Documentation checks.

DVLA & Ministry of Transport (MOT) vehicle checks.

CarVeto Platinum check provides useful in-depth data about the vehicle you are planning to buy.

Go here to investigate:

• How many owners has my car had
• VIN numbers
• Engine numbers
• MOT history
• Write off history
• Mileage data

The database gathers essentials from DVLA vehicle check alongside the Police National Computer, the MIAFTR and Motor Insurance Database.

The result is a simple to understand vehicle report and clear answer on the validity of a car and if it is safe and legal to buy.

Car document check

A five or ten-minute check of vehicle documentation is another proven way of ensuring a wise investment. In a previous article, we spoke of the ease with which a vendor can service history. There are further elaborate ways to hide the historical facts behind a used car. Use the information provided below and compare it with the documentation belonging to the vehicle.

Below are some important checks to safeguard your money:

• Can the seller show you the V5C registration document provided by DVLA? You won’t be able to tax the vehicle without it
• Is the seller the registered keeper shown on the V5C? If not, why are they selling for someone else? Can they provide identification on behalf of the registered keeper? (if buying from a dealer, the vehicle probably won’t be registered in their business name)
• Does the registration document have a DVLA watermark?
• Are there any spelling mistakes on the registration document? Does the VIN (vehicle identification number), engine number and colour match the V5C logbook and your Veto Platinum check?
• Does the number plate match the V5C and Veto Platinum check?
• Has the VIN plate been tampered with?
• Do the VIN numbers etched on the windows, lights, or body match the VIN plate, V5C and Veto Platinum check?
• Are there any scratches on the windows to remove etched-in marks?
• Does the seller have a current MOT certificate (if the car is more than three years old)? If so, does the information match your Veto Platinum check?
• When was the vehicle last serviced?
• Service history is easily falsified. Consider calling at least one of the workshops claiming to have serviced the vehicle (from the rubber stamps in the service book). You can provide the registration number and ask when the workshop serviced the vehicle and the work carried out
• Does the information correlate with the service book stamps?
• Many modern vehicles have a cam belt which will need replacing after a certain period and mileage (find manufacturers intervals at a supplying dealer)
• Has the cam belt been replaced and if so by whom, and when? It’s good to call the workshop who claim to have carried out this work
• Compare the MOT certificate information with your Veto Platinum. Check advisory items that may be costly on the next MOT test
• When buying from a dealer, insist on a 12-month MOT and no advisory items as a part of that agreement
• Compare the mileage at each MOT test for any anomalies
• Check for radio and key codes
• Are there spare keys with the vehicle? If so, do they unlock the vehicle, remotely? Do they start the vehicle?
• Is there a handbook kit? This can usually be downloaded if it’s not present

This is a basic list that makes up a solid free vehicle check.

Our general rule of thumb is: if you feel uncertain about the aspects of a vehicle’s paperwork, do not buy. Instead, ask questions and contact the workshops that have MOT’d and serviced the car. You can also walk away and avoid all risk.