Pre-purchase inspection
An independent check of a vehicle's visible and mechanical condition before you buy.
Inspection & Appraisal
Understand vehicle condition, inspection scope and appraisal evidence.
Learn what an inspection checks, how an appraisal values a vehicle, and what evidence a report should include — before you buy, sell or insure.
Inspection vs appraisal
Four different kinds of assessment
Appraisal / valuation
An opinion of value at a date, based on condition and comparable sales. Not a purchase offer.
Vehicle history report
Records such as past registrations or reported incidents, from a named data provider.
Diagnostic scan
Fault codes read from the vehicle's systems. Codes aren't a full condition report.
Eligibility & qualification
DEMOSelect assessment type
What happens next
In a live service, your details would only go to a named, verified provider after you agree. In this prototype nothing is sent.
Provider discovery
Providers
No verified inspection & appraisal providers are published for United Kingdom yet.
We only list providers once their identity, qualifications, service area and terms are verified. We won't show placeholder businesses, ratings or prices.
Pricing transparency
What you might be charged for
No prices are shown until a provider quotes them.DEMO
Inspection fee
Quoted by providerSet by the provider for a stated scope
Appraisal fee
Quoted by providerSet by the provider; may depend on purpose
Travel / mobile visit
ConditionalOnly if the provider comes to you
Extra checks
Requires consentOnly with your approval before work
Step by step
How it works
- 1
Choose the assessment
Decide whether you need condition, value, history or all three.
- 2
Find an eligible provider
Providers would show their scope, method and qualifications.
- 3
The assessment
The provider inspects or appraises the vehicle under its stated method.
- 4
Review report and valuation
Check the date, scope, limitations and who issued it.
Evidence & permissions
What should be recorded
- Who carried out the assessment, and their stated qualification
- Date, location and odometer reading at the time
- What was checked — and what wasn't
- Photos and measurements where captured
- For valuations: purpose, date and method
You choose who can see records. Sharing would always be shown before it happens.
Questions
Inspection & Appraisal FAQs
No. An inspection reports observed condition at a point in time. A certification needs a named program and its own evidence.
No. An appraisal is an opinion of value on a given date for a stated purpose. A buyer or dealer may offer more or less, and an offer is a separate commitment.
No. It only shows what was reported to the named data provider. Unreported repairs, private sales or events in other markets may be missing, so pair it with an inspection.
You do. A report would only be shared with a seller, buyer, lender or insurer if you choose to share it, and you'd be shown who before it happens.
No. A scan reads stored fault codes from the vehicle's systems. It doesn't check bodywork, tyres, brakes, leaks or wear that a physical inspection would look at.
Raise it with the provider first and ask for the evidence behind the finding. You can also get a second, independent assessment. Unresolved issues could go through Service Disputes.