We’ve all heard horror tales about shopping for a used automobile with a dodgy previous. Even the shiniest examples purchased from a fancy seller can have hidden points. You’ll naturally wish to confirm the car’s knowledge – nearly universally often known as an HPI verify, after the most well-liked model – on any automobile you’re buying. However even these aren’t going to disclose every thing.
We gave TotalCarCheck our high prize in a multi-test towards rivals in 2019, however since then a few recent entrants have come alongside providing new, extra complete knowledge.
Verdict
VCheck has actually shaken up the used automobile knowledge verify market, as a result of it scans salvage public sale listings to verify for vehicles which have had harm however won’t have been recorded on the official registers. CarGuide provides in upkeep knowledge to provide you an thought of what a automobile may cost a little you sooner or later.
TotalCarCheck has risen to the problem, although, and it too has added a salvage verify to its bundle, so it’s seen off the newer challenger.
Cazana’s single checks are dear, nevertheless it makes quite a lot of sense for a multi-check bundle. It takes joint second place right here, simply forward of the AA’s bargain-priced rebrand of the HPI web site and CarGuide.
The most effective web site for you’ll depend upon what number of vehicles you wish to verify and the way a lot info you want.
- Complete Automotive Examine
- VCheck & Cazana (joint runners-up)
Opinions
Complete Automotive Examine
TotalCarCheck impressed us in our multi-test because of its clear and complete experiences, but in addition as a result of the location provides away a helpful quantity of knowledge totally free, which lets you weed out dodgy vehicles with out having to pay.
It’s going to flag up a stolen automobile, MoT report info and mileage, together with recall and technical knowledge. From there, you may select a primary £1.99 Silver verify or go for the complete £8.99 Gold choice to get the complete standing, together with salvage searches and a sequence of valuations. We discovered them clear, correct and good worth.
VCheck
- Worth (single verify): £9.99
- Worth (10 checks): £60
- Ranking: 4.5 stars
- Contact: www.vcheck.uk
VCheck’s experiences are simple to grasp and located our recorded and unrecorded broken vehicles with none problem.
Not like the opposite pair right here, it additionally included a hyperlink to the salvage public sale web site so we might really see footage of the harm. This might be helpful if it’s solely minor scrapes that wouldn’t put you off shopping for a automobile, and also will offer you an thought of components you ought to be checking completely if you view a potential buy. We had been actually impressed. The one purpose it loses out to TotalCarCheck is value, particularly for a number of checks.
Cazana
- Worth (single verify): £14.99
- Worth (5 checks): £19.95
- Ranking: 4.5 stars
- Contact: www.cazana.com
Cazana’s web site isn’t initially fairly as user-friendly as one of the best rivals, and little or no knowledge is provided totally free, however upgrading to a full verify brings a wealth of data.
Essentially the most fascinating was the scan for earlier adverts of a automobile, permitting you to see the value and outline if it’s been marketed earlier than. Cazana additionally recommended a valuation, nevertheless it appeared optimistic in all of our examples. The estimated mileage determine appears to be based mostly purely on MoT knowledge, too.
For only one verify, Cazana is costly, however a bundle of 5 is 4 pence cheaper than our take a look at winner (reverse).
AA Automotive Examine
The AA’s knowledge verify proudly proclaims it’s ‘powered by HPI’. In truth, it’s nearly an identical to the HPI verify in each approach, aside from some AA branding and a a lot cheaper price.
Which means it’s among the many most complete right here when it comes to knowledge, together with the ‘Fraud Guard’ part, which lets you verify the V5 serial quantity and automobile’s VIN towards DVLA data.
Our solely irritations had been the prolonged sign-up course of, scant valuation knowledge and the £2.99 cost for recall knowledge – particularly given that is obtainable totally free on the DVLA’s MoT verify web site.
CarGuide
- Worth (single verify): £8.99
- Worth per (two checks): 12.99
- Ranking: 4 stars
- Contact: www.carguide.co.uk
Newcomer CarGuide doesn’t simply know a car’s previous – it will possibly predict its future, too, as a result of the corporate makes use of fleet administration software program to mission seemingly upkeep prices.
The free primary verify has a salvage public sale alert, which recognized our unrecorded Golf, however the web site is tough to navigate and the descriptions of the checks and pricing are barely complicated. Our different grumble is that it’s a must to manually print every web page – each different websites E-mail you an simply printable PDF file.
Caranalytics
It doesn’t appear like the slickest of internet sites and has the occasional minor error, however Caranalytics presents one of the vital complete units of verify knowledge.
Along with all of the anticipated info, you’re additionally given eight valuations, starting from what you’d pay on a seller forecourt, right down to a trade-in value. Mileage info comes from a number of sources, too.
A single full verify is reasonable sufficient, at £8.95, and all subsequent checks are £6.99 every. That is fantastic if you happen to’re solely a few vehicles, however will quickly grow to be costly if you happen to’re checking greater than three.
Inexperienced Flag
The breakdown service supplier describes its checks as an “HPI verify different”. It’s definitely less expensive; a single is £13.99, however a £22.99 bundle of 5 makes extra sense. It’s not the most affordable right here, however definitely good worth for a trusted ‘model title’. It takes some time to enroll, although, which may be a difficulty if you’re checking particulars whereas a automobile.
The info is offered clearly and there’s a full VIN verify obtainable. However the valuations had been overly optimistic and the verify missed a mileage anomaly for considered one of our samples.
RAC
We initially presumed the RAC service was only a rebranded model of Inexperienced Flag’s verify web site as a result of the sign-up and format are eerily comparable. As with Inexperienced Flag, it has a full VIN verify and contains frequent breakdown knowledge for the mannequin.
However the RAC report turned out to supply extra correct knowledge, with higher valuations masking trade-in and forecourt costs. It additionally picked up on our pattern’s mileage discrepancy. That might be price the additional £1 the RAC is asking per report, nevertheless it’s nonetheless costly in comparison with some rivals right here.
HPI
- Worth (single verify): £19.99
- Worth (5 checks): £49.95
- Ranking: 3 stars
- Contact: www.hpicheck.com
As with Hoover and Sellotape, the HPI model has grow to be a generic time period for automobile knowledge checks. It seems slick (together with the AA rebrand model), with a logical format to the report and clear info. There’s additionally a ‘Fraud Guard’ space, which lets you verify serial numbers towards HPI and DVLA databases.
Nonetheless, a single verify prices as a lot as 5 from our Greatest Purchase winner. A bundle of three will get a reduction, at £29.97, however that’s nonetheless dear.
Prompt Automotive Examine
Whereas HPI’s checks are costly, its father or mother firm presents this price range different. A ‘Fundamental’ verify flags vehicles that are stolen, written off, scrapped or have had plate adjustments. The £5.95 ‘Gold’ pack provides a VIN match and valuation.
It seems good worth, however the Gold pack doesn’t embrace the essential finance or mileage checks, and including these is £7.98 further per automobile. Extra complete experiences elsewhere supply higher worth.
Have you ever used a automobile knowledge verify software? Tell us the way you fared within the feedback under…
