Should getting a couple page printout, outdated, and often containing completely inaccurate information, cost you more than your monthly bill for a cell phone, a nice meal out, etc?
What does it really cost a company to allow users to access a database? The answer is probably fractions of a penny. At what point is markup grossly dishonest, and just plain not right?
We've all gotten the media blitz, and have been told in massive advertising campaigns, only reputable dealers willing give out CarFax reports. As a small dealer, it costs about $60 per month, and each CarFax report costs about $12.95 each, after 5, in one of the common plans.
Dealers quietly complain amongst themselves about this seeming extortion.
I ran a CarFax on a vehicle I own and know a bit about the history. Well, the CarFax report flagged it as a "buy back lemon" while I owned it. I didn't sell it, or buy it during that time. So, the one test of CarFax that I was able to verify from what I know, makes me want to give CarFax one big fat "F".
I had a customer refuse to buy a beautiful Ford Crown Victoria. It is black, with black leather. It has a tachometer and has just about every option imaginable. It also has a fairly unique center shifter. The CarFax report said the car had been in an accident. Well, the "accident" had not been fixed. There were scratches on the driver's side door. A perfectly good car, in almost perfect condition was passed up on. A mechanic, or a person who knows cars, would have been able to tell how really nice that car is. I ended up selling the car off of a lot in Vermont, to ship the vehicle to Texas to a very lucky buyer.
CarFax could be harming businesses across America in a large way. An almost bankrupt parent trying to sell a vehicle with a bogus CarFax might just tip off the edge. So, if the owners of CarFax don't want to have quality control, and are harming the public, shouldn't they be criminally and civilly liable if an investigation proves that CarFax knowingly puts out inaccurate and blatantly false information? Should we let big business in America harm OUR economy?
If you have a relationship with a local mechanic, or just hire one to look over your potential vehicle choice on a one time basis, wouldn't you be better off getting real information on the most current condition of a vehicle? A report on paper from CarFax doesn't have the latest information, doesn't tell you how worn the brake pads are, how the vehicle is currently running, and if it will currently pass your state's safety inspection. A mechanic can. Is your choice a good value? You just can't get that from a lame report you overpay for, which could just be a load of crap anyway.
CarFax can be a useful tool in a lot of ways, but verify the information, and consider it a guide. Millions of cars have been sold without CarFax reports. Just because a car has been in an accident, had recall and other problems during its life, doesn't mean that the vehicle currently is not a good value, and good to own.
There can be a huge gap in time where no information is available on a vehicle. Maybe the vehicle was in a flood, and there is nothing about it in a CarFax report. A mechanic or an alert observer could pick up on the clues, where the CarFax report just didn't cut it. I was in New Orleans soon after Hurricane Katrina hit. I know quite a bit about flood damage having worked as an insurance adjuster.
My advice is to keep your money local when it comes to having your potential vehicle purchases evaluated. Don't be scammed by big business and help the economy at the same time. Who are you blindly trusting online? Who is on the other side of your computer?
