Expert advice, guides, and insights to help you make informed decisions when buying a used car
Showing 8 articles
A practical checklist for buying a used car in the UK: free online checks to run first, what to inspect on the day, and the documents you must verify before handing over any money.
HPI stands for Hire Purchase Investigation — a private-data check that reveals whether a used car has outstanding finance, has been stolen, written off or scrapped. Here is exactly what an HPI check means, what it shows, and why the free DVLA check is not the same thing.
There is no such thing as a completely free HPI check — but you can get surprisingly useful vehicle data at no cost using official government services. Here is exactly what the free DVLA, MOT history and recall checks reveal, and where you need a paid provider to go further.
The free DVLA check does not show previous owners. Learn what the V5C, a V888 request and a history check can and cannot tell you about a car's earlier keepers.
There is no official UK car valuation. Learn how private sale, dealer and part-exchange prices differ, and what actually moves a used car's value up or down.
There is no official grey import flag on a V5C. Learn what the term actually means, the IVA approval route, and the indirect clues that help you spot an imported car.
There is no free official check for whether a car has been scrapped. Learn what a Certificate of Destruction proves, and how scrapping differs from an insurance write-off.
Thinking of buying a Cat S or Cat N car? We explain the real savings, insurance costs, repair quality checks, and when you should walk away from one entirely.
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