CARCO Group Advises on How to Avoid Buying a Used Hurricane Flood Vehicle

Holtsville, NY (PRWEB) September 15, 2017

With Hurricanes Harvey and Irma wreaking havoc on Houston, Texas, Florida, and the surrounding areas, hundreds of thousands of flooded cars are expected to hit the market. To protect consumers from unwittingly buying flood damaged vehicles, CARCO's CheckThatVIN.com is offering 50% off of vehicle title history reports. CheckThatVIN is the most comprehensive vehicle title history database in the industry.

It is estimated that there will be over 500,000 flood claims due to Hurricane Harvey alone. Consumers are at risk of buying flood-damaged cars that may be passed off as undamaged. Buyer beware! You do not want to unwittingly buy a car that was under water. Ever.

"If a deal looks too good, be careful," said James Owens, CEO and President of leading pre-insurance auto inspection company CARCO. "Before buying a vehicle, you should physically inspect it and run a 'CheckThatVIN' report, which relies on the most comprehensive online database of vehicles and was created by federal law."

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB.org) states that "buying a flood vehicle is not illegal, but misrepresenting a flood-damaged vehicle as one that is not could be a crime exposing the seller to potential criminal charges. More importantly, unknowingly buying a flood-damaged vehicle may put you and your family in physical and financial danger. A vehicle's electronic systems are often destroyed from prolonged exposure to water rendering many of its safety features inoperable." https://www.nicb.org/newsroom/news-releases

Here are two ways to avoid buying a used flood vehicle:

1. Have the vehicle inspected or inspect the vehicle yourself.

• Look for water marks behind the rugs in the cabin and trunk.
• Look for rust in the engine compartment.
• Check for musty odors in the cabin and trunk.
• Check the wheel wells for signs of submersion.
• Check that electrical wires are flexible and not brittle or cracking.
• Find out if the vehicle was regularly parked in a location that had recent flooding.

2. Run a NMVTIS CheckThatVIN report.
The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) was designed to protect prospective buyers and sellers of used cars and trucks from concealed vehicle histories.

Created by federal law, this system is the only publicly available system in the country that requires all insurance carriers, auto recyclers, junk and salvage yards, and states to report vehicle title history information. NMVTIS data is also required in the state of California to comply with AB1215.

Reports typically include title "Brand" information that may uncover a previously-unknown "Salvage" or "Flood" vehicle. This information may not normally be found in a standard vehicle history report.

CheckThatVIN is available at https://checkthatvin.com/ctvcares.

Rob Winthrop, Business Development Director at CARCO Group, stated, "Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the storm and subsequent flooding. Often, a vehicle that is a total loss due to flooding may be labeled as 'Insurer Total Loss' versus 'Flood'. Running an inexpensive CheckThatVIN report prior to purchasing a used car offers valuable information and peace of mind."

In light of the recent hurricanes and in support of our customers, until November 12, 2017, CARCO is offering a 50% savings on its vehicle title history reports at https://checkthatvin.com/ctvcares.

About CARCO

Since its inception in 1977, CARCO has provided businesses with the tools necessary to protect its clients from a variety of risk events and fraudulent activities that can expose the company and its bottom line.

A Cisive company, CARCO is one of four divisions:
1. Fraud Prevention Pre-Insurance Inspection & Risk Monitoring Services Division
2. Driver iQ, a Trucking Industry Background Screening and Monitoring Division
3. Background Screening, Employee Onboarding and Monitoring Services Division
4. Investigative and Security Consulting Division

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/09/prweb14691819.htm