When you buy a car from a dealer or from a private individual, a number of things should be going through your mind. Is this car good value for money? Is it a stolen car which really belongs to someone else? Has any of the data been tampered with, such as mileage? With VinAudit, you will find out the history of a car such as whether it has been in an accident or registered as stolen.
Trustworthy Car History
VinAudit is an official NMVTIS access provider; that is the National Motor Vehicle Title Information Service. VinAudit, a private company in Kirkland, Washington, works with non-profits and the government to provide reliable data as to prior damage, unauthorized odometer adjustments, an open lien, or evidence of theft. They are able to check more than 60 brands of car (Ford, Toyota, Chevy, Nissan, etc.) to determine if a car has ever been so seriously damaged in an accident that it should never have been rebuilt for re-sale. If the odometer has been rolled back, you might see a mileage figure on the dash that sounds promising when, in fact, the car has been driven another 50,000 to 100,000 miles. Learn if the car was recently stolen for re-sale or was stolen a few years ago, perhaps to the person who sold you this car. Can you even name 30 car brands? VinAudit supplies an almost comprehensive list. Anything they are unable to check is probably too exotic or stopped rolling off the line 30 years ago.
Sources of Information
VinAudit receives details about cars from the government, from partners within the industry, and also from non-profits groups. The NMVTIS is also linked to numerous organizations providing information, including insurance agencies and salvage companies. They provide thousands of information sources and millions of records besides the ones VinAudit discovers independently.
The NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) provides data as does the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). They will alert VinAudit to, among other things, vehicle recalls. The FMCSA or Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration provides accident and inspection records. Other groups provide details to VinAudit as well to create as full a picture of a car’s history as possible. Many organizations are working to keep car drivers and passengers safe from faulty mechanics, unforeseen legal issues, and the results of tampering.
Clarifying Statistics
Is the fuel economy stated by the seller realistic? Is the tank size as claimed? Has this vehicle been involved in an accident? If a claim has been made, records will show details of the report. Scrap-metal, auction and salvage businesses share dates and records. Where there is a lien, this will be exposed along with the date and who holds the lien. An impounded or exported car leaves a trail of data as well. Something could be missed, but VinAudit covers a lot of bases which fill in as many holes as possible.
VinAudit Review
Even though this all sounds very official, VinAudit runs privately. They are actually competing with another major firm doing the same thing. In their view, the cost is lower when you use VinAudit. Before, when a major name was involved, customers paid for that name and the lack of competition. With this new firm to offer an alternative, you pay less for equivalent service; perhaps even better coverage than others can offer. Access to your account is unlimited. Read the details any time of the day, every day of the week, using your PC, laptop, or mobile phone.
The cost is extremely reasonable for a car dealership at $1 per report or $20 monthly. There appears to be no fee for an individual to immediately check data regarding a car he might want to buy. Read their blog to clarify, but there appears to be no cost involved if you are simply a consumer searching for a one-off car purchase.
Exciting Strategy
It’s a wonderful notion — that people who would defraud customers with fake information could be caught right here. Many, of course, will try to launder their crimes and at least remove themselves as far as possible from the car they stole before a legitimate purchaser comes along. When you discover a vehicle was wrecked and destined for a crusher before it was chosen by a shady mechanic to be rebuilt, you might have prevented being involved in an accident caused by an unsafe vehicle. If an accident occurs in one of these cars, safety ratings are severely reduced; consequences are probably going to be worse for everyone. Some criminals will be caught; tragedies can also be prevented.