Insurance Write Off

Miss M from Oxfordshire bought a Citroen AX over the Internet. She checked the car with HPI after taking it to a garage who quoted expensive repairs. She checked that the car had a full service history and that it seemed in good order, so the deal was done and the car purchased. However, on taking the car to a garage, it transpired that quite a bit of mechanical work was needed. A second opinion at another garage revealed the extent of the damage and confirmed that the car had previously been in an accident. "It was then recommended that I should conduct an HPI Check. I couldn't believe it when they confirmed that the car had been 'written-off' by an insurance company back in 1996. We returned to the seller to try to get some form of recompense, but to no avail. An agreement was made with the garage and following adequate repairs I was able to keep the car, but I would certainly not purchase another used car without first contacting HPI."

Ringer

Mrs W of Hereford part exchanged her Maestro for a J - reg Ford Escort. When the vehicle papers failed to arrive she contacted HPI.

"We were buying the car via a third party, whom I thought was trustworthy. Unfortunately, after paying our money, I became suspicious when we were not forwarded the vehicle's paperwork. I contacted the police, who advised me to conduct an HPI Check." By cross-referencing the 17 digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) with the registration mark, HPI was able to confirm that the car purchased by Mrs W was a 'ringer': "The police have impounded the car, so not only have we lost our vehicle but also the money we paid for it. I have certainly learnt the value of a pre-purchase check and will definitely use the HPI Check before buying my next vehicle."

Stolen Vehicle

Mr S from London was searching in the private market for his dream car: "I have been searching for a Mercedes-Benz SLK 230. Having looked through many advertisements, I found three vehicles that I was interested in buying. The first had recently been involved in an accident and needed several repairs, and the second had been sold before I had a chance to view it. The third vehicle was just what I was searching for. I arranged to view the car and the vendor offered to meet me close to where I live. Everything appeared to be fine with the vehicle; it was in good condition, well kept and priced within my budget. I requested to see the logbook and the seller said he would post me a photocopy, as he did not have it with him. "This made me slightly suspicious, so I decided to conduct an HPI Check to make sure I hadn't missed anything. I contacted HPI and provided them with the registration mark and the VIN. No sooner had I given the call centre these details than they instantly alerted me to a discrepancy between the two numbers. I was told that the chassis belonged to a stolen vehicle. I was shocked at first, but then relieved that I had not purchased the vehicle - I saved myself thousands of pounds."