Retired business man, John Fowler moved to France with his wife, but continues to favour a right-hand drive vehicle. When his faithful Land Rover finally gave up the ghost, John found a Nissan, advertised by a dealer in Gloucestershire on a UK classified website. After talking to the dealer on the phone, John had his heart set on securing the sale, despite not having seen the car, other than photographs on the website.
Luckily for John, a friend suggested he conduct an HPI Check for added peace of mind, before he went to the expense of travelling to the UK to collect the car and parting with his cash. The HPI Check revealed a mileage discrepancy, but the dealer didn’t seem to know anything about it and was unwilling to look into the matter. With alarm bells ringing, John decided to walk away from the deal.
John explains, “I might have felt differently if I’d actually been able to check the car myself for signs of wear and tear. I was relying on a voice at the end of the phone and some photographs, so I couldn’t even look the dealer in the eye. I was worried that once I came to sell the car, the mileage discrepancy would come up again, if the buyer did a check. It was just too big a risk and the HPI Check saved me from making a potentially expensive mistake.”
Daniel Burgess, Managing Director for HPI explains, “John had a lucky escape, as a clocked vehicle could cost more in unexpected repairs and may be unsafe to drive. We always advise buyers to view a vehicle first hand and always get it checked. Too many buyers take the seller’s word on face value and get burned.”
This latest customer story comes as HPI’s DirectGov e-Petition to put a stop to legitimate ‘clockers’ in the form of Mileage Correction firms, reaches over 1000 signatures. The OFT estimates there are over 70 mileage correction firms operating in Britain by exploiting a legal loophole.
HPI also confirms whether a vehicle is currently recorded as stolen with the police, has outstanding finance against it or has been written-off, making it the best way for consumers to protect themselves from fraudsters looking to make a fast profit. In addition, the HPI Check offers a Guarantee of up to £40,000 in the event of the information it provides being inaccurate, offering added financial peace of mind to used car buyers.
Leave a Reply