Anywhere to check if car is stolen for FREE

EdGasket

It seems one can check if a car is insured or taxed for free but not if it is stolen without paying? If so this seems very strange because surely if a car is reported stolen, the information should be freely available so that the public can help the police by checking a suspicious car, and so that the public don't get conned into buying a stolen car.

As an asside, I noticed a car in my road being driven very erratically and thought I would check if it was stolen as the driver seemed unable to drive it properly. However I couldn't find any online database of cars reported stolen.

Quentin

EdGasket wrote: »

As an asside, I noticed a car in my road being driven very erratically and thought I would check if it was stolen as the driver seemed unable to drive it properly.....

Don't worry - this sounds like my wife popped round your way.

scotsbob

Would that not require access to the data base held by police forces? I doubt that is going to happen.

EdGasket

scotsbob wrote: »

Would that not require access to the data base held by police forces? I doubt that is going to happen.

Well yes it would.That's my point; why are lists of stolen cars not published so the public can be the eyes and ears of the police? ...and lets hope it's not due to the dreaded 'data protection act' !

Well you wouldn't need access to police data, they could simply transfer details of stolen vehicles to a public domain database.

forgotmyname

If you buy a stolen car the seller wont have the V5C unless they stole that as well.

If your worried, Then you make sure the seller lives at the address on the V5C.

Most people get stung by meeting sellers in carparks or motorway services.

If you goto the sellers home address then your about as safe as it gets. Anything over that will be an elaborate scam that probably wouldnt evenb show up on police records until it gets found out.

eg. Someones working abroad for months and came home to find they had been broken into. They stole nothing from the house. But used the owners details to order lots of goods and sell stolen items.

motorguy

Check if a car is stolen for free?

Bloke round here used to charge £500 and you'd never see it again.

jimjames

EdGasket wrote: »

As an asside, I noticed a car in my road being driven very erratically and thought I would check if it was stolen as the driver seemed unable to drive it properly. However I couldn't find any online database of cars reported stolen.

Surely, rather than wanting to check online you'd just call 101 and report it. Seems bizarre to think you'd go and check a website every time you see a car driving strangely.

BTW once a car is recovered it won't appear on the stolen car part of a check anyway as it's no longer stolen.

thenudeone

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q570.htm

IIRC there used to be a scheme whereby members of the public COULD be told this information if they asked at a Police Station, but I think it was stopped when someone sued the Police for incorrectly telling someone that a car they were selling was stolen.

The Police legitimately disclose sensitive information all the time, but they have to balance the advantages and disadvantages in each case.

Personally I think allowing the public to have this information on request, provided the person asking was properly identified, and asked about why they were interested, and where the car was, would help reduce crime, because if the answer was - it was stolen, the police have prevented the thief from benefiting financially from the crime, and there's a chance they could recover the stolen property as well.

colino

Well as the private sector took up the challenge and created robust systems (initially for self-protection) now accessible for a fee, why should they give up the information for nothing? Add to that the false leads the Police get if they really do want help, why would they really want bored net curtain twitchers to, "mistakenly" query neighbours and passers-by intentions and overload their systems?

zappo_2

Maybe you could google it?

EdGasket

colino wrote: »

Well as the private sector took up the challenge and created robust systems (initially for self-protection) now accessible for a fee, why should they give up the information for nothing? Add to that the false leads the Police get if they really do want help, why would they really want bored net curtain twitchers to, "mistakenly" query neighbours and passers-by intentions and overload their systems?

So they can solve a crime? Or is that an unreasonable expectation?

A simple number plate query on a database would in no way overload any system as proven by being able to check on Tax status.