RAC Car Passport - refund?

efunc · 22 October 2015 at 5:59PM

Hi all,

I'm trying to buy a used Audi TT and got a RAC Car Passport for £15 with a £30k guarantee. Does anyone have any experience with this and were you satisfied with the data? My milage seems completely out of line with the data I got through the Audi service help line:

Audi:
07/02/2008 15,501 Walton Audi
07/11/2008 31,694 Walton Audi
03/09/2010 51,784 Coulsdon Audi
16/12/2010 56,168 Coulsdon Audi
11/8/2011 65,519 Coulsdon Audi

RAC CAR PASSPORT data:

MILEAGE SOURCE DATE
15,414 RMI MIL'GE 14/09/2009
47,274 RMI MIL'GE 18/12/2009
47,304 RMI MIL'GE 31/12/2009
48,087 RMI MIL'GE 12/02/2010
56,166 RMI MIL'GE 16/12/2010
65,517 RMI MIL'GE 10/08/2011

The car has had private plates fitted my the new owner 2 years ago, and it may be that the report I got shows the milage of the previous car with the private plate. I called RAC and they said that is possible, however they will call Experian to confirm. However the RAC report says 'No Milage Discrepancies' is big bold letters. Clearly their milage history is flawed even without the possible plate mix up! 15K miles in september 09 and the 47k in December 09, after 2 months??!

On the basis of 'No Milage Discrepancies' I was going to go ahead with the sale, but now I'm holding off. Do I have grounds to get a refund of the £15? Their Terms state:

"Whilst we use all reasonable care and skill in the supply of the Information to you, the Information has been supplied to us by third parties, and therefore we cannot warrant that (nor can we be held responsible for ensuring that) any of the Information provided to you as part of the CPP is correct, accurate or complete."

Huh?

BeenThroughItAll · 22 October 2015 at 6:01PM

Afraid I can't help with the RAC question - I expect it's unlikely they'll refund you but no harm in asking. I would suggest just using HPI directly next time.

efunc · 23 October 2015 at 12:11AM

Well, as I see it, it's an expensive service and the only justification of it is the accuracy of the data they provide. If they can't even get that right then what's the point of it? There's a £250 compensation in the event of there being a milage error. My question is, do I have to actually go ahead with buying the car before I can claim this, or do I avoid buying it and just ask RAC for the £15 refund? What's the procedure for getting RAC to cough up?

AdrianC · 23 October 2015 at 9:09AM

Put them all into date order, and you get...

07/02/2008 15,501 Audi
07/11/2008 31,694 Audi
14/9/2009 15,414 RMI
18/11/2009 47,274 RMI
31/12/2009 47,304 RMI
12/2/2010 48,087 RMI
03/09/2010 51,784 Audi
16/12/2010 56,166 RMI
16/12/2010 56,168 Audi
10/8/2011 65,517 RMI
11/8/2011 65,519 Audi

Only one figure is out of line. Could it be that the mileage was entered wrongly? 45,414 would fit perfectly there, yet somebody entered 15,414.

What does the MOT history say?

efunc · 23 October 2015 at 12:03PM

Thanks, this is what it shows from the online check. It was re-registered on a new private plate in Dec 2013 and clearly the pre and post plate change messes things up because it looks like two different cars:

MOT history of this vehicle

Test date 14 October 2015 Pass
93,138 miles

Test date 16 December 2014 Pass
81,716 miles

Test date 4 November 2013 Pass
68,320 miles

Test date 23 July 2012 Fail
87,905 miles

Test date 23 July 2012 Pass 
87,905 miles  

Test date 2 June 2011 Pass

Test date 2 June 2010 Pass

I do wonder where the RMI data comes from, because its neither the MOT history or the Audi service history.

AdrianC · 23 October 2015 at 12:06PM

efunc wrote: »

I do wonder where the RMI data comes from, because its neither the MOT history or the Audi service history.

A variety of sources...
http://www.motortrader.com/general-news/rmi-scheme-will-expose-clockers/

efunc · 23 October 2015 at 12:08PM

HPI checks? You mean they physically come out to look at the odometer? Who's doing the checking and why?

AdrianC · 23 October 2015 at 12:16PM

efunc wrote: »

HPI checks? You mean they physically come out to look at the odometer? Who's doing the checking and why?

heheh. You posted that, whilst I was rethinking and editing...

No, when somebody does an HPI check, they submit the mileage as recorded, and HPI say "Yep, that sounds likely" or not. That's one of the sources - especially for the National Mileage Register. But the RMI register looks to be a much wider-ranging thing.

Human error on that one erroneous record really does sound the most likely. If you plotted the mileage vs time on a graph, it'd stick out like a sore thumb from an otherwise sensible curve.

efunc · 23 October 2015 at 12:29PM

Thanks for the info, it's very interesting. I still don't quite understand the HPI bit though. Who is doing the HPI check? Surely only the car owner can submit the recorded milage, or someone who's seen the car. Tangible sources are MOT or Dealer Service record. Also why are so many HPI checks being done then? There have been 6 registered keepers though, so that may tally with your idea since there's 6 RMI data points.

AdrianC · 23 October 2015 at 12:32PM

efunc wrote: »

Who is doing the HPI check?

If the car's for sale, then anybody thinking of buying it might HPI it. Or the vendor may well HPI it.

Seriously, I wouldn't be worried at all from what you've posted.

efunc · 23 October 2015 at 12:43PM

Thanks for reassurance. The RAC Car Check came back clear for all things including Milage Discrepancy despite the above, so no warning flags apparently.

However when I went to see the car I looked at the log book and the first of only 4 service stamps was in October 2010 at 49,000 miles! It's an 07 car and clearly the book doesn't tally with anything provided here. So I still have concerns. Based on this though the book looks like complete fiction.

RAC Car Passport - refund?

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