Car Data Checks

OK, so you’ve seen the car, sorted the financials and you know it is mechanically sound – job done, hand over the money and drive away into the sunset? Well think about this...

According to results from HPI’s data checking service there is a reasonable chance that the used car you are about to buy has a hidden history.

* 1 in 5 used cars HPI checked has outstanding finance
* 1 in 12 used cars HPI checked has been previously written off
* 1 in 12 used cars HPI checked has a mileage discrepancy
* 1 in 5 used cars HPI checked has had a number plate change

That means if 12 of you have read this page today and you all own a car, statistically at least 2 of you will have your car on finance or it's had a plate change, and at least one of you owns a car that is either a write off or has suspect mileage... In short this means a used car data check is a necessity when buying a used car or vehicle. If there is outstanding finance on a used car then the vehicle belongs to the car finance company and not the new owner. Thousands of stolen and written off cars are sold to unsuspecting buyers every year. With a vehicle data check you can check the hidden history of your intended used car purchase and safeguard your money and mobility by finding out before you buy.

A Used Car Data Check should give you.

* A full description of your vehicle
o Year of manufacture
o Date of first registration
o Number of former keepers
o Number plate transfers
o Whether scrapped
o If it is an import

* Notification if the vehicle is registered as stolen on the national police computer
* Notification of any outstanding finance against the vehicle
* If the vehicle is recorded as an insurance write-off
* If the V5 and MOT documents appear on the stolen documents list

It is worth checking the precise details of what the used car data checking service providers will give you. If you look at the cost in the context of a used car purchase of more than £500 then it is money well spent. If you get a negative report then walk away, the money spent could well save you thousands of pounds in the long run. As with anything, it's worth seeing who will charge what, but if it's more than a runabout, it's worth doing