GEICO and NICB consumer alert: Go to VINCheck before you buy that used vehicle

Business Wire,  July 2, 2008  

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WASHINGTON -- 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.

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