Buying a second hand van

[eggsarascal]

What is the best way of checking if a van is HPI clear, also if the van as been an insurance job, cat "c" sort of thing ?

[WorcsWuss]

I used one of the HPI text services once, cost about a fiver on my mobile phone bill, wasn't very detailed but did say no finance & no losses, so the important stuff I suppose.

A better [free!] alternative is having access to someone in the industry who has a subscription, which I think means they can check as many cars as they like for an annual fee. A friend checked a few of my propsective purchases for me last year....

You can buy proper HPI reports direct from HPI...

HPI Check - Check one vehicle with a single HPI Check.

[KingoftheRing]

I used Auto Check from Experian:

 

https://www.autocheck.co.uk/secure/autocheck.asp?homepage=true&&AutoLocateID=6A4F1D4C1E6884314EF34D5C

 

Was able to check 5 vehicles for the price.

Don't have a lot of experience with HPI checks, but seemed OK to me for the price.

[bigdave]

i used to be full time buying selling cars & vans i used & still do use when i am buying either for myself or to sell on mycarcheck.com

they have never ever let me down!!!

 

you can get a multi vehicle check for cheap money too which is worth looking at as you are not likely to buy the first van you see!!!!

[eggsarascal]

i used to be full time buying selling cars & vans i used & still do use when i am buying either for myself or to sell on mycarcheck.com

they have never ever let me down!!!

 

you can get a multi vehicle check for cheap money too which is worth looking at as you are not likely to buy the first van you see!!!!

 

Yep, used this earlier. Found out the van i was going to buy had been an insurance right off, even though the seller told me it had not been

[hiluxstihl]

watch for clocked vehicles too, with the amount of cheap computers its at an all time high, when im buying a vehicle id judge more by condition, how it drives and runs than service history or miles... best wear indicators are steering wheel, pedals, printed parts on radio, wipers, lights and seat, vans back bumpers from forklift damage... there universal points, what make or model are you thinking?

[eggsarascal]

watch for clocked vehicles too, with the amount of cheap computers its at an all time high, when im buying a vehicle id judge more by condition, how it drives and runs than service history or miles... best wear indicators are steering wheel, pedals, printed parts on radio, wipers, lights and seat, vans back bumpers from forklift damage... there universal points, what make or model are you thinking?

 

Looking for a Vauxhall combo or something that size

[alex_m]

watch for clocked vehicles too, with the amount of cheap computers its at an all time high,

 

this^

i've bought a clocked car in the the past. my fault - didn't ask to see all previous mot's which have the mileage printed.

 

if they don't have mot history, you can look at them online using the v5 reg number

https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history-vehicle

[hiluxstihl]

combos are decent enough van, havent heard anything bad, as im in ireland i dont know the uk check sites but if a van is 5 years old or less id definately do it, i do know there is a massive amount of decent vans there as its where a lot for the used market here are sourced