Most people are interested in car insurance coverage and the cost of insurance not knowing the significance of vehicle history check in case of filing or verifying an insurance claim. When purchasing a used car you want to know the background history and when you get involved in accidents accessing the background history of your car is critical in answering how your insurance company will respond.
What is a check of the history of the vehicle?
A vehicle history report is a document showing crucial information of a given car. Using license plate number of a vehicle you may get access to:
- MOT history
- Mileage records
- Write off/Accident history
- History of past owners
- Outstanding finance
- Theft status
- Insurance claim records
- Export/scrap status
It is data which is drawn out of formal databases, such as DVLA, insurance-related data, MOT testing stations, as well as police databases.
The Reason why Insurance Companies Use Vehicle History Checks
The insurance providers also conduct a vehicle check history every time they approve insurance cover or a claim. It aids them:
- Confirm the Car Condition prior to a claim
In case you make an accident claim, your insurer will have a chance of comparing your present complaint to the past report to determine whether there was any previous crack or prior repairs.
- Make a Sound Risk Evaluation
Previously-written off cars, those cars that have undergone a series of accidents and cars with high mileage are more risky. Insurers could hike or decline to cover a vehicle depending on the background of that vehicle.
- Stop Insurance Fraud
VHC might detect a false claim in the situation of a false deliberate damage reporting, concealing a prior total loss, or stage accident with the help of cloned vehicles.
- Confirm Ownership
In the event the claimant is not the legal owner of a vehicle or there is pending finance on the vehicle then the insurer will deny the claim or contact others involved.
The impact of the Vehicle History on Claim Approvals
Here is a scenario, you have purchased a used car but after two months you are involved in a minor accident. You make a claim that you need repairs but your insurer cracks the history of that used vehicle and it turns out that the vehicle was originally categorised as Category N (non-structural damage) write-off prior to the time you purchased it. Such previous damage might have an impact on payout or even the denial of the claim as far as such damages had not been indicated.
This can be covered by having a vehicle history check report at hand when you purchase the vehicle. It demonstrates what you had (or did not have) when you bought it and can be used to protect your suit.
The Vehicle History Check: How to Run It
Vehicle history checks are readily available as services on the web via:
- HPI Check
- CarVertical
- TotalCarCheck
- AutoTrader Vehicle Check
- AA Checks or RAC Checks
There is some basic information which can come free (e.g. like MOT history) and the full report can be accessed through a small fee (about 50p) but with the added bonus of increased peace of mind with the added bonus of when dealing with insurers.
Final Thoughts
Performing a vehicle history check does not only pay off when one is purchasing a car, but it also comes in handy when handling insurance matters. It will save you unnecessary rejection of claims, can offer considerable evidence in case of disputes, and it will allow you not to drive a car on dangerous probation without realizing it.
Before you insure or file a claim, get the facts. A simple check could make all the difference between a smooth insurance process and a costly headache.
