How to check the mileage of a car from Europe? About online verification services
Checking the history of the car before buying it is a key step in the process of buying a used vehicle. Carelessness in this matter can lead to irreparable financial losses and even endanger your personal safety.
One of the most important aspects of the inspection is paying attention to the twisted mileage. This is a common practice where sellers try to reduce the actual mileage of a car in order to increase its market value. Such manipulations can lead to the purchase of a car with significantly worn parts and a reduced remaining life, which will subsequently lead to unexpected repair costs.
In addition, the history of the car can hide other serious problems, such as participation in road accidents, technical malfunctions, or even legal restrictions on ownership. For example, buying a car that is in a bank lien or wanted by Interpol can lead you down the path of unpleasant legal problems.
To avoid such troubles, you should use the services of checking the history of the car. Such a check will allow you to make an informed choice and protect yourself from future troubles associated with the purchase of a used car with a dishonest history.
According to the volume of used car exports to Ukraine , most cars with low mileage are brought from : Germany, Poland, France, Lithuania. In countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, thanks to state control, the risk of encountering fraudsters is much lower, but the car market there is much smaller.
Problems that car sellers often hide
Twisted mileage
The most popular practice among unscrupulous car owners. They try to lower the odometer readings to increase the market value of the vehicle. According to statistics, in the European Union from 30 to 50% of all cars have low mileage, and in Ukraine this indicator is even higher - up to 70%. This practice can lead to serious financial losses for the buyer, since unreliable mileage often indicates worn parts and the possibility of frequent car repairs.
Car involvement in an accident
It is worth knowing that the mere fact of an accident does not indicate all the consequences. Some cars after serious collisions can be poorly restored, including welding from parts of several different cars. This can lead to the use of non-safety features such as plugs instead of airbags.
Deliberately changed VIN code
This unique 17-digit car serial number can be hacked, allowing fraudsters to falsify the car's history by changing its identifying information. Such actions can indicate various negative circumstances, including the possibility that the car is stolen or has an illegal origin.
Sale of stolen or leased cars
Unscrupulous dealers can create fake documents to sell the car in the country, ignoring the possibility of its illegal origin. This can cause serious legal problems for the new car owner, as customs clearance does not always include a theft or leasing check. To prevent such situations, it is recommended to contact professionals who specialize in checking the history of cars before buying.
Car history check services
In the European Union, there are a number of differences in access to car history data between different countries. And while some countries provide public access to vehicle information, others keep this data private. For example, in Sweden it is possible to access the state register to check the car, while in Poland access to the car's history is limited to data from the car's registration certificate, which is only available to the owner. Germany, as Europe's largest car market, does not provide public access to car history to third parties at all.
Among the most popular used car inspection services from Europe are : Carvertical from Lithuania and Cebia from the Czech Republic. Both services provide access to European car data using databases from various European Union countries, such as state registries, marketplaces, service stations, insurance and leasing companies. They provide users with graphical information that shows the vehicle's history, including mileage, accident history and frequency of ownership changes. This data is available after entering the vehicle's VIN code and paying for a specific data package. These services help buyers make informed choices when purchasing a car from Europe.
Carvertical has a feature: you do not know exactly what information will be in the report, and the price of the service does not depend on the data contained in the service database. First you buy the report - and only then you understand what you paid for.
Cebia, on the other hand, takes into account what exactly the user receives: advanced technical characteristics, the number of records about the car's mileage, service history, information about accidents and historical photos. The price of the report will depend on the available information.
Cebia uses only verified sources of data and informs where the information comes from - from the insurance company, state register, partner service station or marketplace. Also Cebia has more detailed information about cars from the Czech and Slovak markets.
It is worth noting that these services are different, and therefore they have different data from different sources. One may contain more information about a specific car, the other may contain less. Therefore, it is better to check the car on both services.
The cost of a car inspection report
The price may vary depending on the amount of information available in the services. A complete package of car data, including service history, photos of the car from different time periods and mileage data, usually has a higher inspection cost. For example, in the Cebia service, the cost of a complete data package can be 499 hryvnias, while a less complete set, which includes only technical parameters, data on factory defects and the location of the VIN plate, is 299 hryvnias.
The Carvertical service has a single cost, regardless of the amount of information, and is 700 hryvnias. However, users can get a discount if they purchase reports for multiple cars at the same time. For example, you can pay approximately 1,300 hryvnias for three reports, instead of 2,100 hryvnias for individual reports.
What to pay attention to when checking the history of the car
The first is the location of the VIN code . Cebia can provide information on the location of the VIN plate on a specific car. Any signs of tampering, abnormal appearance or lack thereof may indicate the possibility of VIN tampering, potentially signaling dishonesty.
The second is the number of previous owners . If a car has a history of changing hands frequently without proper explanation, this could be a sign of possible problems or defects.
Third, the availability of data on a large insurance payout , especially in connection with serious road accidents, is an important element of checking the history of the car. Such payments may indicate serious damage that can affect the safety and performance of the vehicle.
Fourth, the detection of anomalies in the car's mileage may indicate the possibility of twisting the mileage. A smooth increase in mileage according to the actual use of the car is normal, but sharp peaks in the graph may indicate mileage manipulation.
It is also important to pay attention to the possibility of duplicate cars that use the same VIN code. This is visible when the system shows two mileage curves that go side by side. The service will not show which of the two cars is real. However, it should encourage better research into the history of the car. There are no absolutely identical cars. To understand that you have a fake, you need to analyze the VIN code data in detail and compare it with the car you decided to buy. Namely, compare the factory equipment, factory color, presence or absence of additional equipment and, most importantly, plates with VIN codes.
Checking the VIN code is not a 100% guarantee that everything is fine with the car.
Not all cars may have a significant amount of information available, as it depends on the volume of data stored in the registers. Thus, when checking the history of a car, it is important to consider not only the online data, but also the actual technical condition of the vehicle. To get a complete picture, it is also worth ordering a physical check at specialized stations. This can be done at West Auto Hub.
During the physical inspection, West Auto Hub specialists:
- check the body of the car for external defects, damage and deviations in the LFP (if any, we will take a photo and add it to the report)
- presence of errors in electronic units
- running gear and units for leaks
- if necessary, check the history of the car
You can order an inspection by calling 0800 209 123.