Friday, August 13, 2010
Car clones under attack by new V5C
The new V5C will be issued for all newly registered vehicles and when there are changes to an existing registration, such as a change of keeper or address. The new documentation will then be rolled out in mid 2011 for all remaining vehicles when they are re-licensed or declared to be off the road.
Revamped
The existing blue V5C will remain valid for these vehicles until it is replaced and the DVLA will not be asking for the old V5C to be returned. The revamped V5C, which is now coloured red, makes it clear that a registration certificate is not proof of ownership and also details where consumers can get advice on buying a used vehicle.
The move comes after the theft of a number of V5C certificates in 2006, which have since been used to sell vehicles which have been cloned. The DVLA estimated that 2,000 of the stolen documents have surfaced so far but the police have advised that as a worst case, up to 400,000 of the documents cannot be accounted for and could have fallen into criminal hands.
Car crime
"The new V5C certificate is a real boost in the fight against car crime. However, car criminals may continue to use the old style V5Cs that were stolen in 2006, which will still be accepted until they are phased out . Therefore used car buyers need to be on their guard against cloned vehicles now more than ever," said Nicola Johnson, HPI's consumer services manager.
"Car cloning is a serious problem that all buyers should be concerned about. The steps that the DVLA have taken with the new V5C certificate will be a massive blow for criminals. Initiatives such as this, coupled with greater consumer awareness, will stop car criminals looking to make some quick money dead in their tracks."
DATED: 13.08.10
FEED: MT
