Many residents in the UK buy used cars which offer great value and satisfaction. It may seem like a simple process to buy from a used car dealer, but there are some steps you should take before making payment. In the UK, there is a way to find out the history of a particular used car you are interested in buying. It is called the HPI check. You can run HPI checks online and quickly, all you need is the registration number of the vehicle.
Knowing some details about a used car, you plan to buy can help you make the best decision. HPI checks reveal the following information;
Information of the previous owner(s)
The results of an HPI check will reveal the information of the previous owner. You can note this down for reference.
Are there outstanding bills?
The result from HPI checks will reveal if the previous owner of the used car has some outstanding bills to pay. For example, if the car was bought on hire purchase or other car financing plans, you can tell if the owner did not finish paying the charges. With this information, you can avoid future problems associated with inherited bills. This aspect of HPI checks was added after many cases of fraudulent re-financing of cars were discovered.
Car safety
Some cars may have been previously involved in accidents, but you can hardly tell at the dealer’s shop. Cars salvaged from accidents may not be very safe. This is why it is a great idea to patronize used car dealers who encourage you to run HPI checks. The result will show if your preferred car has ever been in an accident. Badly damaged cars are usually written off by the insurance company. However, some fraudulent people can go ahead to repair these cars using substandard parts and put it up for sale.
Avoid criminal implication
The HPI checks will also indicate if the car you wish to buy was stolen or has been associated with any criminal activity. This information can save you from a lot of trouble. It became necessary to add this feature to the HPI checks because it is quite difficult to know if a car has been stolen in one part of the UK and sold in another place.
It is now easier to run HPI checks for all used cars. There are websites that offer discounts to make the process affordable and accessible.
