Let's shut down Mileage Correction Firms

Posted by Pablo O'Hana | Updated 2013-01-22

Last week, I signed an E-petition supporting a campaign to shut down mileage correction firms.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/40393

Across the UK, these companies are turning back the miles on used cars, helping certain sellers push up the price of vehicles. The leading mileage check company HPI estimate 1 in 20 cars checked with them show the wrong mileage, and this figure has risen by 10% in the last 5 years.

Clocking itself isn’t illegal, but selling a ‘clocked’ car without declaring its true mileage is. There is rarely a legitimate reason to alter the mileage on a vehicle, and in the unusual instance this does need to be done, a reputable car dealership can do this for you. However, Trading Standards estimates there are 50 mileage correction firms operating in Britain. Some of these companies will be exploiting a legal loophole that could help unscrupulous sellers con used car buyers out of their hard-earned cash and I think the law should be changed.

Lower mileage can add hundreds or even thousands of pounds to the perceived value of a vehicle, so buyers have a lot to lose. Not only could they pay more than the vehicle is worth, but the car may need servicing and repairs sooner than the tampered mileage suggests. Digital odometers make clocking easier than ever to do and almost impossible to spot. Mileage correction firms are the main suspects believed to be fueling this fraudulent activity and it’s time to close them down.

www.hpicheck.com

TIPS ON SPOTTING A POTENTIALLY CLOCKED VEHICLE

Check the service history – Check the mileages displayed in the service history and look for invoices and service stamps from a genuine dealer

Speak to the previous keeper – Contact the previous keeper (details are on the V5 logbook0 to confirm the mileage of the vehicle when they sold it.

Trust your judgement –Look for any evidence that indicates clocking – anything out of keeping with the general condition of the vehicle.

Check the mileage – Clockers sometimes wind back the mileage for the first viewing and then return it to its original value once you buy. Check the mileage is the same when you pick up the vehicle.

Look for signs of wear and tear – Does the wear and tear on areas such as seats and the steering wheel match its mileage? Look out for brand new easily replaceable parts, which don’t match the vehicle’s displayed mileage.

Don’t rely on just one sign of clocking - look for more than one sign of tampering as one thing in isolation could be purely innocent

Conduct a check – Don’t take the risk, let HPI, or another mileage check company, check your vehicle.