Guides
The checks that actually save money
Four guides to the problems that cost used-car buyers the most: recorded write-offs, finance still owing on the car, wound-back odometers and identity that does not match the paperwork. No filler — what to look for, and what to do about it.
Cat A, B, S and N write-offs explained
7 min readWhat Cat A, Cat B, Cat S and Cat N actually mean, how the categories replaced Cat C and Cat D in 2017, and what a recorded write-off does to insurance, finance and resale value.
Read the guideOutstanding finance on a used car: how to check, and what to do if you find it
8 min readHow hire purchase, PCP, lease and logbook loans affect a used car sale, what happens if you buy a car with finance still owing, and the exact steps to clear it safely.
Read the guideHow to spot a clocked car from the MOT history
7 min readClocking is easier than ever on digital dashboards. How to read an MOT mileage timeline properly, the patterns that reveal a wound-back odometer, and the checks that back it up.
Read the guideThe V5C logbook and vehicle identity: the checks that take five minutes
6 min readHow to read a V5C properly, why the registered keeper is not the owner, and how to confirm the car in front of you is the car on the paperwork — VIN, plates, colour changes and cloning.
Read the guideChecking a Japanese import: why the UK data starts halfway through the story
7 min readA UK history check on a Japanese import only covers the years since it was registered here. What the UK registers hold, what they cannot hold, and the four documents that cover the years before the car landed.
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