VIR® - FAQ
1. When will I receive my report?
If you purchase the report online it will appear on screen in less than 15 seconds. It will also be emailed to you.
If you purchase the report from our call centre (0800 843 847) your report will be read to you and emailed.
2. Does the VIR® show all the problems that may exist with a vehicle?
No, there may be information that is not publicly or electronically available. The VIR® is unlikely to be able to show:
- any history of the vehicle while it was outside of New Zealand
- any history of the vehicle prior to 1994/95
- details of import damage if the vehicle has not been previously registered in NZ
- accident, damage and repair history of the vehicle
- all past odometer readings
- the registered owner's name if it is a private person
- if the vehicle is stolen if it has not been reported stolen or if the police database link is down
3. Will the VIR® always show if the odometer has been wound?
No, the VIR® contains all odometer readings currently available from the NZTA, and analyses these for any inconsistent readings.
However, some older vehicles have not had all their odometer readings recorded by the NZTA. The VIR® will identify if NZTA deemed the odometer to have been tampered with but cannot directly determine if a vehicle's odometer was wound back prior to arriving in New Zealand. The VIR® does everything it can to identify problems - but it cannot guarantee that the vehicle's odometer has not been wound.
4. Where does the information come from?
The information is sourced from several Government and private sector organisations, collated and analysed.
- PPSR Personal Property Securities Register
- NZTA New Zealand Transport Agency
- NZ Police
- MotorWeb's own private database
5. How accurate is the information?
The information is sourced from several third party organisations in real time when you purchase a VIR®.
To the best of our knowledge, the information is correct at the time the VIR® is generated.
Please note:
- The information is only as accurate and up-to-date as what is held in the government databases.
- The information should only be considered valid at the time the VIR® was generated. Anything can happen after that.
6. How does the VIR® differ from other vehicle history reports?
The VIR® is the most comprehensive vehicle history check on the market and the only vehicle check with a $100,000 Repossession Guarantee. Click here to find out more.
7. Does my VIR® update over time?
No, VIRs are only valid at the time of issue.
Reports accessed through a reference number may be out of date due to subsequent changes made in the government databases. Think of it as a snapshot of the vehicle at the time of issue.
8. Is there a free number I can call to check for money owing on a vehicle?
No, the Government's free calling number ceased operations in 1999.
9. What if I don't have a credit card?
No problem. You can call our 24/7 call centre on 0900-843-847 (0900-THE-VIR) and have your report read to you. The NZ $29.95 including GST fee will be charged directly to the phone account you are calling from. Be sure to ask the telephone bill payer first.
The VIR® over the phone
1. What are your Phone Service numbers?
You can purchase the VIR® over the phone using either of the following numbers:
- 0800 843 847
- 0900-THE VIR (0900 843 847)
2. When can I call these numbers?
Our call centre is open 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday-Friday.
3. How much does the VIR® cost?
The VIR® costs NZ $29.95 including GST over the phone or NZ $19.95 including GST via the Internet.
4. How do I pay using the 0800 number?
You need a valid credit card (VISA, Master Card or American Express) to purchase a VIR® on this number. Please have the following details ready for our operator:
Please have the following details ready for our operator:
- Credit Card Number: 15 or 16 digits, located on the front of your card.
- Expiry Date: MM/YY located below the Number.
If you do not have a Credit Card, call our 0900 number to have the charge appear on your phone account.
5. How do I pay using the 0900 number?
0900 calls are charged to your monthly phone account. Please make sure you are the bill-payer (or have the permission of the bill-payer) before making the call.
6. I can't access the 0900 service. Why?
There are several possible reasons for this:
If you get the no such number tone, the most likely explanation is that you have a 0900 toll bar on your phone. Please call your telephone service provider and ask to have it removed.
If you have problems calling the 0900 number from a mobile phone, your call plan may not allow calls to such a number. In this case, please call from a land-line, or speak to your telephone service provider to investigate your calling options.
Privacy and security
1. Is this a secure site?
To prevent unauthorised access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the privacy of your information, MotorWeb has put into place physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to help safeguard and secure the information we collect on-line.
Since your credit card information is especially sensitive, we take special care to keep it secure. We only communicate this information over secure internet connections, using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption and security keys. This is the currently accepted standard for online security, and is used by the likes of banks, government agencies, etc.
2. Our privacy policy
We will never sell or otherwise divulge your personal information to a third party.
3. What personal information is collected?
For the purposes of purchasing a VIR®, we may collect the following information:
- Credit card numbers: are used only to pay for the VIR® and are not kept once the VIR® has been generated.
- Email, fax or postal addresses: will not be given to any third parties. This information is only used to deliver the VIR® and other related services.
Email marketing
When you generate a VIR® report you will be given the option to receive information from MotorWeb by email about products, promotions or special offers which we feel may be of interest to you. In the event that you do not wish to be contacted for such purposes, ensure that you un-tick the appropriate box as you go through the registration process. You may unsubscribe from our contact list at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link contained within all emails or by phoning us on 0800 843 847.
MotorWeb does not collect any other personal information from you unless you provide it to us. So you can visit our site without telling us who you are or revealing any personally identifiable information about yourself.
4. What anonymous information is collected?
Anonymous information is collected for every visitor to this site, on a page by page basis.
- Pages viewed
- Date and time
- Browser type
- IP address
This information is collected for the sole purpose of system diagnostics, statistics and dispute resolution. We do not make any association between this information and a visitor's identity.
5. Privacy legal disclaimer
We may disclose personal information when required by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary in order to conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on MotorWeb.
If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please contact:
Reference number
1. What is the Reference number?
The Reference number is a unique code assigned to each report. With this number you can view your reports online, forever, for free. You can share your report with any third party, instantly, such as a vehicle dealer, finance company or bank.
2. Where do I find it?
Look for the Reference number at the top right hand corner of your report. You should see something like Reference: 43888db2 at the location indicated by the arrow:
3. How do I use it?
Type a URL like the following into the address bar of your browser:
http://www.motorweb.co.nz/reference/[enter reference number here]