What Does an NRMA CarWise REVS Certificate Mean?
A REVS certificate will check two very important things:
- if there is any finance owing on a vehicle
- if a vehicle is stolen or written off
Does a REVS certificate cover other States and Territories?
- For Outstanding Debt Issues: A REVS certificate provides protection against financial encumbrances in NSW, ACT, NT, QLD, VIC and SA.
- For Stolen or Written Off Vehicles: While REVS cannot guarantee information relating to stolen or written off vehicles, they provide critical warnings on write-offs in NSW and vehicles reported stolen in NSW, QLD, VIC and SA.
What is a written off vehicle?
When the cost of repairing an accident damaged car exceeds the market value of the car, this is considered a write-off. This term is also used by insurers when they are better off paying out the market value to the vehicle owner than to pay for repairs.
There are two types of written off vehicles:
- Statutory write-off: a vehicle that has been damaged beyond repair and can only be sold for its parts. An NRMA CarWise Report will display a warning if a vehicle is a statutory write-off.
- Repairable write-off: a vehicle that is currently or has been previously written off. The vehicle may have been repaired, inspected and re-registered. If the vehicle is currently registered in NSW, an NRMA CarWise Report may contain data relating to its previous status as a repairable write-off. REVS retains this information for historical purposes where the vehicle was re-registered after 1 July 2003.
Why do I care if the car is a Write-Off?
If the results of your NRMA CarWise Report show that the car you are looking to buy is a write-off, you can bet one of two things:
- Statutory Write-offs: The car does not actually exist anymore, and the car you are looking to buy is using the VIN plate of the written off vehicle to pass off the car as legitimate. This means that the car you are looking at is stolen. Most importantly though, if the cops find out which they often do, they’ll repossess it and you’ll end up without a car and the remaining car loan still to pay off - even though it wasn’t your fault!
- Repairable Write-off: The vehicle may have been repaired but has not been inspected and passed a vehicle inspection. Unless the car has been officially re-registered, there is no guarantee that it will be. In this case the seller needs to have registered the vehicle before you should even consider buying the car.
What is a Re-Birth?
Car re-birthing is a $100 million dollar business and of the 75,000 or so cars stolen each year around 5,000 are back on the market deceiving the public as legitimate.
What happens when a car undergoes this process, involves using the identification number from one vehicle and placing it on a stolen vehicle. It could be a combination of two cars or more. Most importantly though, if the cops find out which they often do, they’ll repossess it and you’ll end up without a car and the remaining car loan still to pay off - even though it wasn’t your fault!
Simply checking the registration papers against the vehicle identification plates is not enough to protect you. You need to get a comprehensive background check through an NRMA CarWise Report.
How do I check a vehicle that isn't registered in NSW?
An NRMA CarWise Report can do a search on both registered and unregistered vehicles in the following states:
- NSW
- ACT*
- Northern Territory*
- Victoria*
- South Australia*, and
- Queensland*
For vehicles registered in WA:
Contact: WA REVS
P:1300 304 024
E:
www.docep.wa.gov.au/REVS/.
For vehicles registered in Tasmania:
Contact the Vehicle Securities Register
P:1300 851 225
E:
www.transport.tas.gov.au/regstat/index.html.
*Important Note: NSW Motor Vehicle Registration Requirements: NSW residents considering the purchase of an unregistered or interstate registered vehicle should be aware that the vehicle will require an inspection by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) prior to registration in NSW. For further information contact the NSW RTA on 13 22 12 or visit the RTA website at
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/registration/rego_new.html How long is a REVS Certificate Valid for?
A REVS certificate is valid for as long as you own the vehicle, provided that you complete the purchase of the vehicle before midnight on the day after the certificate was purchased and issued.
I am about to purchase a replacement engine for my car. Can a REVS check be done on an engine number only?
No, a REVS check can only be done if you provide a VIN or chassis number with the engine number. It is understood that, on older vehicles, the engine might have been replaced. If you find the engine number does not match the registration document, contact the NSW RTA on 132 213.
What does ‘encumbrance’ mean?
In basic terms, an encumbrance means someone has a claim to the car as an asset. This means that if you are buying a used car and you discover it is encumbered, the car won’t belong to you legally even though you have purchased it. Instead it will still be owned by the previous owner’s finance company. To cover yourself you’ll need to download an NRMA CarWise Report or Update a REVS Certificate on a previously purchased NRMA CarWise Report, on the day of, or day prior to, purchasing the vehicle.
My REVS certificate is valid, but my car still got repossessed.
You should seek independent legal advice.
What should I do if I find an encumbrance (i.e. money owing on the car)?
Download the FREE NRMA CarWise Buyer’s Checklist for complete instructions.
Buyer’s Checklist