Frequently asked questions

It's a background search of the national registers that record what has happened to a car since it was first registered — finance agreements, insurance write-offs, theft reports, mileage readings, plate and colour changes, imports, exports and scrappage. None of this is visible from the advert or the V5C.

We obtain vehicle data through One Auto API. The datasets include DVLA vehicle and tax records, DVSA MOT history, Experian finance and provenance records, MIAFTR insurance total-loss records, police stolen markers, salvage auction records and previous adverts. Valuation estimates are returned by One Auto API; we do not identify an underlying valuation brand or claim its authorisation without verification. EvelopCars is an independent service, not endorsed by the organisations named here.

Every check queries the registers live at the moment you run it. Preview results are cached for up to a week so repeated lookups of the same plate are instant; paid reports always pull fresh data.

Yes. Switch the search box to VIN and enter the 17-character number from the V5C, windscreen or door pillar. We match it to the UK registration first, then run the check exactly as normal. If no UK registration matches that VIN we tell you and nothing is charged.

Yes. Anything with a UK registration on the DVLA record — cars, vans, motorcycles, motorhomes and light commercials.

Yes, though some historic records are thinner for NI plates than for GB plates. The report tells you honestly when a register returned no data.

Make, model, colour, fuel type, engine size, year, current tax status and expiry, MOT status and expiry, and the complete MOT test history including every advisory and failure item. You also see how many hidden checks exist for that vehicle before you decide to pay.

We pay our data supplier for the lookups used to compile a report. The Full Report is a one-off purchase, not a subscription.

No. Every purchase is a single payment for a single report on a single vehicle. Nothing recurs and there is nothing to cancel.

Outstanding finance, insurance write-off category, salvage auction records with damage photos, scrappage, import and export markers, stolen and high-risk markers, mileage register readings with clocking detection, mileage from previous adverts, keeper, plate and colour changes, and a market valuation — plus the free DVLA, tax and MOT history and a downloadable PDF. One payment, no subscription.

Card payments are processed by Stripe. We never see or store your card details.

Yes — if any check in your report fails to return, we refund the full price, not just the missing part. Email [email protected] within 30 days. Because the data is delivered instantly we can't refund simply because you didn't like what the report found.

Reports are generated the moment payment clears — typically in under fifteen seconds. The page updates itself and a copy is emailed to you.

Yes. Every paid report has a Download PDF button, and the same PDF is attached to your confirmation email. It's yours to keep, print or forward to a seller, insurer or finance company.

The report link is permanent. Sign in with the email you used at checkout and every report you've bought appears in your account.

Use the recovery form and we'll email every report linked to your address.

No. Checkout works as a guest. Creating an account afterwards is optional and simply collects your reports in one place.

Do not buy the car until the finance is settled. The finance company legally owns the vehicle and can repossess it from you even after you've paid the seller in good faith. Ask the seller for a settlement letter from the lender, or pay the lender directly.

Cat A means scrap only — the whole vehicle must be crushed. Cat B means the body shell must be crushed but parts may be salvaged. Cat S is structural damage, repaired and back on the road. Cat N is non-structural damage. S and N vehicles can be legally sold but are worth substantially less and can be harder to insure.

We compare every recorded odometer reading — MOT tests, service and trade entries — in date order. Any reading lower than an earlier one, or an implausible jump, is flagged as an anomaly with the date.

A single 0–100 figure summarising the report: it starts at 100 and is reduced for each alert and each item needing review, weighted by severity. It's a guide, not a substitute for reading the detail.

A clear report means nothing adverse was recorded on the registers we searched. It cannot tell you about mechanical condition, accident damage that was never claimed on insurance, or a poor repair. Always inspect the vehicle, check the V5C matches, and consider an independent mechanical inspection.