Secu - How do you make secure car deals?

4. Before the trades

Make sure the car is not a clone by comparing the factory equipment list with the car's equipment. Ask for a new inspection if it is no longer valid for a long time. Consider whether you want to buy the car remotely, so that you have a 14-day right of return (distance selling). If you decide to buy the car, find out about the possibility of taking out technical insurance. This will cover repairs and parts in the event of a breakdown, even without a deductible.

See if you can get a cheaper Tech Cover through the Import Service. Click here to go to the comparison page.

Finland has become a dumping ground for car crashes

European car wrecks are often the best bet for a Finnish car dealer. In other countries, the car dealer must disclose any paintwork done on the car. In Finland, the Finnish Consumer Disputes Board has ruled in several decisions that car dealers do not have to tell the buyer about minor damage repaired after a redemption collision. In Europe, there is no indication of a redemption - only the amount of compensation paid for the repair is included in the CarVertical report. In the YLE/Kuningaskrauchjan study, 62 cars with a redemption collision were for sale on Nettiauto without any mention of redemption. Rintajouppi and Kamux explained this as a human error. If this is the case for cars that have been redeemed in Finland, what can you expect a dealer to say about a car that has been crashed in Europe?

Up to hundreds of cars stolen in Europe are sold in Finland every year

Every year, police in Finland confiscate dozens of cars stolen in Europe, and consumers who lose their cars often do not get their money back.Stolen and subsequently cloned cars are a Europe-wide problem that causes hundreds of millions of euros in losses every year. The identity (VIN on the body and OBD) of a legitimate car is copied onto the stolen car. In this way, two cars with the same VIN are on the road. Europol reports that organised crime has infiltrated the European car market. Detective Ari Huhtinen hunts these in Finland for a living and estimates that there are hundreds of them on the road. Usually they have passed through trusted car dealerships to be driven to consumers, like the Beemer owned by Jannika B. Cloned cars are often new, because criminals get the best money from them. The only way to identify a clone is to compare the factory equipment list from the VIN code with the equipment on the car.

Consumer advice: "Problems with car dealers"

There is no other sector that employs Consumer Advice and the Consumer Council as much as the second-hand car trade. The CCI carried out an investigation into more than 1,000 disputes and found that the sector is plagued by perverse practices. The condition of the car is exaggerated and essential information (such as the accident history) is omitted. In Finland, we believe that the requirement to provide a collision history is one of the weakest in Europe. Car dealers here are allowed to sell a car that has been badly damaged without mentioning the damage to the consumer. And in these cases, the KKV has not sided with the consumer.

As a solution, we will draw up "guidelines for better car sales". We will also publish a list of "trusted car dealers" who commit to follow these guidelines. The service will be free of charge for car dealers. Sign up to the waiting list to receive an email when the new list of "Trusted Car Dealers" opens.