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Mr B from Bristol recalls his experiences of HPI services:
"My wife and I found the perfect car for our daughter using an Intranet service at my wife's place of employment. We contacted the vendor and we were pleased to discover the 'R' registration Citroen Saxo that was for sale was reasonably priced." Mr B then made further enquiries and discovered the car was located in York, hundreds of miles away - so before travelling the long distance to view the vehicle, he decided to conduct an 4Car HPI Check:
"Working in the trade, I was aware of the possibilities of car crime and wanted to make particularly sure that any vehicle was clear of all vehicle fraud. I therefore took full advantage of the HPI service.""I was shocked to discover the 4Car HPI Check highlighted that the Citroen Saxo had outstanding finance still owing to the finance company." Following a mutual agreement between Mr B, the vendor and the finance house, he agreed to purchase the vehicle and complete the sale: "I was fortunate to have discovered the information relating to the outstanding finance agreement. Without using HPI my wife and I may have driven miles to York to view and purchase the Saxo, only to discover that we had spent a large amount of money on a vehicle that we did not legitimately own."
Mr S from Weston-Super-Mare explains:
"I was trying to help my colleague buy a Transit van for his business. He put me in touch with a friend who was selling one that was reasonably priced, and we went to view it. After a thorough inspection, we agreed that it looked like it was in good condition and good enough to buy. I asked to see the log book and to my surprise the vendor told us he didn't have it! Instead he produced a transfer that I recognised to be part of the V5.
"Having been a bank manager for many years, I am naturally suspicious and decided not to continue with buying the van. But on my return to the office, to satisfy my curiosity, I called the police to see if they could help me further.
"They advised me to contact HPI and conduct a full 4Car HPI Check to discover the true status of the van. I did this only to find out that the vehicle had been involved in an accident and had undergone a colour change. I also discovered that the MOT certificate had been stolen and that I had no idea if the vehicle was roadworthy. HPI advised me not to go ahead with the purchase."
Mr M was one customer of the 4Car HPI Check who fell victim to the popular scam of cloning.
"I needed to buy a new car, so after careful thought and looking through the advertisements, I found just what I was searching for, a Land Rover Defender. I arranged to meet the vendor to view the car and asked to see the logbook.
"Everything appeared to be fine. I decided to do the 4Car HPI Check to make doubly sure I had not missed anything. The Land Rover came up 'all clear' on the database." A few weeks later, in a routine police check, I was notified that my car was registered as stolen".
"The number plates had been changed, and to my horror I discovered that my Land Rover had been given a new identity. I had bought a 'clone'. HPI were very understanding and helped me organise, with the DVLA, a new identity for the vehicle so that I was able to keep it on the road. The HPI Guarantee covered all the costs incurred."
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 4Car 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."
"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 4Car 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 4Car HPI Check before buying my next vehicle."
"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 4Car 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."
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