Does CARFAX have any competitors?

[Effervescent]

Are there any other companies who check VINs?

I can't find a'one. How is that possible if none exist?

$39 to run one number seems....excessive. is there another company I am not thinking of?

Help.

Eff

[Grreatdog]

I have no idea how they compare but a lot of the car selling sites use www.autocheck.com

[randyo]

no faith in any of em here, they rely on honest repair shops to report

what happened to the good ole days when you could run a magnet down the side of the car

[Patch]

If its a vehicle you're interested in... then $39 seems like a worthy investment. If that sounds steep - then your gut is already telling you to walk away.

or - Just ask the seller to lower his price by $39?

[viverrid]

Originally Posted by Effervescent

$39 to run one number seems....excessive.

How much do you think it should be?

[RxZ]

I thought that was for five vin number runs?

[randyo]

last I knew you could run several VINs for that $39, not just one, but of course, if ya only want to run one, its still $39

or you could find someone that hasn't used all the VIN checks their entitled to but paid for

but again

they only report what is reported, I can see it giving some peace of mind in a private sale, and a reputable dealer will usually give you the carfax data, on the other hand, with a not reputable dealer, the carfax will only report what has been reported

[farmerstu]

car fax sucks. the whole business model is based on extortion. google carfax complaints it will quickly become apparent how they operate. the best thing you can do before buying a used car is take it to a shop you trust to have them give it an unbiased inspection. i tell our customers that i can't guarantee they will buy a good car, but i can guarantee they won't buy a bad one.
also doesn't this forum have an off topic section?

[Effervescent]

Oops...wrong section. Thanks for the feedback, Fellas. Regarding the "how much" question...IDK...seems like there should be a good half dozen "carfaxs" and that a one number run should be 15 to 20 bucks. But what do I know? :)

[Gonzoso]

You can buy 5 for 45$ I think. If you read the fine print if you use two or less and file for a refund they will issue you one in many cases. I did this and got my money back then went and got some more a few months later.

[khager]

I have used both carfax and autocheck. Autocheck is $30 for 1 vin check and $45 unlimited for 30 days. Carfax used to be the same, then they got stupid crazy with their prices and I don't use them anymore.

Especially on a used car it is very handy, I can eliminate 90% of them by the vin alone, saves a lot of gas. It's amazing, but just asking for the vin can bring out the truth a lot of times.

Oh theres something I've got to tell you , by the way it does have a salvage title, but the damage was not really that bad, blah, blah, blah.

Oh by the way you may find other owners listed, but it has been in the family since new, my cousin owned it, then my uncle, then my brother in law, etc..., so yes I am the original owner kind of sort of.

[cliffy109]

Many sellers will provide a Carfax check upon request. Obviously, a private seller would not but a dealer will. In fact, a lot of dealers will run a check right from their web site on the cars they list.

[genka]

Originally Posted by randyo

no faith in any of em here, they rely on honest repair shops to report

what happened to the good ole days when you could run a magnet down the side of the car

An honest repair shop shouldn't report private customer information to anybody.
I think it depends on state laws. Some report every oil change, other nothing short of a junk title.

[farmerstu]

Originally Posted by genka

An honest repair shop shouldn't report private customer information to anybody.
I think it depends on state laws. Some report every oil change, other nothing short of a junk title.

exacltly. not all insurance company's report either. also crooks that deal in flood cars know how to wash a title through states that don't have salvage titles. I.E. but a car with a salvage title in one state and retitle it in another without a salvage title. if you can get it free it's fine. i personally would not pay 2 cents to get a report. have jiffy lube make a mistake on the odometer reading . you will find that carfax flags it a odometer tampering. and here's the kicker. no way to correct to mistake. no phone number or anyway to get a hold of carfax to rectify a mistake. just like angies list and yelp, nothing but extortionists.