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HPI's £19.99 check, CarVertical's £33.99 report, and the £9.99 tier used by AA and RAC all share the same dirty secret: they pull from the exact same Experian AutoCheck database. The stolen, finance, and write-off data is identical. The price difference is pure brand margin.
CarCostCheck runs on a modern tech stack with direct API connections to DVSA and Experian. No call centres, no branded PDF generators, no marketing budget baked into the price. That is why we can charge £4.99 and still include data the £33.99 providers leave out:
- Full MOT history analysis. Every MOT test since 2005, with advisory explanations in plain English. No provenance-only service includes this.
- Reliability score (0-100). AI-calculated from MOT pass rates, advisory patterns, and mileage data for that specific make, model, and year. Unique to CarCostCheck.
- Running cost breakdown. Annual fuel cost at current pump prices, road tax, insurance group, MOT cost estimate, and predicted repair costs. This is money you will actually spend on the car, and it is more important than whether it had a fender bender five years ago.
- Common faults. Real MOT failure patterns for this exact make and model, drawn from thousands of tests.
- DVSA recall check. Outstanding manufacturer recalls you need addressed before purchase.
- Health score (0-100). A single number summarising overall vehicle condition. No competitor offers this.
All of it is included in the £4.99 report alongside the provenance data. Or start with the free version to see everything except the three Experian-sourced checks, and only pay £4.99 on the cars that pass your initial screening.
HPI's biggest ongoing Trustpilot complaint is not the price. It is the hidden auto-renewing subscription. When you buy a single HPI check at £19.99, you are automatically enrolled in a £39/year subscription called "HPI Check Annual." It is mentioned in the terms but buried. Customers routinely discover the charge on their bank statement 12 months later with no prior email warning.
So the true cost of a single HPI check is often £58.99, unless you remember to cancel within a narrow window. CarCostCheck is £4.99, one time, forever. We do not run any recurring billing on consumer reports because it is a scummy practice.
If you are screening a car before you decide whether to view it, the CarCostCheck free check is usually enough on its own. It includes full MOT history, mileage verification, reliability scoring, running costs, and red flag alerts, all without a sign-up. Many buyers use it to filter out obviously problematic cars, then only pay £4.99 on the one or two cars they are seriously considering. That means you often spend nothing at all on cars you rule out.
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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