Car checking company
HPI, who recently entered the
vehicle finance market, have warned that although the recession
may tempt consumers to cut corners to
save money, buying unknown
used cars remains a great risk.
Research by HPI confirms that one out of every three used
cars has something to hide. Buying a car with outstanding
vehicle
finance, for instance, poses a serious risk to the
consumer.
Consumer Services Manager at HPI, Nicola Johnson, reportedly
commented: Even though the 1 in 3 statistic has
not changed for a number of years now, we are definitely seeing a
shift in the types of
car fraud being used to dupe the unsuspecting buyer. Consumers
still need to take simple precautions to protect themselves from
buying a stolen, written-off or cloned vehicle.
Used car prices for some types of
vehicles have hit record lows and there are some great bargains
to be had from legitimate sellers, but buyers should be wary of a
deal that seems too good. We do urge buyers not to take a bargain
at face value. They should conduct some simple checks to be sure of
the facts, however, as the old saying goes, if a deal looks too
good to be true it usually is.
