Recognizing and preventing mileage fraud
Kilometer fraud has been punishable in the Netherlands since Jan. 1, 2014. Unfortunately, this is not yet the case in many other European countries. As a result, many Dutch people buy a low-mileage car from abroad, which in reality has been used daily for years. Even when mileage fraud is punishable in the country of purchase, the mileage may have been reversed. As many as 5 to 12 percent of Dutch people who buy a used car become victims of mileage fraud.
Exchanging information with Belgium
The Netherlands and Belgium are ahead of the rest of Europe in tracking mileage. Mileage fraud is also punishable in both Belgium and the Netherlands. Yet five percent of cars imported into the Netherlands from Belgium have reversed odometer readings averaging 45,000 km. This is possibly because that communication between Belgium and the Netherlands about the odometer readings of cars is poor.
Minister Schultz van Haegen of Infrastructure and the Environment wants to nip mileage fraud in the bud by exchanging information with Belgium. Through better communication between these two frontrunners, when importing a car from Belgium to the Netherlands, the mileage of the car can be compared with the information provided by Belgium. In this way, mileage fraud can be prevented in most cases.
What can you do if you suspect mileage fraud?
If you suspect that your car's odometer reading has been reversed, you will need to come up with proof. If the car comes from the Netherlands, you can check the car's odometer reading on the RDW website. If the car comes from abroad, this is not possible. In some cases, however, you can request the odometer reading from the importer.
If you have proof that the odometer was reversed, a professional car dealer will always be held liable; even if he did not know anything about the reversed odometer reading. He must vouch for his product. You can in this case demand rescission or annulment of the purchase agreement, or demand a refund of part of the purchase price. If you bought the car from a private individual, it is more difficult to make these claims. First, it must be proven that the private party knew about the reversed odometer reading and concealed it. If this cannot be proven you cannot demand anything from the seller. If you buy the car from a dealer, you will have more certainty when you buy the cat in the bag. You can always report it to the police.
What can you do to prevent mileage fraud?
Prevention is better than cure. So be alert when buying a used car, and especially with imported cars. A useful way to check the mileage is to ask the seller for the service book. You can then compare the mileage of the car with the mileage at the last inspection. If the odometer reading from the booklet is lower, and the inspections have been kept clean, then you can assume that the odometer reading is correct. If you buy a car with odometer reading "illogical" in the purchase agreement, then you accept that something is wrong with the odometer reading and you can make no further claims when you have problems.
Finally, it is important to go by your gut; does the price match the car, or is it actually too good to be true? How does the car, especially the upholstery look? Does the mileage match the number of years the car is old? If you are in doubt, it is better to do some research before you buy.
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