Brindley Motor Group, Mon Motors, Helston Garages Group, Johnsons and Marsh Wall have all signed contracts in recent months for used car provenance services from Cap HPI, during a period when success in used car retailing has become more vital than ever.

Their addition means that Cap HPI now provides services to 81 of the UK's AM100 motor retailers, either in valuations or in provenance checks, or both.

Wendy Swaine, Cap HPI's head of retail sales, said: "The addition of HPI Check supplements the valuation services these businesses already trust from Cap HPI and will help them create efficiencies in their business as well as remove risk at a time when the pandemic has been shown to increase potential problems for dealerships.”

In 2020 Swaine highlighted to dealers that socially distanced car sales could have increased the risk of fraud for motor retailers, given that some staff had "loosened" the focus on the trade-in process while customers were concerned about physical contact during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She warned that some might not be completing a vehicle appraisal or ownership documents check to the same usual standard of diligence.

At The Brindley Group, operations director Chris Adams said its appointment of Cap HPI for provenance checks came as it was already getting "great value from the quality, breadth and depth" of its valuation services.

Adams said the industry supplier understands the dealer group's need to constantly strive for new ways to drive efficiency through innovation.

Solera, the parent group of Cap HPI, bought repair software firm InSyPro in December.