How many texts do you think you send in a day from your mobile phone? It could be a dozen, may be even ten times that for some people. Well, what if just one of those texts could save you thousands of pounds or maybe even more?
HPI Car Checks – one text can save thousands of pounds
Well, if you buy a used car without carrying a HPI check, you could be in for a nasty surprise if you later find out that the car has been previously reported stolen, declared a write-off or is lumbered with outstanding finance.
For £3, a text to TheTextCheck.com will give you all the information you need on any vehicle, allowing you to make an informed decision when it comes to purchasing a used car. Without this information, you could buy a car with a colourful past and not one which is going to brighten up your day one bit.
You could end up losing the car, and even the money you have handed over to the dodgy dealer who sold it to you.
Used Cars – what you have to look out for:
Stolen cars
If a car is reported stolen, there is a chance that the police may eventually track it down. Okay, they may not suspect you of stealing if you’re found to be driving around in it or it’s parked outside your house, but they will confiscate the vehicle in any case.
Of course, you will be unaware that it’s stolen car when you buy it, but it will still have to be returned to its owner. If that owner has already received a pay out from his/her insurance company, then the insurance company will take ownership of the car.
Also, it’s highly unlikely you’ll the money back you spent buying the car in the first place.
Cars which have been written off by insurers
If a car has been damaged beyond repair and declared a write-off by an insurance company, there’s virtually no way of guaranteeing its safety. Many written off vehicles are hastily repaired and sold to an unsuspecting public.
Safety isn’t really a priority in this case and if you were involved in an accident, you could not count on the car being able to stand up to it.
Cars with outstanding finance
If a car still has money owed on, whether that be through a loan or other finance agreement, then there could be a dispute over its ownership. Even if you have purchased the vehicle, you may not become its registered owner until any outstanding finance is settled on it.
The bank or finance company which is owed the money could become the owners, even though you may have already paid for the car.
Buying a car which falls into any of these categories will hit you in the pocket, as well as causing untold stress. With a quick text to text to TheTextCheck.com, you can avoid all this hassle.
What information will I get from a text check?
A wealth of information on any car in the UK is just a text away and you’ll be able to get the lowdown on any potential purchase for just £3.
A HPI text check will tell if a car has been:
• reported stolen
• clocked
• cloned
• ringed
• written off
• the subject of an unsettled finance agreement.
Data collected from HPI text checks has told us that there are over 30 cars stolen each day in the UK, that amounts to over half-a-million each. There’s a good chance that some of those will end up in the hands of unscrupulous sellers who are just waiting to pull a fast one on an unwitting customer.
If you buy a car which is reported as stolen, ignorance will be no defence. The car will be taken off you and you lose your hard-earned cash too.
One in five cars which have had HPI checks carried out on them turn out to have been declared write-offs by insurance companies. Insurers write off up to 500,000 cars every year in the UK because they believe that repairing them is too expensive. Even if a car which has been written off, has been fixed up with the intention of selling it on, there is no official way of verifying the work carried out.
Of all vehicles which have been the subject of text checks, one in four have been found to have money owned on them in the form of outstanding loans or finance agreements. This isn’t a huge surprise when you consider that eight million vehicle in the UK today have been purchased using finance.
The bank, loan or finance company concerned can assume ownership of any vehicle which has outstanding finance attached to it.
Even if you go ahead and buy the car, they can still claim ownership and they are legally backed up by the Sale of Goods Act.
Used Car Mileage Check – Do all the numbers add up?
Inaccurate mileage on a car isn’t just illegal, it’s unsafe. A text check will give you a true picture of how many miles a car has done, and if the odometer on the car you are considering purchasing tells a different story, then stay clear.
If a car has done more miles than the seller is letting on, then you won’t be able to tell when certain parts need replacing as many will be obsolete after the car has done a certain amount of miles.
Altering the reading on an odometer to show an incorrect mileage reading is called clocking and can be uncovered by obtaining a HPI check from TheTextCheck.com.
TheTextCheck.com Gives you the lowdown – quick and simple
It’s easy to access as much information as you need on any vehicle with TheTextCheck.com. We can deliver a report to your mobile or computer in a matter of minutes, meaning you can get the lowdown on a car wherever you car.
You will need the car’s registration number of VIN/chassis number to perform an accurate HPI check on a vehicle. Larger used car dealerships may furnish you with a full report or HPI check on a car you are interested in.
But, getting an independent second opinion is crucial. Remember, the dealer is trying to sell you the car, so they may conveniently omit some information from their report.
Just one text is all it takes to make sure you aren’t going in with your eyes closed when buying a used car. All you have to do is text ‘CHECK‘ and the car’s registration number to 78888.
HPI Car Checks at TheTextCheck.com
