HPI checks

Nara

I'm currently looking for a car to buy, today I am going to look at a private car for sale and am wondering if I should do a HPI check before I go?

Obviously I don't want to have to do this everytime I go look at a car as it will get expensive but this is the first one I am going to see that is being sold through a person rather then a garage or dealer.

The car is 2k and I will be paying cash if I like it.

This is the first car I have bought! So am unsure of the best thing to do.

Quentin

Don't spend money on it before you have even seen the car - just wasted if you don't like it.

If you decide to buy it, do the deal subject to a clean HPI check and see if you can get the vendor to knock off the cost of the HPI. Then do it!

forgotmyname

Look at the car 1st, Something pay put you off anyway.

When you think its OK. Do the HPI check. A proper one not a usless £3 text check, That tells the usless
information you dont need but fails to provide correct information on whether its actually clear or not.

A proper HPI give a bit of security.

Doing HPI checks on cars you have not even looked at could become costly.

pinkteapot

Agree with the above. You can see the results of an HPI check instantly online so look at the car, agree a sale subject to HPI, then go home and do the check.

We bought a one year old car from a main dealer in the summer and did an HPI, even though the car looked as new and the dealer said they did one when they took the car in. Ours threw up a red flag for clocking because some numpty at the DVLA or one of the other official agencies had entered the mileage as 112,000 instead of 11,000 (this record had gone in after the dealer did his HPI check). We had the dealer get the erroneous database entry fixed and ran a fresh HPI (which was clear) before buying.

I've done an HPI check on every car I've ever bought, whether privately or from a decent dealership. Money well spent, like a house survey.

Johnny_Barnes10

Great advice given, especially the deal subject to a HPI check. Will bear that in mind!

verityboo

Wait until you see the car, Unless you enter the cars original chassis number you don't get much protection (and you need to try and make sure the chassis number has not been tampered with!)

You also need to check for any accident damage yourself as only insurance right-offs are logged and shown on a vehicle check. It might have had serious damage and been cobbled back together, but would not show up if not written off