score range of 93 to 100 and the Ford has a score range of 75 to 85 the Ford has a better history record because its score falls within its designated score range. With this information in your hands you will be in a better position to negotiate a better price if you decide to proceed with purchasing the vehicle.
A Small Investment That Could Provide A Higher Return
Although, you will have to pay a fee for an Experian car check it is a small price to pay compared with ending up with a vehicle that could be stolen or a death trap due to structural damage as a result of a previous collision. With a check you can also save money as it can reveal if a vehicle needs any repairs.
With an auto check you can make an informed decision about whether to buy a second hand vehicle or not. It will also put you in a stronger negotiating position when you know the complete history of the car. For example, if the check revealed minor damage, or the odometer has been tampered with in the past then, you can use this information to negotiate a lower price from the seller.
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