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Why an HPI check is so important?
Stolen vehicles
Some 375,000 vehicles are stolen in the UK every year. The check uses police information to confirm whether the vehicle is currently reported as stolen. If you purchase a stolen vehicle the Police will probably confiscate the car, and you may well lose your money. Each year 150,000 car thefts are recorded by insurance companies. If you buy one of these cars, the insurance company may well repossess it, and you would lose your money.
Insurance write-offs
Over 500,000 vehicles are written-off or declared 'total losses' by insurers each year in the UK. Many can be safely repaired and put back on the roads, but some will be death traps, and should have been scrapped. We recommend you have the car inspected by an organisation such as the RAC before considering purchasing the car. If you do buy one of these vehicles it may invalidate your motor insurance.
Outstanding finance
Over 7 million vehicles are purchased in the UK using some form of finance. The check identifies whether a car has an outstanding loan registered against it. Please ensure the loan has been settled off before you buy the vehicle otherwise the finance company may well repossess the car.
Previous plates
Personalised number plates are becoming increasingly popular. Most are perfectly innocent, but beware - crooks can use a change of plate to try to obscure a vehicle's true past, such as accident damage.
Risk of being sold illegally
Some vehicles should not be offered for sale such as a rental cars or dealer demonstrators. The check will tell you if a car being offered for sale is registered as belonging to one of these organisations.
Number plate matches the chassis number
The chassis number or VIN is given to each car during the manufacturing process and should never be changed or tampered with. Any mismatch signals a possible stolen vehicle.
Vehicle Registration Number Database
The Vehicle Registration Number Database provides confirmation of the vehicle's physical details, including make, model, door plan, fuel, transmission, engine size and number. If any of these details do not match the vehicle or V5 registration document, make further enquiries before going ahead with a purchase.
