We cannot provide a multi-languages translation for all pages if they change too often, simply because we only have direct access to German and English speaking staff. So all other translations require extra time and of course also extra money. So currently we will only offer this FAQ in English which is understood by many people throughout Europe.
We recognized the lack of an European-wide database back in 2007. Of course, this project costs money (server, maintenance, time etc.) and we offer it totally for free for the average user. Since 2017 we sell vouchers for those exceeding the limit of free queries (currently 25 in 7 days).
Every user is allowed to place 25 search queries in the last 7 days. This should be enough for a typical non-profit person (e.g. when buying a used car). So the simplest thing is to wait until tomorrow and try again, as the last 7 days are counted. Alternatively you may purchase a voucher which allows you to place further requests. Vouchers are typically used for professionals (car dealers, leasing companies etc.) earning money by dealing with cars. A voucher never expires and can be used whenever the limit is currently exceeded. For even more queries read the FAQ “Computerized Online Access” below.
The only search criteria is the vehicle identification number (VIN).
License number plates may change and may be out-dated.
To prevent from misunderstandings, we only accept VINs.
Yes, currently we have direct online access to the databases of Slovenia, Slovakia, Italy, Czech Republic, Lithuania and Romania.
We plan to establish such direct "read-only" access to the national police or government databases of more countries in the future.
This is of course a political issue after all and might take some time.
Please add leading zeros (0000...) to the VIN until the length is 17 characters (e.g. 1234567 becomes 00000000001234567). You can then use this VIN for search queries or for reporting it stolen.
By reporting your stolen car to us, you have a chance to hear about the whereabouts of your car in the future. By providing your e-mail address to the finder of the car (who may be anywhere in Europe) it is possible to get in contact and organize respective actions with assurance companies or the local police department.
If you buy a car which is stolen you cannot become the legal owner of it. The owner is still the person from whom the car was stolen and can ask for giving it back. So in pratice this often means you lose both, the car and the money. You can prevent this if you check an offered car before you buy it. Driving around in a stolen car hoping no one will notice, is normally a bad idea and no real option (at least inside the European Union).
You need to enter your e-mail address for two reasons: First, to be able to get any feedback from the one who is finding your car and secondly to be able to remove your entry again from our database if necessary. We will not distribute your e-mail address to any third party and we will not send any spam e-mails to you.
Well, of course we could. But be honest: Doesn't look every silver Audi A4 more or less the same? And color can be changed easily too, so you should not rely to much on an image. Furthermore we would have to check every single picture to avoid possible illegal content. So currently we won't implement this feature.
As of November 2016 we have over 3000 cars in our database. We currently get about 30 to 40 new cars reported each month. So depending on when you read this, the figure will be probably higher. Currently we have some 20000+ search requests per months. In 400 to 600 cases per month such requests have a positive match, which means it was a stolen vehicle.
No, the data in this database will not be transferred to police, assurance companies or any other third party. It is only used in the way you see it here on this web site.
Regular users will issue their search request via the forms on our web-interface.
If you are a company with interest in placing many queries in short time
(e.g. by an automatic script or batch job) you may get a direct 'non-human'
(API) interface for doing so. Please contact us for details and conditions.
This page is available in English only. If you have a question which is not listed above please send it to: stolencars24@zistl.de (in English or German).
