Vehicle repair association wants insurers to give consumers access to the vehicle write-off register. 00:01
Having begun its âsecond lifeâ as a result of nefarious activity, a rebuilt write-off will invariably be dangerous to drive. Image: Shutterstock
Unsuspecting used vehicle buyers are purchasing cars without knowing they have been previously written off because the registration code of the vehicle â possibly through fraud, bribery and corruption â has not been amended to reflect this.
Not only does this lead to consumers purchasing a used vehicle at an inflated price but these rebuilt vehicles are often unroadworthy and dangerous to drive and require the new owners to spend a significant amount of money to get them into a safe and roadworthy condition.
âââ 18:00 Thu, 21 Jan 2021
Unsuspecting used vehicle buyers are purchasing cars without knowing they have been previously written off because the registration code of the vehicle has not been amended to reflect this.
Not only does this lead to consumers purchasing a used vehicle at an inflated price but these rebuilt vehicles are often unroadworthy and dangerous to drive and require the new owners to spend a significant amount of money to get them into a safe and roadworthy condition.
This has resulted in the South African Motor Body Repairersâ Association, an association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation, appealing to the SA Insurance Association to allow public access to the vehicle salvage database to allow consumers to check if a vehicle has been written off before concluding a transaction.