Incorrect HPI data (cat D) against my motorbike - please help.

115steve

Hey Guys and Gals.
I am a newbie poster here and I require some advice please regarding an incorrect CAT D write off on my motorbike.


I have owned my motorbike from new in May 2008 and so I am the sole owner and have never had any accidents or made any insurance claims on my bike.


In June after a prolonged period of not riding I decided to sell my bike on E-bay - I sold the bike to a trader who carried out an HPI check through HPI and to my shock the check returned the CAT D. I carried out my own HPI check and although it was my registration number the vehicle shown was a Citreon Dispatch van. I contacted HPI and they investigated and fortunately an unnamed insurance company admitted an error had been made and promptly updated the MIAFTR database which these companies use. Just to be certain I carried out another HPI check myself and sure enough it was all clear......


So I tried to re-sell my perfectly good bike on E-bay again (again to a trader) who carries out a check using Experian's Autocheck service and sure enough it came back as a CAT D write off again. I was gutted. So I contacted Experian and asked them to investigate and a week later they also said and error had been made and they had updated their system accordingly.


Whilst this had been going on I had also contacted my insurer, the DVLA and the Motor Insurer's Bureau and all say they have no record of my bike ever having been written off. So in theory I am clear to sell the bike, however now I have lost all confidence in selling my perfectly good bike.


Is there anybody out there who has some knowledge off these autocheck service's - if I sell my bike is the next buyer going to check using another service just for this to happen all over again?. How many companies operate these systems? (I have read many of the smaller companies take their data from either HPI or Experian including the AA and RAC - is this true?)


Even though I know the bike is perfectly OK am I selling on a potential headache to another innocent person? - this is something I'm really not keen on doing.


Any help or advice appreciated please.


Many thanks
Steve

EdGasket

You can check for free what AutoTrader thinks. Just start to place an ad and after the second page it will flag up if AutoTrader's database has it as a write off and the category.
If someone raises this, maybe you can just show them your own HPI check and explain it is clear?

marlot

I certainly wouldn't believe a seller's HPI report over an autotrader-sourced one.

But hopefully its now clean, and you can just get on with selling it.

Minrich

Just advertise the bike again and print out the HPI check you have done yourself that is clear . It happens quite a bit with the inputting of data on the system ..... It is easy to rectify as you have seen .

115steve

Hi guys - many thanks for your replies. I have as suggested tried the Autotrader and it didn't return any issues with the bike and I also carried out a 2nd HPI check on the bike using a 2nd company yesterday (my motorcycle check) to go with the one I already had from HPI.com and it also came back as clear, so hopefully it all appears to be OK.


Interestingly I had a chance conversation at a wedding yesterday with the wife of a colleague of mine (I didn't know she worked in motor insurance!!) and she says this thing is very common - it makes you wonder how many other innocent people are driving their vehicles around who are ignorant that this type of thing is happening - I also wonder if it would affect their insurance in the event of an accident.


Steve