Can a Vehicle Identity Check be worth £100??

[oedo]

I am buying a used car this week through a dealership who want to sell me, amongst a myriad of other products, a "vehicle check certificate" to confirm the car's history etc for £100.

They assured me this was a much more thorough check than the £5 jobs you can get off the internet. Is this true or are they taking the mick?

If an internet based one is just as reliable are there any recommended sites?

Cheers
Steve

[DannyVTS]

I always thought the HPI ones were best, and they're like £30?

[hornetrider]

They are taking the piss. Next.

[Ozzie Osmond]

hornetrider said:

They are taking the piss. Next.

+1

Assumaing this a reputable dealership and not some back-alley trader under the railway arches, don't waste your money on it. If the car's not right it's the dealer's problem, not yours.

[rallycross]

its £25 for 5 car checks using Experian.

[soad]

£100?! I wonder what their profit margin on that is

[mnkiboy]

Most dealers will have a deal set up with Experian (or similar) and can produce a HPI certificate for about £3.
The other £97 they are charging you will go straight in to their back pocket.

Unless they get someone in to provide a physical check of the vehicle like the AA and RAC offer, then i'd arrange your own checks.

[oedo]

Thanks for the responses, just what I needed to know, £100 saved!

It's a Nissan stealership.

Cheers

[hornetrider]

What else are they trying to sting you for?

[Carfiend]

hornetrider said:

What else are they trying to sting you for?

I would expect the optional left handed car jack and a few bottles of Snake Oil.

[Motorrad]

Robbing bds- you pay them 100 quid for a vehicle identity check to protect them?????

Tell em to fk off and buy a car somewhere else- and make it clear why- robbing fking assholes.

[MX7]

Why would a dealer not carry out the highest level check that they could?

[hornetrider]

Carfiend said:

hornetrider said:

What else are they trying to sting you for?

I would expect the optional left handed car jack and a few bottles of Snake Oil.

Quite.

Realistically I'm thinking Supaguard TM and/or GAP?

[oedo]

hornetrider said:

Quite.

Realistically I'm thinking Supaguard TM and/or GAP?

All of the above and some sort of post accident recovery/get-you-home service, all of which I've politely declined. The initial ticket price was quite appealing but once they sit you down and start adding this cr@p on the total ends up at least 10% more than when you started!

I've been a company car for the past few years, dealers/haggling etc is a bit foreign to me.

[Ean218]

oedo said:

I am buying a used car this week through a dealership who want to sell me, amongst a myriad of other products, a "vehicle check certificate" to confirm the car's history etc for £100.

Let me get this right, they want you to pay them £100 to confirm the car they are selling you isn't nicked?

[andye30m3]

I thought the dealer would have to provide the cover given by an HPI report as part of being a trader, such as the car not be stolen, written off or having outstanding finance.

[robsco]

I work for the company in question. At work, I'm required to sell it. Out of work, I find it the biggest load of bks going. There's your answer OP.

[Deva Link]

Ozzie Osmond said:

If the car's not right it's the dealer's problem, not yours.

As above. I think I'd be reporting them to Trading Standards.

[Petemate]

Motorrad said:

Robbing bds- you pay them 100 quid for a vehicle identity check to protect them?????

Tell em to fk off and buy a car somewhere else- and make it clear why- robbing fking assholes.

+1.

The only times I have bought a car from a dealer were the Rover 45 TDi, from Autobase Newbury - really nice folk - and the Saab from our local Saab dealer, under 5 miles from home. On both occasions we were presented with a full HPI certificate and a genuine full dealer service history. The Saab dealer even threw in extra warranty cover to allow for my 22k+ annual mileage. There ARE some decent dealers out there but hard to find.

[clioland]

Im a car dealer and have been for last 15 yrs, we have to hpi cars when being traded in, or if bought at auction the auction has to hpi them before they can put them round the ring. THEY ARE TAKING THE PISS MATE.