RESEARCH from Experian and Vehicle Mileage Check (VMC) reveals that dealers who check the mileage of cars they are offered for purchase through VMC have seen a massive 40 per cent decline in the clocked vehicles.

Clocking, when the odometer, or speedometer, of a car is illegally turned back to increase the car's value, was the subject of a report from the Office of Fair Trading in October, and costs buyers of used cars an estimated £1 billion a year.

"When word gets round that a dealer checks the mileage with VMC, clockers take fright and try to sell their car elsewhere," said Steve Kilmister, Director of Automotive Services at Experian. "Obviously, this means that consumers buying privately have to be even more careful to check every aspect of the car, including its mileage.

"Experian and VMC teamed up to make it more difficult for the clocker to dispose of his vehicle, especially as most clocking is actually committed by private sellers to get a better price for their cars. Our research shows that our campaign is helping dealers up and down the country to keep clocked cars off their forecourts."

Martin Sale, Group Accountant of the Ilkeston Co-op Motor Group, agrees. "VMC assists us in cutting down the possibility of clocked cars getting into our stock. Now that VMC data is available via Car Data Check as a single package, it's even easier to check the mileage of the cars people want us to buy or part exchange and stamp out this practice once and for all."

VMC is the leading provider of mileage services to the motor trade. It maintains a database of vehicle mileages which is updated from various sources such as DVLA change of ownership reports, motor manufacturers, Trading Standards authorities, the BVRLA disposal mileage database and the mileages which VMC has obtained directly from vehicle owners themselves since 1986.

VMC mileage checks are available to the trade via Experian's Car Data Check, the only VIN-based computerised vehicle identification system, which allows dealers to obtain the comprehensive information they require through one easy to use source.

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