Here is what you are actually paying for when you choose AA or RAC at £9.99 instead of CarCostCheck at £4.99:
- Brand familiarity. You have heard of AA and RAC. You trust them. That is worth something, but it is not worth £5 of your money for less data.
- Marketing costs. AA and RAC run national TV campaigns. CarCostCheck does not. Those marketing costs are baked into the check price.
- A branded PDF. The report looks prettier. The data inside is a smaller subset.
None of these justify twice the price for half the information. CarCostCheck uses the same Experian AutoCheck data, with the added benefit of the bundled MOT analysis, running costs, and reliability scoring that AA and RAC simply do not provide at any price.
At the other end of the scale, Total Car Check's Basic report is £1.99 and it looks like a bargain. It is not. The Basic tier skips the three checks that matter most: outstanding finance, stolen status, and full write-off categories. You get vehicle details, MOT status, tax status, and a scrapped marker. Everything else is paywalled.
For £3 more, you can get the full CarCostCheck Premium report with everything included. The Basic £1.99 tier is designed to upsell you to a more expensive tier. Skip it and go straight to CarCostCheck at £4.99.
Here is how to spend £6.99 or less per car you are serious about, and still get more data than a £33.99 CarVertical report:
- Run the free CarCostCheck report to screen the car. £0.
- If it passes, run the £4.99 CarCostCheck premium check for stolen, finance, and write-off data.
- If you are negotiating price, add the £2.99 CarCostCheck valuation for market pricing data.
- Or skip step 2 and 3 and buy the £6.99 CarCostCheck bundle which includes everything.
Total spend: £6.99 maximum per seriously considered car. Data coverage: wider than HPI, AA, RAC, or CarVertical individually. No subscription, no hidden charges, no compromises.
Every other UK car check provider gives you raw provenance data and charges for the privilege. CarCostCheck is the only service that bundles full Experian-sourced stolen, finance, and write-off checks with running costs, reliability scoring, and 12 free data points that nobody else offers at any price.
- 12 checks completely free, no sign-up. MOT history, mileage verification, reliability score, running costs, insurance group, common faults, DVSA recalls, ULEZ compliance, red flag alerts, fuel costs, road tax, and health score. Every other provider charges even for basic vehicle details.
- Premium history for £4.99. Stolen (PNC), outstanding finance, write-off (Cat A/B/N/S), previous keepers, VIN verification, plate and colour changes, scrapped marker. The exact same Experian database as HPI at £19.99.
- Valuation for £2.99. Real-time market value from 650,000+ live UK dealer listings. Days-to-sell, local vs national price, private vs dealer retail. Nobody else offers this at this price.
- Bundle for £6.99. Everything, all in one report. Still cheaper than a single HPI or AA check.
- No subscription trap, ever. HPI auto-enrols you in a £39/year subscription unless you opt out. CarCostCheck never does this. One-time payment, one report, done.
- Health score and AI analysis. A single 0-100 score summarising overall vehicle condition, based on MOT history, advisory patterns, and mileage consistency. No other provider offers this at any price.
- Sub-5-second results. Direct API connections to DVSA and Experian. Most competitors route through proxies and take 30-60 seconds.
Our premium data comes from Experian AutoCheck, the same source HPI, AA, and RAC use. You are paying less because we have lower overheads and run a modern tech stack, not because the data is inferior. Every check is instant, one-time, and tied to your reg plate forever.
Ready to Check a Car?
12 checks included free. Full history from £4.99. Valuation from £2.99. No subscription, ever.
Check a Car Now
Related Reading