Car buyers in UAE now able to get the history of their prospective new car
In order to redress this problem, and as part of actions to improve peace of mind and reduce vehicle fraud, and in addition to the existing licensing services already in place, RTA, the Roads and Transport Authority, in Dubai, has this week, launched the ‘Vehicle Condition Certificate’.
The service is intended to provide administrative and mechanical records about the vehicle and has been designed to raise the awareness of buyers and help them, when buying a used vehicle, to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.
Buyers can now see at a glance, the essential detailed information as would be needed when buying a used vehicle such as the the type of vehicle, mechanical records, details of accidents and the damage sustained and repaired, the type and validity of required insurances, the distance the vehicle has recorded in kilometres, the condition of the vehicle during its last annual road worthiness test, including any notifications for parts needing replacement such as tyres and wipers, previous owners, whether the vehicle has ever been impounded, and how many times if any.
The service can also include information on overseas imported vehicles, thanks to links with international firms offering similar information. Companies in the USA, Europe and many Asian countries, already have similar vehicle information systems in place, and so vehicles imported from these countries are covered by these links and can be checked the same way as vehicles originally purchased and registered in UAE.
It has to be told, that it is not possible to just simply request the information of any vehicle. In order to use the service, the owner of the vehicle has to give their consent to the information being passed. The owner will authorise the RTA to use information after which the customer can request this information by entering a number into a website.
Following the recent implementation of a 5% Value Added Tax levy on new vehicles in UAE, a recent market analysis has suggested that there will be a significant rise in the sale of used vehicles. The new system should then protect all used car buyers from the pitfalls of buying a used vehicle.
The fee for the use of this new system is 100AED for each certificate requested.