A used car check that tells you if it's worth the trip.

A history check tells you what's recorded. CarMate goes further: the MOT story, whether the price is fair, the seller's red flags, and a clear verdict before you view or pay. In 60 seconds.

Backed by official DVLA and DVSA records, plus Experian finance, write-off and stolen checks. Not guesswork.

Private listings
Gumtree URL
eBay Motors URL
AutoTrader, Facebook & more Photo
Auction lots
Experian · DVLA · DVSA Official data sources
60-second reports
30-day money-back guarantee
Secure checkout Stripe, cards never stored
Can you trust us?

Why you can trust it · official sources

Not opinions. Official records.

Every report is built on live government data and cross-checked against what the seller actually wrote. No recycled listing blurb, no guesswork.

DVLA

Registration, tax status, year and factory specification, pulled live from the plate.

DVSA

The full MOT history: every pass, failure, advisory and recorded mileage since the car was new.

Experian

Vehicle provenance for the History Check: outstanding finance, write-offs, stolen and scrapped markers, backed by a data guarantee from £10,000.

Stripe

Payments are handled entirely by Stripe. We never see or store your card details.

The mileage timeline, MOT advisories and price benchmark all trace back to these sources, so you can check the working, not just take the score on faith.

Choose your check

Three checks, one clear verdict.

Check the advert, the recorded history, or both together. Every check ends with a plain-English verdict, not a wall of raw data.

Listing Check

1 credit

Should you even bother viewing it?

  • Estimated market value, checked against the asking price
  • MOT and mileage story, with clocking flags
  • Buyer risk signals on the advert and seller
  • Questions to ask and room to negotiate
  • A clear buyer verdict, kept as a PDF

First Listing Check free, limited time.

History Check

2 credits

Is the recorded background clean?

  • Outstanding finance still owed on the car
  • Insurance write-off category and date
  • Stolen and scrapped markers
  • Import, export and plate changes
  • Former keepers and MOT mileage timeline
  • Backed by a data guarantee from £10,000

Vehicle history provided by Experian.

Why not just a standard history check?

A standard history check shows the recorded background: finance, write-offs, stolen and scrapped markers. Useful, but on its own it can't tell you whether the advert adds up or whether the asking price is fair. The Full Buyer Check reads the advert, the MOT story and the price alongside that history, then gives you one plain verdict: worth viewing, or not.

Pay once, use when you need. Credits never expire and there is no subscription. Vehicle history data provided by Experian, with official DVLA and DVSA records.

The report · nine checks, one verdict

Everything the listing's leaving out.

A full breakdown of what CarMate verifies before you drive across the country to look at it.

Deal Score
58 / 100
PROCEED WITH CAUTION

Overpriced by ~£800. Two fraud signals detected. MOT and mileage verified against DVLA records.

2019 VW Golf 1.5 TSI • £12,500
MOT Status
Valid to Mar 2026
Price vs Market
Overpriced ~£800
Mileage Check
Consistent with DVLA
Risk Signals
2 flags detected
Tax Status
Taxed to Aug 2025
Owners
3, within normal range
Buyer Risk Score
32 / 100
Low-medium risk
Opening Offer
£11,200
Negotiation strategy included in report
Report Format
PDF + Web
Download or share anytime

How it works · four steps, sixty seconds

From listing to verdict, before you message the seller.

  1. 01

    Add the listing

    Upload a screenshot from any listing site, paste a Gumtree or eBay Motors link, or type the details in by hand.

  2. 02

    We run the checks

    DVLA and DVSA records, mileage timeline, fair-price benchmark, buyer risk signals. Sixty seconds, no waiting.

  3. 03

    You get the verdict

    Deal score with a clear reason, price gap to market, MOT advisories, fraud flags, and questions to ask the seller.

  4. 04

    Negotiate, or walk

    A negotiation floor based on real comparable sales, a script for the call, and a straight recommendation either way.

Live demo · from listing to verdict

gumtree.com/cars/ford-focus-1.5-st-line-x/listing/...
Check Listing

In every report · checks most buyers skip

What's actually in the report.

The questions you'd ask a mechanic at the kerbside, answered before you've even left the house.

Price Analysis

Compares against real market data. See whether the asking price is fair, overpriced, or genuinely below market.

MOT & DVLA Check

Official government records on tax status, MOT history, mileage consistency, and outstanding advisories.

Seller Questions

Tailored questions based on the specific listing, so you know exactly what to ask before you go.

Negotiation Tips

A specific opening offer and the leverage points to justify it, based on what the report actually found.

PDF Report

A professional report you can take to the viewing. Covers everything, looks the part.

The deal score, explained

Our deal score combines fraud signal analysis, official DVLA & DVSA data, mileage verification, and price comparison into one clear verdict

67 - 100
Good Deal

Listing stacks up. Price is fair, no serious red flags, seller appears genuine. Still do your checks, but this one's worth viewing.

34 - 66
Proceed With Caution

Some concerns present. Could be missing history, vague description, or a price that needs explaining. Go in informed and ask the right questions.

0 - 33
Not Recommended

Multiple red flags detected. Could be a scam, clocked mileage, or a car with serious undisclosed issues. Walk away unless you have a very good reason not to.

What goes into the score

Buyer risk checks

Price vs market, urgency language, missing contact info, suspicious patterns

DVLA verification

Tax status, MOT validity, fuel type, colour - cross-referenced against the listing

MOT history

Pass rate, mileage consistency, mechanical failures vs wear items, recurring issues

Price analysis

Compared to current market value for the make, model, year, and mileage

Listing quality

Description detail, photo quality, disclosed faults, modification transparency

Mileage consistency

Annual usage pattern checked against MOT records to flag potential clocking

CarMate's score is a risk assessment, not a guarantee. Always view the car in person and consider an independent inspection before purchasing.

Used CarMate? Be one of the first to review it.

We would rather show real reviews than made-up ones. If a check helped you buy smarter, or walk away from a bad one, tell us. Your words could help the next buyer decide.

Leave a review
Launch Offer Introductory pricing - credits will cost more as we grow

Pay Once, Use When You Need

No subscription. Buy report credits and use them at your own pace. They never expire.

MOT and DVLA records are free to look up yourself. What you pay for is the cross-check: mileage and advisories matched against the listing, a live market price benchmark, fraud signals and a negotiation script, pulled into one report in 60 seconds.

What's included depends on the check you choose

Listing Check 1 credit

Private listings & auction lots

  • Fraud & buyer risk signals (private listings)
  • Damage & all-in cost (auction lots)
  • Estimated market value vs the asking price
  • MOT & DVLA history cross-check
  • Negotiation tips & seller questions
  • PDF report
History Check 2 credits

Recorded vehicle data, powered by Experian

  • Finance, write-off, stolen & scrapped markers
  • Imported / exported markers
  • Mileage & MOT history
  • Backed by a data guarantee from £10,000
  • PDF report
Recommended - best value
Full Buyer Check 2 credits

The advert and the recorded history, one verdict

  • Everything in the Listing Check
  • Full Experian history (finance, write-off, stolen)
  • History backed by a data guarantee from £10,000
  • One clear buyer verdict before you view
  • PDF report

Your first Listing Check is free, no card needed - limited time. Credits never expire.

1 Credit

£ 5.99

£5.99 per credit

See a sample report

5 Credits

£ 22.99

£4.59 per credit

Save £7 vs buying separately
See a sample report

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee - If you're not satisfied with your analysis, we'll refund you. No questions asked.