The Registration of Encumbered Vehicles (Revs) contains details of all the motor vehicles against which there are outstanding loans owed to creditors. So a revs check carried out online by a professional agency will give you information whether a motor vehicle is encumbered or not. This is one of the most essential steps you need to take before buying a second-hand car in Australia.

So that an authorized agency can do the checking on your behalf, you will have to give them the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN. With the help of this number, they can get all the necessary details about the car, including the car history check and its encumbrances and financial status.

Why is the revs check necessary?

Everyone is not confident about selecting a good second-hand car. They have doubts about whether they are getting a good deal. The revs check authenticates the ownership, registration, date of manufacture, age, and other details of the car so that you are not tricked into a fraudulent deal.

Generally speaking, if you find that the quoted price of the used car is more than its market value, the seller/dealer is probably trying to cheat you. There can also be a possibility that the car is stolen property and has been obtained through illegal means. Another probability is that a dealer may falsify the technical specification and the performance details (odometer readings) of the car so that the person can justify a higher price. If you do not get the check done before buying and it turns out to be stolen property, the car will be repossessed and you will lose both the money and the car.

Other benefits of the revs check include:

• Car history check – registration, ownership, customization, location, etc.
• Tech specifications – mileage, performance, date of manufacture, make, model, color variants, etc.
• Write-offs – if the car has been damaged due to accidents or natural calamities.
• Repairs and service information and details of whether it has been maintained properly by the previous owners.

Procedure for revs check

In Australia, getting a revs check and a car history check is a common procedure for buying second-handed vehicles. They will just need the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) if the car was manufactured in 1989 or later. The VIN is printed on the car and is easy to find. If the car was manufactured before 1989 you can provide the agent with the chassis number to generate the check report. The chassis number is the last six digits of the VIN.

Alternatively, you can provide the manufacturer’s serial number if you can’t find the VIN or chassis number. Either number will help the agent to generate the revs report and the car history check report. These checks will validate the claims of the seller and will make the deal a straightforward and transparent one giving both parties peace of mind. So it is necessary for second-hand car buyers to ask for a revs check report.