AUTO TRADER LAUNCHES CAR CRIME AWARENESS MONTH
Auto Trader / 1st September 2005
Vehicle crime is steadily on the increase and becoming more sophisticated as greater numbers of buyers take to the internet to locate their vehicle of choice.

Only 1 in 10 motorists carry out a vehicle check prior to purchasing a car and over 3 million private transactions a year go unchecked. Auto Trader is launching the UK’s first National Car Crime Awareness Month to build awareness amongst motorists about car crime and how to avoid it.

National Car Crime Awareness Month is supported by the Police, Trading Standards and motor manufacturer, Renault and is designed to raise awareness of car crime when buying, selling or owning a vehicle. In a recent survey* conducted to start National Crime Awareness Month, nearly a quarter of motorists who had experienced car crime had been the victim of theft when showing their vehicle to a potential buyer, one in six motorists had been given a forged bankers draft from abroad and a 8 per cent had been targeted by fraudulent canvassers who offered to sell the vehicle for a fee, then disappeared with the money. (* Source: Auto Trader research, August 1,300 respondents).

Auto Trader commissioned Graphico to design and build a new car crime microsite to support National Car Crime Awareness Month, offering advice to all car owners, buyers and sellers on car crime prevention. The Car Crime mictosite (www.carcrimeawareness.co.uk) offers sensible advice on avoiding car crime; hint and tips; real life stories; and useful contact details for further information and help.

The commission comes hot on the heels of Graphico’s appointment to rejuvenate and redesign www.autotrader.co.uk following a six-way competitive pitch (April 2005).

The Car Crime Centre will be promoted with hot spots and advertising banners on the parent site, www.autotrader.co.uk, and also via magazine advertising campaign across Auto Trader’s 13 regional titles.

Jonathan Williams, Head of Marketing at Auto Trader said: “As the no 1 destination for new and used cars with an audience of over 5.8 million motorists, we try to ensure that we create a safe and secure environment for consumers to buy and sell cars. A small minority of motorists are affected and we want to reduce this further by educating them on how to avoid car crime by following a few simple guidelines.

“We check all online private advertisements against a secure database to ensure they are not stolen providing some security for buyers. However, we do recognize that there are people who are trying to break the law and that car crime is becoming more sophisticated. Hence, we are keen to educate motorists on what measures they can take to protect themselves, and we hope that our national Car Crime Awareness Month will help to reduce car crime over time.”

One in 10 motorists had been sold a ‘ringer’ – a stolen car that had its identity changed and one in six motorists bought a ‘cut and shunt’ – two cars welded together. Over 80 per cent of motorists think car crime is a growing problem and nearly 90% are concerned or very concerned about it. However, while only 4.6% of motorists have suffered car crime, more worryingly, more than 40 per cent know family or friends that have been affected by car crime when they bought or sold a car.

More than 40 per cent of motorists don’t feel confident to spot a potential car crime when buying or selling a car privately and over 50 per cent said they would like more advice on avoiding car crime.

Today, car crime makes up nearly 20 per cent of all recorded crimes in England and Wales with more than 1.8 million crimes in 2004-2005. Over 8 per cent of vehicle owning households have experienced one or more vehicle-related thefts in the past 12 months. (Source: BCS 2005).

Peter Stratton, Trading Standards Institute Lead Officer on Motor Trade comments: "It is most important to identify the car and the person you are buying the car from. All too often the only point of contact is a mobile telephone number which makes it hard to identify where they are from."

Auto Trader has launched a website to support National Car Crime Awareness Month, www.carcrimeawareness.co.uk which features real life case studies, facts and figures, hints and tips and advice on buying, selling owning cars safely and securely.

Auto Trader has also recently launched the Auto Trader Vehicle Check which is available on any used vehicle and will check if the vehicle has been stolen or salvaged; had a number plate change; has outstanding finance; or has been involved in a major accident. The Auto Trader Vehicle Check costs £24.99 (including VAT) and can be purchased by calling 0870 1993311.

Auto Trader has positioned itself as the channel of choice for buying and selling a new and used vehicle, built on the combination of local targeting and comprehensive national coverage and can be accessed via its magazine, website, Digital TV and WAP components.