If you are buying a used car and think it may be stolen, it is always be best to check first before committing to the sale. Get in touch with your local police station to run a check on the car’s VIN number, or you can check on a number of different websites available online.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau has a database of stolen and unrecovered cars on their website. This is a free service available to anyone who is suspicious about a car’s history. All you need to do is enter the car’s VIN number and up to five different checks can be carried out by an individual in any 24 hour period. The database can be found by following this link:
www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck/vincheck
Another free website that allows users to check if a car has been reported as stolen in the past can be found at the following link:
www.checkitfree.com
There are a number of other free websites that can be found by searching on an internet search engine such as Google or Yahoo.
Another website to check out can be found here:
www.carfax.com/
Although this website does charge users a small fee, it allows them to search for a particular car’s service history. This will also help them find out the previous owners and will determine whether the car has been stolen.
To protect yourself when buying a used car you should always be cautious and be suspicious of any deals that just seem too good to be true; they probably are. Do not carry out any business with a trader at the side of the road or with someone who doesn’t give you a proper address.
Also, make sure that when buying the car you do obtain a receipt. This will help prove your innocence if the police do pull you over for driving a stolen car as you can prove you bought it off someone else.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau has a database of stolen and unrecovered cars on their website. This is a free service available to anyone who is suspicious about a car’s history. All you need to do is enter the car’s VIN number and up to five different checks can be carried out by an individual in any 24 hour period. The database can be found by following this link:
www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck/vincheck
Another free website that allows users to check if a car has been reported as stolen in the past can be found at the following link:
www.checkitfree.com
There are a number of other free websites that can be found by searching on an internet search engine such as Google or Yahoo.
Another website to check out can be found here:
www.carfax.com/
Although this website does charge users a small fee, it allows them to search for a particular car’s service history. This will also help them find out the previous owners and will determine whether the car has been stolen.
To protect yourself when buying a used car you should always be cautious and be suspicious of any deals that just seem too good to be true; they probably are. Do not carry out any business with a trader at the side of the road or with someone who doesn’t give you a proper address.
Also, make sure that when buying the car you do obtain a receipt. This will help prove your innocence if the police do pull you over for driving a stolen car as you can prove you bought it off someone else.
