The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC) has welcomed the inauguration of the Federal Government’s new Personal Property Securities Register.

The register will confirm a motor vehicle description, if a third party has a financial interest, and if it is stolen or has been declared a total loss by an insurer.

NMVTRC Chairman David Morgan says it is the first time consumers and motor traders will have easy, low-cost access to a one-stop-shop to check the history of any used vehicle they may be considering buying. 

“The register also completes a vital element of the NMVTRC’s strategy to combat the activities of car criminals and fraudsters who try to misrepresent the vehicle’s true identity,” he said.

“While some vehicle status information has been available from encumbrance registers and registration agencies, they have generally been limited to state-based checks rather than a single national ‘source of the truth’.  

“As a consequence, they have been generally greatly under-utilised by consumers.” 

Mr Morgan says the written-off status of vehicles being sold is a vital piece of information.

The NMVTRC estimates that there are more than 1.4 million private vehicle sales every year, but only a third of buyers have checked the vehicle’s history because it has been just too hard. 

“No one would buy a house without making the available provenance checks,” he said. “The register will now offer used car buyers peace of mind before they hand over their hard-earned cash.”