CarCert protects consumers against fraud in used car purchases “With CarCert, there is finally an effective instrument to combat the widespread manipulation of odometer readings in used cars,” said CarCert Managing Director Patrick Scharwenka.

Wiesbaden, Germany, November 19, 2021: CarCert, the auto-CV for used cars, is now being launched. The certificate is available to the vehicle’s owner and can be obtained for 29.99 euros at carcert.net. It contains the most important information and data relating to a vehicle, such as mileage, the results of general inspections, and much more. The data are used to uncover a widespread fraudulent practice: rolling back odometers. CarCert makes it possible for a buyer of a used car to verify a seller’s claims. “This has finally given used car buyers and sellers in Germany an effective instrument against odometer manipulation,” said CarCert Managing Director Patrick Scharwenka.

Germany is one of the few major vehicle markets that has not had a solution of this kind until now. “We have succeeded in developing a product that meets the demanding requirements of Germany’s data privacy laws, making it possible to combat fraud in used car sales and purchases,” he said.

Police estimate that the odometer on one out of every three used cars in Germany has been rolled back in order to obtain a higher price. About 7 million used cars a year are sold in this country. Cars with manipulated odometers are sold at prices averaging 2,600 euros higher than they would be without the fraud. The financial damages to consumers, car dealers, insurers and others amount to about 7 billion euros a year.

Aside from historic mileage readings, the CarCert certificate contains the reference mileage of identical models, the results of all the main inspections, the initial registration, manufacturer recalls, the base and special equipment levels, new and residual values, an import check, and much more information. Along with the organizations that carry out main inspections in Germany, the German Automobile Club (ADAC) provides recall information for CarCert’s auto-CV, while the German Automobil Trust (DAT) delivers various data for the respective vehicle.

CarCert is fully in compliance with Germany’s stringent data privacy rules under the General Data Protection Regulation. “We worked with Dr. Thilo Weichert on the concept for CarCert,” Scharwenka said. Dr. Weichert is a lawyer and the former data privacy officer in Germany. “The vehicle identification number (VIN) and the odometer reading are personal data that belong to the owner of the vehicle,” Dr. Weichert said. “So only the title-holder or registered user of a vehicle can acquire a certificate from CarCert to prove the authencitity of the car sale.” The concept was coordinated with the responsible data-privacy regulatory authorities based on a legal opinion from Dr. Weichert.

“Our goal is to prevent fraud in used-car purchasing and thus protect consumers,” Scharwenka said. CarCert plans to become the technological and market leader in auto-CVs in Germany.

-ENDS-

 

Media contact:

Young-In Sun, Experian, pr.carcert@experian.com

Wolfpeter Hocke, Hocke + Partner, +49 172 3994499

Guido Reinking, Hocke + Partner, +49 173 9286106

Website: www.carcert.net

Top