| Author |
Message |
V.Z. (Ama328)
New member
Username: Ama328
Post Number: 6
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - 4:11 pm: | |
Would someone pls explain how carfax acquires their data on cars ? I can see maybe getting it from the DMV if registration changes or the car switches states, but that doesn't seem like it would generate all of the problems described here.
thx
btw, i usually keep cars forever, so haven't thought about this much, but would still like to know the score... |
Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member
Username: Verell
Post Number: 341
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, September 16, 2002 - 2:04 am: | |
When I 1st saw the car I bought, it still had the Euro speedometer saying ~39,000 KM. Before the deal was finalized, The dealer had replaced it with a US one with the correct moleage (~22,400 miles). He told me he was going to do it & I unwisely said OK. Didn't make much of it at the time I bought it. Wish I'd known more about Ferraris, I'd have kept my car all Euro.
Later I ran a Carfax & it reported a roll-back based on an auction sale reporting 39,000 miles.
It was an estate liquidation sale, not an auction. Never was able to get Carfax to admit it was Km, not miles. They just wanted to stick with the 39,000 which was all the data they had.
I said to H$%$ with it as I intended to keep the car till either it or I fell to pieces.
|
Peter Topman (Peter_topman)
New member
Username: Peter_topman
Post Number: 3
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 8:07 pm: | |
I had a problem with CarFax when I went to sell my 308 a couple years back. The CARFAX showed nothing, "non-existent" so-to-speak.
Buyers walked left and right (because they didn't know any better, and are gun shy to begin with).
Now, I tell people up front, CARFAX is NOT accurate.
|
David S (Djs308)
New member
Username: Djs308
Post Number: 1
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 4:40 pm: | |
Last year, I had a potential deal to buy an '82 308 gts from a dealer (independent). The deal fell through when I had a CARFAX run on the car. The odometer on the car was low (maybe 19K). However CARFAX showed that there was a potential odometer rollback.
OK...that happens on 308's. Then I checked the mileage that they had on the report. A few years back, it showed something like 14,000 miles and 6 months later, it had 124,000. Then, a year later, it was about 16,000.
That seemed very fishy. It looks like the mechanic who inspected it may have put in an extra digit. The car didn't look like it had 124K on it (I could be wrong). It looked like an innocent mistake but CARFAX would not change their report for anything.
I told the salesman, if I try selling it in a few years, it will still have that red flag from CARFAX on it and it will be almost impossible to sell. The guy wanted a premium price on the car (above book value) and I didn't need to do the deal. So I walked away.
Still looking for a 308, though.... |
Craig Dewey (Craigfl)
Member
Username: Craigfl
Post Number: 446
Registered: 1-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 11:53 am: | |
I generally agree with Bruno but use Carfax as just another piece of information helping me to find the value of a car. If the Carfax looks "clean", it doesn't mean the car is "clean" but only that nothing was reported.
When I found some misinformation about a car I had, I talked with Carfax. They sent me the paperwork to potentially correct the error. I have to admit I didn't return it to see what they would do because I had already sold the car. |
Bruno (Originalsinner)
Member
Username: Originalsinner
Post Number: 532
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 11:37 am: | |
I've never checked car fax before buying a car.I am confident I can determine a cars value by myself.I know a good title from a bad. If after my inspection I find a car worth the asking price I buy it.If a problem is uncovered.salvage title etc.Does it now matter to me if I bough the car for what it is worth. Car fax should only be a guide.Not the LAST word.But you wont convince the uneducated car buying masses of this. |
Gene Agatep (Gagatep)
New member
Username: Gagatep
Post Number: 9
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 10:31 am: | |
What you all have mentioned are very good cases of carfax providing inaccurate info leading to losses. Please, I encourage you all to pursue against carfax to put them right in their place.
They do have that arrogance which have to be knocked off for not immediately fixing their errors. They are humans and they have to admit, that people make mistakes.
But, There are two sides to a coin...
