Don’t Be Duped By Clockers

Clocking remains a very real threat to used car buyers, with unscrupulous sellers seeing the clocking of a vehicle as an easy way to raise its price and make some extra cash. HPI is warning consumers to remain aware of this potential pitfall when buying a used vehicle as they could end up paying hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds more than they should for it.

Nicola Johnson, Consumer Services Manager for HPI, says, “Our analysis shows that clockers are avoiding the high end vehicles and concentrating on the every day vehicles.   The relative ease of clocking these vehicles combined with sheer volume being sold represents the quickest buck for them and the biggest risk to the consumer.  

“Worryingly clocked vehicles may also represent a safety concern. Vehicles with incorrect mileages may have also missed important services and part replacement dates, making them unreliable and potentially un-roadworthy.  This means motorists must do all they can to protect themselves from this type of fraud to avoid paying over the odds for a clocked vehicle and landing them with a potentially dangerous vehicle.”

8 out of every 100 vehicles checked by HPI show a mileage discrepancy. Modern digital odometers are now commonplace, making it even easier for clocked vehicles to evade detection, as the traditional tell-tale signs of damage to screws or poorly aligned number are not visible.

HPI’s National Mileage Register now contains over 135 million readings, giving buyers extra assurance that a vehicle checked by HPI has not been clocked. With more vehicle information than anybody else, HPI also confirms the vehicle description, whether it is currently recorded as stolen, been written-off by an insurance company or is subject to outstanding finance. The HPI Check offers a financial guarantee, offering added peace of mind to used car buyers at a time when finances are tight.

Johnson concludes, “Buyers who conduct an HPI Check can rest assured that we will also check the mileage of the vehicle they are purchasing- meaning they won’t be paying too much or make repairs long before expected.

To conduct an HPI Check: log on to www.hpicheck.com or call the dedicated number 01722 422 422

HPI’S TIPS ON SPOTTING A POTENTIALLY CLOCKED VEHICLE*

• Check the service history - Check the mileages displayedin the service history and look for service stamps from a genuine dealer.  Ideally the service invoices will accompany the service history.
• Speak to the previous keeper - Get in contact with the previous keeper (details can be found on the logbook). They can identify the mileage of the vehicle when they sold it.  Make sure this adds up with the current mileage.
• Trust your judgement - Check who the car was last registered to on the V5.  Was it registered as a company car but has done less than 12,000 miles per year?  Or is it 15 years old with only 20,000 on the clock? Look for any evidence that indicates clocking.
• Check the mileage - It has been known for clockers to wind back the mileage when you first view the vehicle and then return it to its original value once the transaction is complete.  Make sure you check the mileage is the same when you pick up the vehicle.
• Look for signs of wear and tear - Does the wear and tear on the vehicle match its mileage?  Be careful to look out for signs such as worn seats, steering wheels and other vehicle parts.  Also look out for brand new easily replaceable parts, these could indicate replacement that does not correspond with the vehicles displayed mileage.
• Conduct an HPI Check - Let us check our mileage database of 135 million mileages against the displayed vehicle mileage.

*Many of these signs could be innocent, so look for more than one of the above as possible evidence of clocking

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