The abbreviation HPI stands for Hire Purchase Investigation who was the first to provide vehicle check to the used car buyers. Though it was started to investigate on the outstanding finance, it is now covering mileage discrepancy and other used car checks that are crucial. If you think HPI car check is the only option left for the used car buyers, you are wrong.

There are so many vehicle checking services that offer similar services at a cost less than the HPI check.

What does an equivalent HPI check offers?

If you intend to sell/buy a used car, you must come across the words like HPI Check or HPI clear for sure. It is nothing but the vehicle check which ensures that the used vehicle you are buying is free from all kind of issues. But not everyone could afford the price point of HPI. Here comes car analytics with alternative HPI check, which offers similar services at less than ten pounds (£8.95). Here are the checks you can get from a full car history check from car analytics.

Crucial vehicle history checks from an alternative vehicle check:

• Outstanding finance check: It will let you know if the vehicles have any financial debt. If so, the check will help you to know the type of finance agreement the vehicle has with the finance company and the amount that has to be paid. It is essential to check if the vehicle has any outstanding finance, since it deals with the ownership of the vehicle. Consider if the vehicles you are buying has finance debt on it, then you are not the legal owner of the vehicle until you pay back the debt to the finance company; else, there are chances that the vehicle might be cased from you.

• Stolen status of the vehicle: Buying a stolen vehicle is a nightmare. Since the vehicle theft in the UK is increasing day by day, it is important to ensure the used car you are buying is not stolen. The stolen check will help you know if the vehicle is stolen and help you with the available police information. If you buy a stolen vehicle, then don't hesitate to call the police and tell your side of the story. It will help you to escape from future consequences. However, it is a worst-case scenario only. A stolen check will help you to pick up the best used vehicle from the market.

• Mileage Anomaly: It is one of the threatening factors in the used car market. If you buy a vehicle with a mileage discrepancy, then it is equal to risking your life. It is not to threaten you, but the fact. A vehicle with irregular mileage or clocked mileage will even lead to road accidents due to the failure of electronics. Hence it is essential to check the mileage of the used vehicle. The mileage check will help you to know the actual mileage of the car and finds out if the vehicle is clocked. Since mileage is one of the value-adding factors to the vehicle, it is essential to check the vehicle mileage.

• Written-off check: Nobody will get attracted towards a vehicle that is declared a total loss. But dealers might not tell you if the vehicle has been written off or not. By making a full car check, you can have access to the written-off status of the vehicle and also get to know the category of the car if it is written-off. If the car is declared a total loss or scrapped, then you can know it from the vehicle history check and walk away from the deal.

Apart from this, you will also know the vehicle's value for a better deal, number plate history of the vehicle, scrapped check, colour change history and much more for less than two pounds from a basic vehicle check.

Can I get a free HPI check?

HPI is not offering anything like a free check. But you get an alternative free HPI check from car analytics that tells all the preliminary data about the vehicle. You can get the details of the vehicle's MOT history, specification and performance of the vehicle, estimated mileage of the vehicle, emission data of the used vehicle etc., for free of cost.

What does not the HPI check cover?

Not only the HPI check but all the vehicle checking services around the UK has no access to share the personal details of the previous owners of the vehicle as it is against the rules of the DVLA. It is unlawful to disturb the privacy of individuals just because you are buying a used vehicle.

It is worth investing in an alternative HPI check before buying your used vehicle to know the ins and outs of the car in prior.