PPI and Carfax

Drive & enjoy the car?

 

Sorry to hear that.
But Caveat emptor

 

If you contact Carfax and dispute their findings they will provide documentation about the accident. Sometimes it's just something minor.

 

I would be interested in what Carfax says about this. I always wondered what they would do, if anything, in a case like this. If they say so sad, too bad, then in my opinion their reports have become even more worthless.

 

Don't they have a guarantee along the lines of protecting you from this very thing?

 

Car fax is simply a data repository, so I expect the accident info wasn't in the database at time of purchase. They do have a provision for missing DMV info (believe the car must have been issued a salvage title) but not for unreported data.

 

Either the repairs were excellent or the PPI was questionable.

 

man that sucks. esp, since you did all the due diligence.
sorry for your luck.
I guess to put it in perspective, it only becomes an issue should you resell. So throw on the miles like crazy, part it out when youre done, and noone needs to know!

 

I ran into somewhat of a similar issue a few years ago with a used Mercedes. When we bought it, the dealer gave us a Carfax that was clean and was printed out about one month prior, from when they first got it on the lot. When I went to sell the car 3 years later, prospective buyers told me Carfax said it was in an accident so its value nosedived. I contacted the dealer that sold it to us and they said what sometimes happens is the previous owner gets in an accident and gets it fixed, then immediately sells it before Carfax updates their records so it still looks clean. We felt violated and got screwed on the resale value. But the fact is that until you decide to sell the car it won't really matter so drive it and enjoy it.

 

The true purpose of Carfax is to make money for Carfax, that is all.

This is a long shot, but this is a loss for you. You may be insured for diminished value due to this disclosure, check your policy. Technically the date it was reported on the updated Carfax is the date it became an issue, and a loss, not the date it happened.

Personally, I would also give the PO a call and scream at him over the phone for a while. No threats, and rehearse it beforehand, nice and loud with vague and frequent profanity.

Someone needs to bring a class action lawsuit against Carfax anyway, just because they deserve it.
Alden

 

Carfax is real just a feel good thing. I had two issues with car fax I bought a used car from a Porsche dealer a few years ago and I ran the car fax and it is was perfect so I had the dealer include the car fax in the sales agreement .. This was made this part of the deal...this is a good idea by the way....
Then I went to sell it 3 years later and it had a mileage issue from prior to the time I bought it from info at the dealer I bought it from....So I asked them buy it back a fair price .. (the car was for sale )discounting for age and represented miles by my car fax.
The second Time I had a California that had a minor accident (35K) just prior to my trading it in
on a new ordered Ferrari ... the dealer really discounted (a lot ) the price they gave me . Then I looked at the add for the car they were asking full price with no mention of the accident AND the CARFAX was clean.. SO I made a note on the carFax...
that it had been damaged it was minor but should have been noted by the dealer they fixed it and sold it

 

My two cents:

1) Carfax is way overrated. Inaccuracies are very frequent. It sucks that it went like this but I'd chalk it up to bad luck. Like other people said, your best bet is to drive the piss out of the car and "diminish" its value in a fun and healthy way.

2) like someone wrote on another forum, "Fraud is everywhere in this hobby. Believe nothing, believe nobody, expect disappointment." Where there's money to be made there will be lies and deceit, and there's a lot of money to be made on six figures used cars. Not everybody is a scum liar of course, but more often than not that'll be the case.

 

Carfax is the automotive equivalent equivalent of the Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs). There needs to be accountability present to prevent economic damage to consumers. Just like the CRAs have come under state and federal regulation, the car reporting agencies should probably be folded into the existing regulations. In fact, I believe Carfax is owned and operated by one of the big-3 CRAs. Not a big fan of overreaching government, but this is one case where David could use a bit of help against Golith. If Carfax wants to make money, they should shoulder some of the risk for their actions.

 

You may have legal recourse IF the person selling you the vehicle lied to you about the car not being in the accident. To take it further, if that person lied to the dealer - who then sold it to you - you could possibly also sue the original owner.

This is especially problematic with flood cars. If you purchase a car that has spent any amount of time in Florida, you better do some serious research before buying it.

Hope things turn out well for you; whatever you choose to do.

 

Too bad! Could have been a bargaining tool for you to get a lower sale price.

 

What about the "CarFax buyback guarantee" they are always touting? How does that fit into this scenario?
Alden

 

I think more information gets added to Carfax as other databases come online ... you will see additional service history (which often makes no sense). Whoever bumped the car may have paid cash to paint the bumper to keep it off his own insurance. Many Ferrari owners would do the same to avoid having their rates go up or the car tagged unnecessarily with an accident history over something minor.

I would not blame the shop on the PPI if it was more of a cosmetic repair, front bumpers are repainted all the time for cosmetic issues or minor scrapes. The rash would have occurred after the bumper was painted or it would be perfect paint. Getting backed into in a parking lot is not the same as hitting a tree at 50 mph. Apparently the car is fine. Just enjoy and forget it, keep the documentation and disclose it to the next buyer.

 

Best response of all

 

There is also the possibility that your car wasn't damaged at all and the police report, which Carfax accepts as gospel, was wrong.
Either way if it didn't show up with a thorough PPI and it obviously wasn't noticeable to you it can't be of much consequence.
I have owned (older) cars that were damaged enough to be declared a total loss by my insurance co. that would still be clean on a carfax. A friend owns a car that has been involved in at LEAST half a dozen minor accidents that is in great shape yet a Carfax report will scare the pants off most buyers when it comes time for him to sell.

Inspection>Carfax