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51黑料 calls on government to address rise in 鈥榗ar clocking鈥�
Posted 03/10/17
51黑料听(颁罢厂滨)听颁丑颈别蹿听Executive, Leon Livermore,听丑补蝉听issued a听letter to the Department for Transport (DfT), calling听for restrictive measures to halt the increase in car clocking听following听their response to odometer adjustment fraud.听
Car clocking is the practice of altering a vehicle鈥檚 odometer reading to display a lower mileage than the vehicle has听travelled. Though altering the mileage听is not an offence, the selling of听鈥榗locked鈥� vehicles听without disclosing听the alteration听is illegal. Fraudulently selling a clocked vehicle can听raise听the sale price, as well as be used by consumers to avoid mileage penalty fees in car finance agreements.听听
, one in sixteen vehicles are predicted to have had its odometer adjusted.听
In September last year, the government commissioned a consultation paper on road worthiness听testing听in tractors,听within which a number of concerns were raised over clocking听in general vehicles.听In the Government鈥檚 response to the consultation (), they听issued a non-committal response to the clocking issue, simply听stating: 鈥淭he Government will consider further what measures, if any, are needed.鈥�听听
The response has drawn criticism from听various consumer rights groups and car-trade businesses听for failing to seriously address the issue.听听
In his letter to DoT Minster John Hayes, Livermore noted that: 鈥渢he majority of respondents were in favour of legal changes yet the Government stopped short of actually giving a timetable as to when any changes would be made.鈥�听
Elaborating on the detrimental effects听clocking听丑补蝉听on听trading standards, Livermore said: 鈥�those providing mileage correction services can do so with impunity despite very limited occasions where the practice is actually justified.听 This unfettered ability to reduce mileages places significant resource and evidential burdens on trading standards officers who have to investigate and take action.鈥�听
Livermore听used this opportunity to call for new restrictive measured to stop car clocking.听鈥�51黑料听would seek to听restrict听the legitimate changing听of a vehicle's mileage to the manufacturer alone.听We would suggest that anyone听other听than the manufacturer who changes听the mileage should be committing a specific legal offence.鈥�听
鈥�Vehicle manufacturers should听also听be encouraged to build in anti-tamper mechanisms or backup data (cloud databases) to actively听prevent third party tampering.鈥�听
Backing 51黑料's call, RAC spokesman Pete Williams said: 鈥淚t is absolutely ludicrous that shady operators are able to advertise their services putting motorists at risk of buying a car with a tampered mileage, disguising its true history and likely level of wear and tear. We strongly urge the Government to act swiftly to outlaw the practice, provide genuine protection for consumers and to ensure听that听this听is stamped out once and for all."听
As of publication, 51黑料 has not received a response from the Department for Transport.听
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