Correcting an HPI error

[Al K]

Gents,

Looking at buying a used car. Experian check (via Autotrader) threw up warning that the car had been "written off due to theft related incident in 2005".

Seller informed me that the car was never stolen however it was the previous owner's later car (on same personalised plates) that was stolen.

Got the full HPI check done and it also threw up theft warnings, however, it listed the stolen vehicle as a Range Rover (the car I'm looking at is 645ci).

Sounds like a genuine error as the seller states. So I've said that if they can get the error amended then the sale is still on. They are getting the BMW dealer they bought the car off to get HPI to amend the records.

My question is: if all is legit and they get the HPI records corrected - will this trickle down to the other car-check agencies like Experian? Or do they all have to be contacted/updated?

Is there a root place to get this error sorted (DVLA?) Where do all the car-check places get their info from?

Don't want to get the car (stolen or not) if it will threw up red flags later when I come to sell.

thanks in advance.

[E30M3SE]

Phone Hpi on 01722 422422.

[Al K]

E30M3SE said:

Phone Hpi on 01722 422422.

On it - they agree that it looks odd and are investigating with the insurance company who logged it as stolen. That would sort out HPI but do you know where Experian get their data from?

[Al K]

final update: both HPI and Experian proved to be very helpful and error has been removed. Picking up car tomorrow.

[Mazdarese]

Al K said:

final update: both HPI and Experian proved to be very helpful and error has been removed. Picking up car tomorrow.

Blimey. That's a turn up for the books!

Enjoy the car.

[Sifly]

Yeh, they are usually very helpful. I bought a car which flagged up a mileage discrepancy. There was en error of around 4,000 miles (hardly worth clocking). It turned out some main dealer muppet had entered the wrong mileage into the system after a service a few years ago. Fortunately we had enough old reciepts and service invoices from the years gone by to find the error. HPi took the info and carried out their own checks before clearing the discrepancy. A good service I thought (for once)!

[Risotto]

Sifly said:

Yeh, they are usually very helpful. I bought a car which flagged up a mileage discrepancy. There was en error of around 4,000 miles (hardly worth clocking). It turned out some main dealer muppet had entered the wrong mileage into the system after a service a few years ago. Fortunately we had enough old reciepts and service invoices from the years gone by to find the error. HPi took the info and carried out their own checks before clearing the discrepancy. A good service I thought (for once)!

Their success as a company is entirely dependent on the accuracy of their data, hence their eagerness to help.

You only need to try to deal with the DVLA to see how guaranteed funding affects service!