There are more unscrupulous sellers out there that would hide info regarding salvage titles from one state that have been undeclared by other states via lean sale. Or sellers out there who would reverse mileage (what F cars are valued with). Without carfax convenience, a buyer would not be easily informed. It would require good effort digging through DMV. |
Chuck Babel (Chuck_98_rt10)
Junior Member
Username: Chuck_98_rt10
Post Number: 53
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 8:03 am: | |
Correct, they are just like Equifax, TRW, etc. They have $7/hr employees punching data in a keyboard and couldn't care less if they hit the wrong key or not. |
Hans E. Hansen (4re_gt4)
Junior Member
Username: 4re_gt4
Post Number: 166
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 - 1:04 am: | |
They try, but I think they have succombed to a certain sense of self importance, an omnipotence. Their power has gone to their heads. Crush car deals at will, facts be damned!! |
Matt Karson (Squidracing)
Junior Member
Username: Squidracing
Post Number: 171
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 8:50 pm: | |
As I've said before....
CAR FAX SUCKS!! |
Hans E. Hansen (4re_gt4)
Junior Member
Username: 4re_gt4
Post Number: 161
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 7:01 pm: | |
Although CarFax only reports what is given them, THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO CORRECT MISTAKES!!!!! My company transferred title to a car, and Oregon DMV, in error, issued it a 'rebuilt' or 'totaled' title. Of course, it showed up that way on CarFax. When we pointed out the error to Oregon DMV, they issued a *corrected* title, together with a letter of explanation that it should never have been "branded" in the first place. We sent this all to CarFax, as well as calling them numerous times, all to no avail.
Beware of CarFax. |
Stanley DiGuiseppi (Standig)
New member
Username: Standig
Post Number: 46
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 6:21 pm: | |
I agree with Bruno they only report the info given them.
IMO I think the info can be part of the puzzle as to what you are really buying. I looked at about 15 different cars from internet sites and ran the car faxes on all the cars that included the vin number in their ads. In serveral cases the written info did not agree with the discription the seller stated.
When you buy a used car that has been shipped around a car fax can be an aid in makeing a good decision.
In your case Matt, you at least could explain the problem with the car fax and be up front about it.
I recently sold my NSX. The car fax said the car was sold at auction. It was never sold at auction because I had the original MSO. It was processed thru an auction house which is why the car fax listed it that way. When I sold the car I explained what the car fax said, why it said what it said and backed it up with the original paperwork. Also the car fax supported me in that the only record was the auction transaction which stated the miles as I had stated and with the original MSO it proved that no one else every owned the car.
|
Matt Karson (Squidracing)
Junior Member
Username: Squidracing
Post Number: 170
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 5:09 pm: | |
I proved it to them with information from the DMV, and they still would not change their incorrect information!! They did not tell me their source, but the DMV did not give it to them. The DMV agreed with me...the DMV HATES Car Fax!! I even threatened to sue them, but to no avail. I should have been able to sue them, as I missed the sale due to their incorrect information.
And as for their 'important information', all a waste of time! When they say there is important information, it should be discrepancies, not just when it went through emmisions. |
Bruno (Originalsinner)
Member
Username: Originalsinner
Post Number: 531
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 4:57 pm: | |
The problem is their like a credit agency Only as good as the information they get.And if there's a mistake your "guilty until proven innocent" and you have to prove it to them to get it fixed.I was never a car fax fan.But a lot of people think it's the next best thing to sliced bread these days.I feel your pain. |
Matt Karson (Squidracing)
Junior Member
Username: Squidracing
Post Number: 169
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 - 3:48 pm: | |
Seeing the post on Car Fax brought up some bad memories....and here they are....
CAR FAX SUCKS!!
THEY PRESENT INCORRECT INFORMATION!!
When I went to sell my last Ferrari 1 1/2 years ago), the potential owner ran a Car Fax report and it came up saying that the car had a replacement title.
This was a big suprise to me, as well as being incorrect, as I was holding the original title in my hand! When I called the Department of Motor Vehicles, the agreed that a replacement title for that car was never issued.
I told them that Car Fax is posting that there is a replacement title in existance. The DMV rep told me how much the DMV HATES Car Fax.
Armed with paperwork from the DMV, Car Fax would still not change their incorrect information!
As I said....CAR FAX SUCKS!!
Anyway, the buyer walked. I ended up selling the car (at a higher price actually) to a different buyer. I did however tell that buyer what they would find if they ran a Car Fax. |