A car with encumbrance means that the present owner or buyer is still making partial or complete payments to the seller. The purchase of an encumbered vehicle may be useful for dire need or for short-term use. While it can be cheaper to buy an encumbered car, purchasing the same comes with a fair share of risks. Thus, it is important that you are able to recognize an encumbered used vehicle. Here are some tips to help you do so. 

Conduct a Revs Inspection 

This is possibly the easiest way to find out whether or not a used car is encumbered. A revs check is a type of inspection that is conducted in Australia when an individual wants to buy a second-hand car. R.E.V means Registration of Encumbered Vehicles, which is referred to as Vehicle Security Registers otherwise. This is a process of validating the data about a used vehicle with the help of various authentic identification techniques. If you can find the manufacturer’s number, you may use details such as serial number, chassis number or VIN to get a Revs Check report. 

Find out where the car goes for maintenance 

This is crucial, as you can visit the garage or car maintenance center to find out whether the automobile is serviced regularly to keep it in top shape. You can also make a few enquiries and check whether the car was involved in some accident, and had undergone major repairs. As mechanics are the only ones who know what is beneath the hood, you can get a fair idea from them about how long you can expect the car to serve you. With some luck on your side, you can also find out whether it comes with any encumbrances. 

Get a Car History Check done

You can find out many things about your used vehicle from a Car History Check. Generally, a car history report comprises of info on a car’s present market value, its emission ratings, its odometer readings and whether or not it has suffered any accident sometime back. With a car report, you can also determine whether or not the vehicle had been stolen. 

Make some informal research 

It is a good idea to conduct some research about the background of the seller, especially if it is a private seller that you are buying from. These days, more and more buyers are opting to buy used cars from private sellers – given that they offer cars at cheaper rates than licensed dealers. Also, there are no hassles of dealing with plenty of paperwork while purchasing from a private seller. But it is true that many private sellers only try to con potential car buyers. Lots of buyers have been victims of such sellers, who sell encumbered, tampered or even stolen vehicles to them. If you wish to avoid being conned in such a fashion, it is better that you buy a used car only from a licensed dealer. Even then, you have to research about the dealer’s reputation.