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
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