I found out about www.mycarcheck.com today. For £3 plus your network message charge you get a very basic vehicle check based on the registration number: - no of owners, make and model, if colour has been changed, if stolen, if scrapped, if Cat C or D, and valuation. A friend was taken aback to find his car is Cat C! If he has known (private sale) he would probably walked away or dropped his offer.