Autocheck celebrates its first successful year of protecting used car buyers

AutoCheck, a service launched by Experian, the global information solutions company, to help make the used car market a safer environment for consumers, celebrates its first birthday this month.

It was launched last May to encourage consumers to change the way they buy used cars, by making it easier and cheaper for them to check the status of up to five potential purchases at an earlier stage of their buying cycle, before they travel out to see them.

Kirk Fletcher, Managing Director of Experian's Automotive division, said: "There are 23 possible pieces of information asscociated with any given vehicle, many of which can't be seen and could affect the consumer's decision to buy.

"Our research shows that one in three vehicles in the UK has adverse data, so the chances of researching, let alone buying, a car with a hidden history are high.

And, with the recent rise in inflation, more bad debt is predicted, so car buyers need to spend their money wisely.

"A consumer should always find out as much as they can about a used car before buying it, whether by looking online for reviews and information about certain makes and models or through the opinions of friends.

We want to ensure that looking into the 'status' of a used car becomes an essential and natural part of this process.

AutoCheck was developed to make it easier and cheaper for car buyers to do this and find out before parting with their cash whether there is a reason why they should walk away from the sale.

"AutoCheck might only be a year old, but it has already made quite an impression on the marketplace.

It is still the only service on the market offering multiple checks and it is the most comprehensive service available for the price.

Over 40 consumer websites, including What Car?, Motorcycle News, MSN and Pistonheads, have linked up with Experian, making the AutoCheck service available to all their used car buying customers." Thanks to AutoCheck, car buyers can carry out five separate checks over a period of 60 days, compare them and choose the car that is right for them.

The checks give information on a vehicle's history, including if it has outstanding finance, has been recorded as an insurance write-off, is reported as stolen or may have been clocked - all things which could materially affect the car's value or the consumer's decision to buy.

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