Money & Motoring6th November 2013

Easy Access to Essential Information When Buying a Second Hand Car

New App provides used car history at the touch of a button

by Sarah Lawrence

There are a few things in life that cause everyone a little stress and anxiety. For me, buying a used car is one of them. It is simple enough to see if the car looks good, but it is the history of the car that I need to determine whether I should invest my hard earned cash on that particular vehicle. The problem is that the information I need is rarely offered freely by the person trying to sell me the car. Being Deaf, asking questions to get the infomation I need, can be incredibly challenging. In fact, I would say it is impossible, with the level of deaf awareness quite poor in the second hand car market and I can honestly say that I have never managed to get the information I was looking for.

Earlier this week I came across the following News Release, about the introduction of a mobile phone App that I can use to find out much of the infomration that should inform my decision making. You have to pay a small fee to get the full report, but I'd rather do that than spend a lot of money on a car that was unsafe or still subject to finance. I've tried the App and I like it. Quite unwittingly, I think HPI have developed a product that is very useful to Deaf and Hard of Hearing drivers.

If you have any questions that you would like to raise with HPI, I have also obtained an email address that deaf people are invited to use. It is support@icarcheck.net They also operate an on-line chat facilty from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

New HPI Check App provides used car history at the touch of a button:

Released Wednesday, 06 November 2013

Despite a buyer’s best intentions, if a dream used car becomes available at the right price, the all important checks are often quickly forgotten as the heart leads the head. However, even when on the move buyers can now obtain crucial information about a used car’s history from the first name in vehicle checking services, HPI, with its new App.

Available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play, the HPI Check App provides the most comprehensive vehicle history check available on the market, direct to a Smartphone. With a rich heritage dating back to 1938, HPI uses data sources including the Police, DVLA, insurance companies, finance houses, industry bodies, garages and the HPI National Mileage Register, to provide the fullest possible picture of a car’s history. 

Phil Peace, Operations Director for HPI, comments, “Making sure the car is all that it seems to be might not be the most exciting aspect of car buying, but it is certainly one of the most important. If someone buys a car which turns out to be recorded as stolen by the police or subject to outstanding finance, they could lose the car and the money they paid for it. With our new App buyers can speed up the process by doing their history check standing by the side of car they are looking to buy, which will give them instant confidence to make an informed purchase decision.

For just £16.99, the HPI App offers consumers the best defence against all the dangers of used car buying, informing them if a vehicle has any outstanding finance, is recorded as stolen, has previously been written off, or has a mileage discrepancy. 1 in 3 vehicles checked by HPI has a hidden history, making it crucial the buyers don’t take chances and use the App to check a vehicle before purchase.

In addition to giving buyers all the facts about the history of a vehicle, the new App will also tell them how quick, green and economical it is. Where available, the App details car performance and CO2 data for free. Plus, the App provides road tax costs and MPG information – giving consumers a true idea of the cost of ownership and environmental impact of their prospective purchase.

The new HPI Check App delivers the facts straight to a mobile device to provide an instant snapshot of a vehicle’s history, arming buyers with the information they need for the all important negotiations at the point of purchase” concludes Peace.

Although it is an emotional purchase, buying a car is also a huge financial outlay, so the correct precautions need to be taken to avoid being taken for a ride. The new HPI App makes getting a history check as easy as touching a button – so why chance it?  END

Article by Sarah Lawrence

posted in Deaf Lifestyle / Money & Motoring

6th November 2013