8 common mistakes to avoid when selling your car
The 8 most common mistakes when selling your car privately in Australia — from overpricing to the Notice of Disposal most sellers forget to lodge.
What is a PPSR check and how does it work?
Before you hand over a dollar for a private used car, there's one government search worth every cent: a PPSR check. It takes about two minutes and costs $2. Skipping it is one of the more expensive gambles you can take when buying a used car.
Here's everything you need to know about what it is, what it reveals, and when to run one.
What the PPSR actually is
The PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) is a federal government database managed by the Australian Financial Security Authority. It records legal interests (mainly financial ones) that exist over personal property. In the context of cars, that means it tracks whether a vehicle has money owing on it, whether it has been written off, and whether it has been reported stolen.
The register is national. It applies across all states and territories, so whether you're buying in Queensland, Victoria, or anywhere else in Australia, the same database applies.
The PPSR replaced the old state-based REVS (Register of Encumbered Vehicles) registers when the Personal Property Securities Act 2009 came into effect. If you've heard someone mention a "REVS check," they're talking about the same thing under its old name.
What a PPSR check reveals
A PPSR report can surface four key categories of information on a vehicle.
Finance owing (encumbrances)
This is the most common issue and the most financially dangerous for buyers. When someone takes out a car loan, the lender registers a security interest over the vehicle on the PPSR. That security interest stays attached to the car, not just the borrower.
If someone sells you a car that still has finance owing and then defaults on the loan, the lender can legally repossess the vehicle from you, even though you've already paid the seller. You lose the car and you lose your money. A PPSR car check tells you whether this security interest exists before you pay.
Written-off status
The PPSR flags whether a vehicle has been recorded on the Written-Off Vehicle Register (WOVR). There are two types worth understanding.
