WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--
Vehicle buyers who want to check the safety history of a used
vehicle should go to VINCheck(SM) before they buy, advises GEICO.
"When a GEICO-insured vehicle is declared a total loss and sold
for salvage, we want to be certain that every potential buyer and
consumer is aware that the vehicle has a previous salvage record with
GEICO," said Shawn Burklin, vice president of claims at GEICO.
GEICO is now a participating member of National Insurance Crime
Bureau's (NICB) consumer protection service, VINCheck, which tracks
automobiles by their vehicle identification number (VIN) and provides
important safety information about a vehicle's history.
"Consumers now have access to free, valuable pre-purchase
information about used vehicles that is made available to the NICB by
participating insurance companies, like GEICO," said Robert M. Bryant,
president and chief executive officer of the NICB.
Bryant explained that once a vehicle is declared a total loss by a
participating carrier, its identification number will be captured by a
VINCheck query.
Burklin continued, "We want to help NICB achieve their goal by
providing as much information as we can to consumers to protect them
against fraudulent used car sales and potentially dangerous accidents
from driving unfit vehicles."
Bryant added, "NICB and GEICO recognize that consumer protection
is paramount, which is why they support this unique program that also
includes information on Hurricane Katrina total loss vehicles and
unrecovered stolen vehicles."
In addition to the new VINCheck service, NICB and GEICO recommend
that consumers seek the advice of a certified automotive technician
before purchasing a used vehicle.
Persons wishing to use VINCheck or for more information on NICB,
visit www.nicb.org.
About GEICO
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is the
fourth-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States. It
provides auto insurance coverage for more than 8 million policyholders
and insures more than 13 million vehicles. In addition to auto
insurance, GEICO offers customers insurance products for their
motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATV's), boats, homes, apartments
and mobile homes. Personal umbrella protection and life insurance are
also available. As a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of
companies, GEICO is rated A++ for financial stability by A.M. Best
Company and ranks at the top of several national customer satisfaction
surveys. For more information, go to http://www.geico.com.
GEICO Communications
301-986-3271
Copyright Business Wire 2008
