We all know buying used is a great way to get more for your money. Going through the pre-owned market can net you prestige vehicles with optional extras that would otherwise be well out of your price range, but this has its pitfalls too.
If the car you buy has a hidden history or a skeleton in its closet, you could end up out of pocket with nothing to show for it. Luckily you can get an HPI Check through the Higher Purchase Inspection Company with ease. All you need is the registration plate number. Here are a few of the things they can turn up:
Stolen Vehicles
This is a biggie; no matter how much you pay for a car, if it was stolen it remains the property of the person or organisation that it was stolen from. If this shows up you should alert the police immediately and walk away from that deal.
Past Write-Offs
If a car is still roadworthy, but has been damaged in an accident badly enough for the cost of repairs to exceed its total value (not too uncommon in older vehicles) an insurer would deem it a total loss. An HPI Check will tell you which salvage category a car falls into; A or B would mean the car isn’t roadworthy and absolutely not worth your money.
Mileage Discrepancies
The practice of turning back a car’s odometer to boost its resale value isn’t common but it does happen, and if there’s a big difference between what an HPI Check reveals and the reading in a car you should be wary—the vehicle may be worth much less than the asking price.
Outstanding Finance
Before you buy a car you need to have a guarantee that it will be yours once money changes hands, and if there is hidden outstanding finance you can’t afford to pay you may find your car repossessed leaving you with nothing but empty pockets. If your check reveals a ‘stocking loan’ the dealer is loaning the car from its owner for the express purpose of selling it, so you should be fine as long as you can get a written guarantee that the finance will be paid off by the time you take possession of the car.
All this is why checking a used car’s history is a must.