The One Show feature on HPI Checks and Car Clocking.
HPI Ltd. – BBC’s The One Show features the Car Check Specialist and points out the dangers of not checking your vehicles history.
HPI appeared on the BBC’s flagship evening show, The One Show, on 2nd September 2014, in a segment about the potential hazards of used car clocking. Senior Consumer Services Manager for HPI, Shane Teskey, featured on the show in an interview about what exactly can go wrong when buying a clocked car.
With viewing figures of over 7 million, The One Show is one of the most widely watched light magazine shows appearing on UK Television today. With this piece, HPI aims to highlight the issue of clocking and make consumers aware of how the HPI Check can help them. With the practice of clocking on the increase, it’s important to know what you can do to fight this growing trend in what is an unseen but not victimless crime. Hundreds of cars each year are impounded by the police and taken away from unsuspecting innocent buyers.
Want to know more about clocking?
- 1 in 20 vehicles checked by HPI shows up a mileage discrepancy.
- 170 million records are held on the National Mileage Register maintained by HPI.
- There has been a 3% rise in the number of vehicles showing a mileage discrepancy in 2013.
- From 2007-2012 the number of mileage discrepancies HPI uncovered rose by 10%
- HPI estimates there could be as many as 486,000 vehicles with a false mileage on UK roads (Based on 7.15% of the SMMT total of 6,806,187 cars sold in 2013 being clocked)
What does clocking mean to the value of the vehicle you buy?
Quite simply, you will pay more for a vehicle that displays a lower mileage. For example:
A 2011 VW Golf 1.6Tdi selling price can rise by as much as 25% if the mileage is clocked back from 90,000 to 45,000 meaning you could be paying over £2,000 more for a car that really isn’t worth it.
A 2011 Vauxhall Insignia selling price can rise by 23% if the mileage is clocked back from 90,000 to 45,000, again, you could be paying almost £2,000 more than the car is worth.
A 2011 BMW 5 Series 520 selling price can rise by 19% if the mileage is clocked back from 120,000 to 70,000, meaning you could pay over £2,500 more than you should be.
A 2011 Mercedes C Class C220 price can rise by 14% if its mileage is clocked back from 90,000 to 45,000. The price rises by up to £2,200.
Keep the money in your pocket. An HPI Check costs a fraction of what you could potentially lose, so it really is money well spent. The impact on your bank account isn’t the only danger though, fiddling with the mileage (odometer), carries hidden dangers as highlighted below:
- Modern clockers affect ECU’s (Engine Control Units) by altering the odometer as well as several other system modules that take mileage readings from the vehicles electronic system. If these are out of sync it can lead to issues with safety warnings and possibly legal cases in the event of an accident.
- Normal routines for service and repair are interrupted when the mileage information is tampered with.
- Manufacturer’s warranty will be void.
- All data from a vehicle which has been clocked is inadmissible in court.
Don’t get caught out. For the sake of just a few pounds you can save thousands of pounds. To review HPI reports and the various products they offer click here or on the HPI logo to the left.
About HPI themselves:
Originally established in 1938, HPI Limited is a primary source of vehicle information for the UK motor industry and motoring consumer which, since December 2008, has been owned by Solera Holdings, Inc. Solera Holdings, Inc. is an integrated group of leading automotive claims solutions companies. Founded in January 2005 by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tony Aquila, Solera has expanded its geographic reach and now serves more than 55,000 business customers in over 50 countries across six continents.
HPI encompasses both the HPI database of all UK road registered vehicle descriptions and histories, and the National Mileage Register (NMR) which holds in excess of 160 million mileage readings.
Together, HPI and NMR represent one of the UK’s largest vehicle information sources, combining and interpreting data from government agencies, industry bodies, private organisations, the police and the general public. Registering with HPI helps companies to protect their financial interests in motor vehicles and a wide range of other mobile assets. HPI Checks give purchasers instant confirmation of whether vehicles are correctly described, known to be subject to outstanding finance or serious accident damage, or recorded as stolen or “clocked”.
