Buyer Beware – where’s your next car been before you?

If you are buying from a private individual there are some things you must do to stay safe and protect your interests.

An HPI check will enable you to make sue that your car has not:

• Been stolen – 1 in 300 cars sold privately, are registered as stolen vehicles.
• Every day 30 stolen cars are sold to unsuspecting customers, who ultimately have to hand them back to their rightful owners so they end up out of pocket and with no car.
• Been involved in any major accidents – many have been written off at sometime in their past but have been cleverly repaired with filler and paint. Get in an accident in one of these cars and they can disintegrate on impact.
• Any outstanding finance – 24% of cars sold privately have outstanding finance – you don't want to be left paying twice for that bargain buy.
• Many used cars have had their mileage reset – so you don't know the extent of their use and can end up with a car that might need a new engine soon after you drive it away.

Handy Hint

Whatever you do, don't purchase a car online that has an unknown/unrecorded past.  Ex-lease and ex-fleet cars direct from the lease disposer is a great way to buy a one owner vehicle that has full history and has been well maintained.

Reports claim that 1 in every 3 used cars has a story to tell – one the owner doesn't want you to know. 

Stay in control – don't get carried away by a seemingly cheap car - if it's too cheap - there's a good reason they're willing to let it go for less than its worth.

If you think car fraud doesn't exist, go and see the .met.police.uk.fraudalert site for official, police advice about how to avoid online auction fraud.

Click to see eBay cars listed with HPI cleared reports included for FREE

We're doing our bit to help eBay be a safer place to get a great deal - please help us by clicking yes in the link below if you found this guide helpful.