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The finance check queries Experian AutoCheck's finance database. This is not a public record. Finance companies (banks, dealership finance arms, personal loan providers) report active finance agreements to Experian, who maintain a single consolidated database. When CarCostCheck runs your check, Experian returns:
- Whether the car currently has outstanding finance.
- The finance company name (if any).
- The agreement type (PCP, HP, personal loan).
- The agreement start date.
- In some cases, the estimated settlement amount.
If the check returns "no finance found," you are clear to buy. If it returns an active finance flag, do not proceed. Tell the seller you are walking away unless they can provide a settlement letter from the finance company confirming the agreement has been paid off.
If a seller claims the finance "has just been paid off" but your CarCostCheck report still shows it, ask for a settlement letter. This is a document from the finance company confirming the loan has been fully settled and the vehicle is no longer encumbered. Any legitimate seller who has genuinely settled their finance can produce this within a day by calling the finance company.
If they cannot, or if they make excuses about why they do not have it, walk away. The cost of a missed finance check is thousands of pounds; the cost of walking away from a suspicious sale is zero.
Dealers legally cannot sell a car with outstanding finance unless they have settled it themselves at purchase. If you buy from a reputable dealer and the car turns out to have finance, you have legal recourse under the Consumer Rights Act. But with private sellers, you have almost no recourse. That is why private sales need the CarCostCheck finance check most of all.
Our recommendation: always run the £4.99 CarCostCheck premium report on any private sale before handing over money. With dealer purchases, the check is still worth running as a sanity check, but the risk is lower because of consumer protection law.
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.
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