World Magazine 2024
When we decide to purchase any used vehicle, there could be so many problems that we are not aware of. For instance, if you get a car without making sure that it is a car without financial problems, you could just lose it as it is repossessed. And since no one wants to go through something like that, there is some serious background check that has to be done.
We call these investigations PPSR/REVS checks, and they can tell so much different information, not just about the financial history of a vehicle. After all, aren’t we all doing some serious investigations about the physical state of the car? And just like nobody wants to buy a car that has a technical problem, no one wants any sort of legal problems.
For technical features, we consult a mechanic, and for this aspect, we need specialized checks. So if you are interested in finding out more about a car before buying it, check out quickrevs.com.au. But if you are interested in learning more about these checks, let’s say how long do these REVS checks take, then simply continue reading.
So, where does this story start? Well, first, it is needed to understand the variation among the PPSR and REVS check and make no mistake, they are both needed. PPSR stands for Personal Property Securities Register, and you can take this anywhere in Australia, except in the middle of the desert. With this report, you get various data, think registration details, write-off information, and records of potentially stolen cars. While PPSR doesn’t only deal with vehicles, since it is important no matter what kind of property you want to acquire, it is significant to us in this regard. And then, we have a REVS check that stands for the Australian Register of Encumbered Vehicles, and that represents a more local version of a check. In a way, these two are dealing with the same issues, and you can still find people calling both of them by the same name.
Since now it is clear what kind of reports you can and should get, there is a question of how fast they are done. And the truth is, surprisingly quick. Get to a website that can run these background checks, like the one we already mentioned, and submit a request. There is a form that needs to be filled, and after that, everything else is left to the service. Some might think that government agencies can do this type of job for free, but the truth is that those reports are just not detailed enough. For the price between five and ten dollars, you will get a report with all the information anyone might need for a vehicle. And the speed at which this is done is amazing. We only have to wait for a few minutes, sometimes not even that much. Thinking about how vital this can be for our future investment, this is a small price to pay, especially if we consider how fast it can be done.
But let us also go over everything that should be in this report so you know how to recognize a record that is not complete. First of all, there is the financial aspect or encumbrance record. That means that there is debt connected with the vehicle. Most likely, this is about some kind of loan that could lead to repossession of the car, as we saw before. So, be sure that this encumbrance doesn’t exist. You also need to check secured parties’ details and contact information, because most of this is about potential debts that could cause problems with our new car.
Another thing that is of high interest to us is the question if there is a stolen status record. That includes regular theft, VIN records, stolen plates, and engine theft pieces of information. Naturally, we don’t have to tell you that it would be pretty bad to buy a car that was stolen. In the best-case scenario, you don’t get to drive it. Worse case, the police believe you are the culprit or an associate of a culprit, and it is definitely something to be avoided. What is also of interest to us are written-off reports. That is about inspections that the car had, any possible collisions, or any other type of damage.
The last would be vehicle and registration details. Here we have the VIN itself, classification and model of the vehicle, year of production, and similar aspects. When it comes to registration, the important things are the plates, expiration of the registration, and state details. While most of these things seem completely basic, there is no need to believe the previous owner on his word. It is always preferable to inspect this thing yourself, and by that, we mean doing a background check on the internet. Many complications could ensue because you had the basic facts wrong, so it is for the best to make sure that doesn’t happen.
We have mentioned VIN a couple of times already, and you should know what that means. In case you don’t, that is an individual seventeen numbers serial key that every vehicle has in Australia. That identification is what will be necessary to have in order to get a check done in the first place, so be sure to know it. As for where you can learn this magical number, it should be where the windshields meet the dashboard. But sometimes, it can also be found on the engine. If not there, check the door on the driver’s side.
The bottom line
As we have seen, everyone who is interested in buying any used car first needs to do a detailed background check. The good news is that they are not expensive and that you can get them incredibly fast. The bad news you can only get if you don’t get a report before buying a car. So never don’t forget to get one before you buy the vehicle of your dreams.
