VIN Number – What is it and Why is It Important?
Proof and detail are two of the great demands of the age, and, thanks to digital technology, there has never been so much detail available about all kinds of things, vehicles included. We’re talking about a VIN of course. The VIN, or vehicle identification number, can be used to track registrations, warranties, safety recalls, and insurance, among other things. It can tell you if a vehicle is legitimately owned or stolen, and if it has been smashed up and repaired, which enables you to get it checked over thoroughly if you’re thinking of buying it.
Have you ever tried to sell a car to a dealer and found them poking and prodding corners, tapping panels, and generally looking for signs of previous damage? If you have this kind of expertise, you can save money. If you don’t, but you have the VIN number, you can get an expert to have a look and possibly avoid making an expensive mistake. If you’re selling it privately to a someone who appears to know nothing about cars but has brought along a friend who specializes in head shaking and sharp intakes of breath, knowing exactly what you’re selling can help you avoid having your price knocked down because they think they know better than you, and you’re afraid they’re right.
Recalled Batches
Was it part of a batch recalled hastily by the manufacturer when a fault was discovered? You hear about it all the time, sometimes in alarming tones, when there’s a problem with the brakes or this couple of thousand vehicles has a habit of catching fire. No matter if you are trying to sell your car for the most money or keep it and simply make sure it’s safe, that’s something else you can get checked out.
Pulling Figures Out of the Air
As for straightforward value, what used to be called the book price can now be established as carefully as you like: the VIN can tell you the smallest detail of the model and any variants, so if you’re selling and yours is worth a little more because it has a few letters after its name, but you don’t know what they mean, this is how you can find out. You might have exactly what somebody wants, and they’ve been searching for it for months or years. Knowledge is power and, in this case, knowledge is money so it’s best to be informed. In an ideal world, the vehicle identification number would simply be the key to a cache of facts that everyone respects, but this is no such world.
It’s a world of deception, of making a fast buck and if you want to avoid being run out of money when it comes to buying and/or selling, the best thing is to be in possession of the full, undisputed facts. You can review a full guide online on how to locate this number and you’ll also be able to learn how to decode the digits, so you know exactly what the number means. Remember that taking this one step could save you money so learn how to do this now so you can save money later.
