HPI's used car jargon buster helps buyers from being lost in translation
Sometimes deciphering used car adverts can seem as if you’re trying to understand a foreign language. HPI, the provider of www.hpicheck.com, is helping used car buyers avoid being lost in translation, when it comes to shopping around for a bargain with all the key features. Scanning through the classified ads in print or online, buyers may need to know the difference between a ‘leggy’ vehicle and one with plenty of ‘ICE’. HPI’s jargon buster offers a quick guide to used car buyers so they can understand the true meaning behind car slang.
hpicheck.com Senior Consumer Services Manager, Shane Teskey, says, “It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the abbreviations and slang that pepper the used car ads. However, a little bit of research goes a long way to help buyers navigate the key terms and more importantly, can raise any potential warnings.”
Things to watch out for:
Nosebleed: This refers to a vehicle that’s had accident damage to its front end. Potential buyers need to make sure any repairs have been done properly and should consider getting a professional opinion.
Ringer: This is car that has been given the identity of another vehicle, typically one that has been written off, to disguise the fact that it has been stolen. Casual crooks sometimes just change the number plate – professional thieves will usually “ring” the VIN too.
Clone: Another way to disguise the identity of a stolen car is through cloning. This means using the identity of a legitimate vehicle that is the same make and model as the stolen one by “stealing” its VIN and number plate details and applying them to the stolen vehicle. So there will be two or more cars on the road with apparently the same identity.
Cut’n’Shut: When you buy a stolen car, your pocket may suffer, but if you buy a cut ‘n’ shut it could damage your health as well as your bank balance. This is the term used by the motor trade for a car that is made up of two crashed or ‘written off’ cars. The back end of one is welded to the front end of another to look like new, but the vehicle is likely to be unroadworthy and probably worthless when you come to sell it.
Blow-over: Used vehicles that have been given a rough and ready re-spray – sometimes indicating the car has had a colour change. At best the seller is trying to cover up repair work; at worst, they could be trying to hide its true identity. Look for “pinholes”, filler marks and paint runs.
Used Car Slang
A dipper – a deposit
A Gorilla – £500
Duel Fuel – a car that will run on more than one fuel, usually LPG/petrol or electric/petrol
FAR – front arm rest
I Left hooker – left hand drive vehicle
ICE – In car entertainment, anything from a CD player to a TV and video!
Skin and wind – air conditioning and leather upholstery
Rhyming Slang
Danny Marr – car
Sausage and Mash – cash
Gooses’ Neck –cheque
Bugs Bunny – money
Haddock and Bloater – motor
Ken Boon – 4 door-saloon
Shane Teskey concludes, “Our jargon buster will help consumers to buy with a little more confidence. You can never be too prepared, as used car buying always comes with risks. If you don’t understand the description in the advert then you’re putting all your trust in the seller who may be trying to hide the hidden history of the car. The HPI Check is the best way to ensure that bargain car isn’t hiding a multitude of sins.
“Too many people hand over their cash too quickly and live to regret it, if they buy a vehicle that turns out to be reported as stolen, hiding accident damage or has a fraudulent mileage. Better to be safe than sorry and get it checked before splashing the cash on a potential banger.”
The HPI Check includes a mileage check against the National Mileage Register as standard, now with over 170 million mileage readings. HPI also confirms whether a vehicle is currently recorded as stolen with the police, has outstanding finance against it or has been written off, making it the best way for consumers to protect themselves from fraudsters looking to make a fast profit. In addition, the HPI Check offers a £30,000 Guarantee* in the event of the information it provides being inaccurate, offering added financial peace of mind to used car buyers.
For further information, visit hpicheck.com.
