What is HPI checking?

What is HPI checking?Buying a used car can be very expensive and represents a big purchase for many people. Before buying a used car it is important to carry out a series of checks in order to establish what the history of a car is. Whilst the majority of used cars have perfect previous history it is always worthwile doing background checks; especially as once the car has been paid for and transferred, there is very little that can be done to change the ownership back. Some used cars may be for sale despite being in crashes or having bad previous history.A HPI check is useful to carry out, this will carry out numerous different things on a used car and will inform the potential buyer of whether it is a worthy purchase. The firm who operates the HPI checks will gather information from a range of different sources in order to establish whether the car has a worthy background. The sources that will be checked include the police, DVLA, insurance companies, finance providers, industry bodies, VOSA, MOT stations and car garages. A HPI check can be carried out on any car by simply providing the registration number of the car. The main information that a HPI check will confirm is whether a car has bee recorded as stolen, whether it has been previously been written off by an insurance company, whether the car has outstanding finance and whether there is any mileage discrepancy. Along with these details the company can offer some more technical details about previous MOT checks completed and work carried out at garages. General information about vehicles can also be provided from a HPI check, for example the technical details around the performance of a car and the likely running costs for a year. A HPI check can be completed by using the central website or some garages also offer these checks. These HPI checks are especially advisable when buying from private individuals; it is important to carry out due diligence at all times. Some people will also carry out HPI checks when buying from a garage, if anything they provide reassurance. The checks are inexpensive and can provide excellent information before a car is purchased.