Beware the used car bargain

Preparing to start at a new university can be a hectic time. For some, it will be their first experience living away from home and so they will be looking for that vital tool in starting to live independently – a car. HPI is advising those students buying a used vehicle for the start of term to be cautious and not rush into any purchase – no matter how cheap – as they could end up buying more then they bargained for.

As a further incentive for students to ensure they do not end up buying a car with a hidden history, HPI is offering a 25% discount on online checks from now until 31st October. Students can simply log on to hpicheck.com  and input the dedicated code PT25 to get an instant, full HPI Check.

Nicola Johnson, Consumer Services Manager for HPI says, “Student budgets have always been stretched, however with additional fees to pay and rising living costs, saving money has never been more important. With this pressure to make your money go further, seeing a run-around at a low price can be appealing. However, a bargain buy with a hidden history can end up costing hundreds or even thousands of pounds extra to the unsuspecting buyer. With 1 in 3 vehicles checked by HPI having some form of hidden history, we urge anyone starting university who is thinking of buying a used car to take a few simple precautions first.”

Stolen

Every day hundreds of vehicles are stolen across the UK, a large number of which are sold on to unsuspecting buyers. Unfortunately, a student who buys a stolen vehicle is likely to lose both the vehicle and their money as it is still the property of the owner. Increasingly, criminals are also ‘cloning’ cars, where they disguise the identity of a stolen vehicle with that of a legitimate one using fake documentation. As well as informing the purchaser if a vehicle has been stolen, the HPI Check can protect students from buying a clone as it is the only history check that comes with clone cover as part of the HPI Guarantee*, and a stolen V5C document check as standard, which will confirm it is not from a batch which were stolen from the DVLA in 2006 and which are still being used to clone vehicles.

Outstanding Finance

1 in 4 vehicles checked by HPI are still subject to an outstanding finance agreement. Those who buy a car which is still on finance have unwittingly bought a vehicle that is still owned by the finance company, who could claim it back at any time until the outstanding amount is settled. In addition to this,  a student who tries to sell on a vehicle that has finance outstanding is breaking the law – even if they had no knowledge of the agreement, as they are not the legal owner of the vehicle (the finance company is).

Write-off

A car may look shiny and new, but the paintwork might be hiding a vehicle that has been declared an insurance write-off. Whilst some of these can be repaired safely and returned to the road, others are only fit for scrap. The HPI Check not only identifies if a car has been written-off, but also which category of write-off, helping buyers make an informed decision about the purchase.

Clocked

With modern digital odometers now commonplace, clocking a vehicle to alter its mileage has never been easier for criminals to add hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds to its asking price as the traditional tell-tale signs of damage to the odometer will not be visible. The HPI Check will check a vehicle’s mileage against the National Mileage Register, which contains over 135 million mileage records and will inform a buyer if there is a mileage discrepancy.

Nicola Johnson concludes, “An HPI Check is essential before any used car purchase. However there are other, additional, steps students can take to protect themselves when buying a car; such as checking the VIN/chassis numbers for signs of tampering, making sure that they match the information on the V5C/logbook document. Buyers should also ensure that, if buying privately, they view and purchase the vehicle from the registered keepers address (as shown on the V5C), avoid paying in cash, and be wary of a deal that is ‘too good to be true’. If the asking price is 30% or more under the average value for similar cars, you need to find out the reasons why.”

“Simple things like the time of day can also be very important when viewing a vehicle, as bad light can mask faults that would otherwise be obvious. It’s also essential to maintain a neutral opinion of a vehicle until you have checked the history and inspected it, even if it is the perfect car or is at a bargain price.  More often than not, any vehicle that looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

HPI’S used car buying tips

Do your research – Prices of cars will vary depending on age, mileage and condition. Having an idea of the value of a car beforehand will help when negotiating with the seller, and will also let you know if it is suspiciously cheap.

Check the seller – If buying privately, verify that the seller is the registered keeper of the vehicle and if you are buying from a seller’s home, ensure the address is the one recorded on the V5C. Never meet anywhere other than the seller’s house, like a layby or car park.

Check all the documentation – Cross-check all the V5, service records, MOT certificates and receipts where available to ensure everything tallies. If the seller cannot provide the documentation, walk away.

View the car in good conditions – Inspect the bodywork carefully in broad daylight and on a clear day. Poor light or bad weather can mask faults.

Remain neutral – Try not to get emotionally attached to the car. An objective review of the vehicle is essential. Buy with the head, not with the heart…

Take a test drive – Make sure you drive the car on a variety of roads for a good length of time, at least 10 miles.

Get a HPI Check – An HPI Check will confirm the vehicle description and whether it is currently recorded as stolen, written-off, has been clocked or is subject to outstanding finance. All information is also covered by the HPI Guarantee, which provides up to £30,000 financial reimbursement in the event of the data held by HPI being inaccurate, and also includes protection against buying a cloned vehicle – the only history check to do so.

To take advantage of HPI’s discount offer, simply log on to hpicheck.com, and input the reference number PT25 when prompted for promotional code.