Database for private motorists who need to check a vehicle
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We provide the nearest online data on car ownership, but there are some important notes before you buy your check:
1. Imported vehicles and those with a private number plate may have incomplete data.
2. Remember, due to data protection, full names/addresses not included.
27%
Have at least one serious issue that devalues or makes selling illegal
31%
Of warnings are insurance write-off status A, B, C, D, S or N
19%
Of warnings are finance outstanding such as Hire Purchase
3%
Of warnings are theft / stolen resulting in insurance payout
Platinum
HPI Check
£12.90 Comprehensive checks & data- Outstanding finance
- Stolen
- Write-off
- Import/export
- Scrapped/unscrapped
- Plate changes
- Colour changes
- Mileage problems
- BVRLA & RMI search
- Registered near
- £30,000 Data Guarantee
- CarVeto car buyers guide
for £12.90
Gold
HPI Check
£8.90 Standard checks- Outstanding finance
- Stolen
- Write-off
- Export
- Registered near
- £30,000 Data Guarantee
- CarVeto car buyers guide
for £8.90
FREE
HPI Check
Basic information- Outstanding finance
- Stolen
- Write-off
- CarVeto car buyers guide
- £30,000 Data Guarantee
- Basic information
CarVeto HPI Check
Vehicle database for private motorists
Online car history check for any UK registered car, motorcycle or light commercial vehicle. Begin by entering a valid reg number.
CarVeto hpi check – see the full history of a used car
Enter the registration number of the vehicle
(For example, WD19 VSO)
Detailed history checks
Contents
- Before getting a CarVeto or hpi check
- Defining used car finance checks
- How to check if a car has been previously stolen
- What are insurance write-offs? Is it safe to buy one?
- How to trace a mileage discrepancy due to tampering
- CarVeto user car buying guide
- More hidden history to look out for before you buy
- CarVeto compared to hpi check
For questions and support about CarVeto and HPI car check, get in touch help@carveto.co.uk
Here’s what users say about CarVeto car check
-
What is outstanding finance?
See if there is a loan agreement against the vehicle. CarVeto provides finance data via Experian. If finance is found, we display a simple YES/NO and orange warning alert.
Cars we check include contract type, date of agreement, agreement number, supplying finance company and contact information.
Finance company statistics show that almost 1 in 3 cars have a lending agreement, including dealer unit stocking.
Notes – Look for a WARNING icon within your CarVeto hpi check. It is illegal to sell a car with a finance company contract held against it.
Check if a car is still on finance.
-
Hidden stolen car check (false identity)
CarVeto stolen vehicle check searches the Police National Computer (PNC) and the Motor Insurance Database (MIB) for any UK registered car. Record of theft is recorded Yes/No with insurance company pay out.
Notes – Stolen car marker is a FAILED CarVeto vehicle history result. It is illegal to sell a stolen vehicle.
-
What is a vehicle classified as write-off?
CarVeto car history check searches the MIAFTR Insurance register for any trace of major accident damage. Written off by insurance includes categories A, B, C, D, S or N and the date of record including total loss warnings.
Notes – CarVeto fails any vehicle with write-off status. Insurance write off significantly impacts car value and resell.
-
What is mileage fraud (tampering)?
Evidence of an incorrect or misrepresented mileage discrepancy via DVLA MOT history.
Record of mileage tampering is recorded with an orange car history check marker YES/NO.
Notes – National mileage register (an hpi check data point) is vital information for buyers and a CarVeto WARNING criteria. Misrepresented mileages impact vehicle safety and value.
CarVeto’s car buying guide
Before buying a new car, see a range of tips in a 13-step car buying guide shared by one of the automotive professionals behind the CarVeto database. It includes guidance on choosing a model, low-cost car finance options, selling your old car privately or via a dealer, taking a test drive, service history and document checks and notifying DVLA at time of purchase.
Buying tips save on initial upfront spend with helpful hints for reducing monthly running costs.
