7:28 am, May 9, 2012
USED car website trusteddealers.co.uk has created a new car buying video guide to help motorists avoid scams relating to stolen DVLA log books.
Several thousand V5C registration certificates or ‘log books’ stolen from the DVLA are continuing to help car cloners create false identities for illegal vehicles and will do so until the end of the year.
Yet a survey of 1,290 buyers by Trusted Dealers has revealed the vast majority (81 per cent) are clueless how to spot a fake registration document, with more than half (57 per cent) unaware there are rogue documents in circulation.
As a result of the findings, the company has launched a free video guide to help people avoid falling victim to scams involving the stolen books. The site, which is backed by 35 leading UK dealer groups, is the only used car website to offer a ten point safe buying pledge, promoting the safest standards in car buying amongst any UK classified car site.
Neil Addley, managing director of Trusted Dealers, said: ‘For a number of years thieves have been using forged registration certificates to legitimise stolen vehicles as many car buyers who are presented with a convincing log book take it as proof of ownership.
‘What continues to be worrying about this case is that despite many of the stolen books still being in circulation, little is being done by the authorities to highlight the risks to buyers.
‘When the log books were originally stolen the DVLA launched a hotline, however this is no longer active and with minimal information available on the Government website we felt it important to help buyers by offering some authoritative advice.
‘Trusted Dealers prides itself on being the safest way to buy a used car and all our members have already been through the processes required to guarantee a used car isn’t cloned, illegal or unsafe.’
The video can be view below:
