Used car pricing and vehicle check FAQ for UK dealers

This page answers the questions UK motor traders ask most about pricing used cars and checking them before purchase, in one place. Each answer is short and written to stand on its own. Where DealerPricing is mentioned, the figures are the platform's public prices: plans from £70 a month, history checks at £2.50 for subscribers and £3.99 one-off, and free MOT and DVLA checks for anyone.

Key takeaways

• Trade value is a buying price; retail value is a selling price; the gap pays for prep, risk and profit.
• Free checks show MOT and DVLA data; only a paid history check shows finance, theft and write-offs.
• Days to sell is the number that turns a valuation into a buying decision.
• A live valuation can be audited from its comparables; a guide figure cannot.
• Every answer below links to the page where the detail lives.

Valuations

What is the difference between trade value and retail value?

Trade value is what a dealer pays to buy a car; retail value is what a customer pays on the forecourt. The difference, usually £1,500 to £2,500 on a mainstream car, covers preparation, warranty, advertising, finance costs, the risk of the car not selling and profit. DealerPricing shows both on every search, along with a part-exchange figure and the comparables behind them. See the trade valuation tool.

What do Trade Poor, Trade Average and Trade Clean mean?

They are trade values for the same car and mileage in three conditions: one that needs work or has a weak history, a typical example, and one that needs only a valet. Dealers decide the band from the MOT advisories, keepers, service history and condition, then bid within it.

How is a live valuation different from a guide book value?

A guide value is published monthly from past trade transactions and describes a model. A live valuation is built from the comparable cars for sale and sold this week at the car's exact specification and mileage, updated hourly, with the comparables visible. The guide book comparison explains the trade-offs.

Does mileage or condition matter more to value?

Mileage usually moves the value more because buyers filter by it, so DealerPricing values the car at its actual mileage first. Condition then places the bid within the Trade Poor to Trade Clean range.

How do I value a car without a registration?

Use the manual search. It steps through make, model, year, fuel, transmission, body type, drivetrain, engine size and trim and returns the same valuation and comparables as a registration search. The manual search guide shows the steps.

Retail pricing and stock

How should I price a used car to sell fast?

Price at or slightly under the average of the comparable cars for sale within your buyers' radius at your car's mileage, and set a review date from the average days to sell for the model. If the car passes the review date unsold, reprice to the level similar cars actually sold for. The retail pricing guide walks through it.

What is days to sell and why does it matter?

Days to sell is how long comparable cars took to leave the market. It converts a valuation into a decision: a clean car in an 80-day market ties up capital and usually ends up reduced, so it deserves a lower bid than a similar car in a 25-day market.

How do I know if a car on my forecourt is overpriced?

Search it, filter the comparables to your radius and mileage band, and sort by price then by days listed. If your car is in the top third on price and the competitors at that level have sat longer than the market average, it is overpriced for the current market.

Can I see what similar cars actually sold for?

Yes. Switch the listing type to Sold to see comparable cars that left the market in the last 90 days with the prices they were showing. Sold prices are the benchmark for any reduction.

How do I work out my maximum buying price?

Put the retail figure, your target net profit, the prep costs and the VAT treatment into the Retail Price Calculator. It returns the most you can pay and still hit the target. The calculator guide explains the margin scheme, VAT-inclusive and VAT-exclusive modes.

Part-exchange

How do dealers value a part-exchange?

From the trade bands at the car's actual mileage, less the prep the MOT advisories reveal, adjusted for days to sell, after a history check for finance and write-offs. On DealerPricing the sequence takes about a minute; the part-exchange guide shows each screen.

Can I take a part-exchange with outstanding finance?

Yes, provided the finance is settled as part of the deal: obtain a written settlement figure from the lender, pay the lender directly and deduct it from the allowance. A history check shows whether finance is recorded and which lender holds it.

Why is a part-exchange offer lower than an online instant offer?

Instant offers are marketing figures that are often reduced at inspection; a dealer's offer is a real trade price that has to fund prep, an MOT if due, warranty and the time the car sits in stock.

Vehicle history checks

What does a vehicle history check include?

Stolen markers from the PNC and MIAFTR, outstanding finance with lender details, insurance write-off category A, B, S or N, mileage consistency across every MOT reading, plate and colour changes, import, export and scrappage markers and recalls, with a PDF report. See the history check page.

How much is a history check?

£2.50 per check from a subscriber's balance on any DealerPricing plan, or £3.99 as a one-off with no account. Comparable branded checks are typically around £19.99.

Is it the same as an HPI check?

It searches the same national databases and reports the same markers, but it is not an HPI-branded product. HPI is a trade mark of its owner and DealerPricing is not affiliated with it. The HPI alternative page compares them line by line.

Can I check outstanding finance for free?

No. Finance agreements are held on private registers that charge per search, so a free check can only show DVLA and MOT data. DealerPricing includes the finance search in the £2.50 check and sells it alone for £1.25.

When should I run the check?

Before bidding or agreeing a part-exchange, at deposit, and again at collection if more than a few days have passed, because finance can be registered against a car in between.

How long is the report kept?

Six months in the account, re-openable free of charge from the Vehicle Checks button, with a PDF that can be handed to the retail buyer.

MOT, tax and service history

Can I check MOT history for free?

Yes. The free MOT check shows every test since 2005 with result, mileage, expiry and advisories for any UK registration, no account needed. Dealer accounts see the same data on every search with the mileage plotted as a chart.

How do I spot a clocked car?

Read the mileage recorded at each MOT from oldest to newest. A reading lower than the previous one, or a year where the mileage barely moved before sale, is a warning sign. The history check compares every reading automatically and raises a mileage discrepancy alert.

Do MOT advisories affect what I should pay?

Yes. Each advisory is work that will be needed soon. Cost them as prep and deduct them from the trade offer; tyres, brakes and suspension on a family car are typically £300 to £600.

Can I verify a full service history claim?

For cars serviced at franchised dealers, yes. The service history check, included on Pro plans, reads the manufacturer's digital record and lists each service with date, mileage, dealer and type, flagging missed intervals. Independent garage work usually needs the paper invoices.

DealerPricing plans and access

What does DealerPricing cost?

Basic 100 is £70 a month for 100 searches; Pro 100 is £99 and adds service history checks, additional valuations and spec sheets; Basic 200 and Pro 200 double the searches at £135 and £195. Every plan has 50% off the first month, no setup fee and no annual contract. See the dealer software page.

Do I need a subscription for the free check or a one-off history check?

No. The free vehicle check and the £3.99 history check work without an account. A subscription unlocks the dealer dashboard: valuations, comparables, sold prices, insights and £2.50 checks.

Can I try it before subscribing?

Yes. The demo runs real registrations through the dashboard so you can compare the figures with cars you know.

Is there an API?

Yes. The DealerPricing API gives dealer websites and DMS providers the same valuation, listing and check data, with pay-as-you-go access and plans from £99 a month.

Frequently asked questions

Where does DealerPricing get its data?

Live listings from more than 11,000 UK dealer websites, refreshed hourly, plus sold prices from the last 90 days; vehicle identity, tax and MOT data from the DVLA and DVSA; and provenance markers from the PNC, MIAFTR, finance registers and the DVLA for history checks.

How many cars does DealerPricing cover?

Over 680,000 active listings at any time across every mainstream make and model, which is effectively every UK used car that is actually for sale on a dealer website, plus the cars that sold in the last 90 days.

How quickly does a search return a valuation?

A few seconds. The registration is decoded, the comparables are matched, and the valuation, listings, sold prices, MOT history and insights load on one screen. A history check adds a few more seconds and produces the PDF at the same time.

Who is DealerPricing built for?

Independent and franchised used car dealers, car supermarkets, traders buying at auction and remarketing teams, all of whom need a defensible number on a used car quickly. Private buyers use the free vehicle check and the £3.99 one-off history check without a subscription.