- Vehicle information (instant car data)
Make, model, engine, VIN number check, chassis number (last 4-digits), registration plate changes
- Number plate change (vehicle history check)
Previous car reg numbers such as a private number plate. See a list of all previous numbers and the dates when each plate was registered to the vehicle
- Car owner history (previous owners)
How many owners were previously registered with DVLA? Who is the rightful owner (registered keeper or finance organisation)? Also check dates of change in ownership and the most recent V5C issue date
- Import/export car check
Record by number plates of a car entering or leaving the country (this may lead to limited car data)
- Scrapped/unscrapped (including insurance write offs)
Check for record of a car being previously scrapped
- VIC Inspection (car history check)
Inspection result of major accident damage repair
- Mileage geography charts (includes mileage discrepancy)
Bar graphs depict MOT history through tests (cars over 3-years of age)
- MOT history
Custom Ministry of Transport history for pass, fail and advisory notes (contributes to mileage checks and hidden history)
- Colour changes (includes last 4-digits of VIN chassis)
Any full body colour changes since date of registration (changes may reduce car valuation)
- askMID lookup (vital information when buying privately)
MIB database checks to ensure the vehicle is being kept legally
- Car ownership data
Date of change of ownership, number of previous owners, city/region where the car was registered locally with DVLA
- CarVeto car buying guide
Detailed, step by step buying guide included with each CarVeto Platinum car check
Vehicle history check best-practices
Look for a hidden past. 1 in 3 used car searches report issues that can impact a buying decision.
Free car inspection checks:
- Check the make, model & MOT test number
- You also need to see the V5C logbook
- Check MOT status and compare the MOT history report
- See if the car has existing Safety Recalls that concern you (again, these are noted in your CarVeto check report)
Check the details against the data held in your CarVeto hpi check
- Check the V5C logbook is not for a stolen car
- Ask the seller to see the logbook. Make sure the serial number is NOT between
BG8229501 to BG9999030, or
BI2305501 to BI2800000
If it is, the registration document may be stolen - Check the engine number and VIN chassis number (vehicle identification number).
VIN check data must match on the logbook and vehicle. You can also compare with your CarVeto vehicle history report
If you buy the car
You need road tax or DVLA SORN at point of purchase by using the green ‘new keepers supplement’
Section 10 on old style V5 or
Section 6 on new style V5
The registered keeper sends the logbook to DVLA
You get the green slip
Enter the registration number
Please enter a valid car reg such as WP62LFD
CarVeto car check compared to HPI Check Ltd
The HPI check is the earliest car checking service in the UK, established in 1930. All UK vehicle check services source similar information, often from the same sources. The CarVeto service provides the nearest free HPI check reports:
- The DVLA vehicle checks database is accessed for basic information to check the make and model of a car including specifications, date of registration, MOT and road tax status.
- The MIAFTR (Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud Theft Register) provides record of stolen and written-off vehicles defined by the Code of Practice for Disposal of Motor Vehicle Salvage car check.
- Asset registers provide outstanding finance vehicle history information. CarVeto enjoys partnership with Experian, but providers vary.
- Police National Computer (PNC) for information held with stolen car theft register.
Must I use this service?
Most information is free. It includes a range of guides discussing areas of buying, selling and maintaining a vehicle to remain legal and fit for purpose on UK roads.
Pertinent data such as finance companies investigations cost money to check in the UK. There are incurred fees of £7.50 or £12.50 for Gold and Platinum for CarVeto HPI check reports. These are optional but suggested if you are near to buying.
It is best-practice to get your own CarVeto free HPI check rather than relying on one the seller may offer. Vehicle status continuously changes. There might be accident damage, a recent finance agreement or mileage problems that have occurred since the last car data HPI check.
What impacts value?
Write-off status impact a car valuation. Typically, a written-off car is worth at least 50% less.
Mileage anomalies and tampering also effect value but of more importance is safety. You will have no way of knowing how many miles a clocked car has traveled. There are obvious problems with buying a car under this category.
A car with a finance contract against it cannot be sold legally as it belongs to the lending company and not the seller (or registered keeper). Buying a vehicle already on finance means you may lose it and the money that bought it.
Stolen cars are illegal to sell as they do not belong to the seller.
Hpi check was the first data check to form in the UK and established in 1938.
For most of their history, hpi ltd vehicle history checks were carried out over the telephone and focused mainly on outstanding finance, clocking, stolen and write-off reports.
Product names hpi and hpi check ltd are registered trade marks of hpi. The CarVeto database is not affiliated with the hpi check brand although the majority of data recorded here is from the same online sources.
Trade and free car reports
Unlike HPI Ltd, CarVeto does not directly provide or service the motor trade with any car data check in the UK. With 30-years of direct automotive experience, this service is designed specifically for private motorists buying a vehicle in the United Kingdom.