| How to Use a 'Vehicle History Report' and a 'History | | | | business out of providing vehicle history data, there are |
| and Condition Report' to Make a Wise Used Car | | | | also individuals who have made a living out of hiding or |
| Purchase | | | | covering up such details. These immoral and unethical |
| BUYING A USED CAR - YOUR BEST FRIEND OR | | | | people are commonly referred to as 'curbsiders'. A |
| WORST ENEMY? | | | | curbsider is a person who makes a living out of selling |
| Sometimes you hear great stories of a used car | | | | used vehicles that may be stolen, reconditioned, or |
| purchase gone perfectly right. A person buys a used | | | | have had their VINs or odometers interfered with. |
| car or truck - saves a ton of money - and the vehicle | | | | They often misrepresent themselves as a private |
| runs well for the duration of ownership. The well | | | | seller looking to 'sell their family vehicle' or as a person |
| thought out purchase came after a great deal of | | | | who is 'moving overseas and needs to sell their vehicle |
| research where the car buyer informed him or herself | | | | quickly'. Unfortunately, used car buyers need to be |
| thoroughly by doing the proper research and by | | | | wary of such individuals, and a vehicle history report |
| waiting until both the time was right, and the perfect | | | | may or may not be a powerful enough tool to protect |
| vehicle became available. Well done! | | | | them. |
| Unfortunately, there are also used car or truck buying | | | | ONLINE SITES THAT PROMOTE THE PROVISION |
| horror stories. The vehicle may have been sold under | | | | OF INFORMATION |
| false pretences, was not all that it was made out to | | | | Above and beyond a third party vehicle history report, |
| be, and ended up being a money pit of constant repair | | | | another solution to protect you when buying a used |
| bills and time in the mechanics shop. Maybe the seller | | | | vehicle is by searching for vehicles online from sites |
| misrepresented the vehicle, or maybe the buyer just | | | | that promote the full disclosure of information. There |
| didn't do his or her homework, but for whatever | | | | are a select few sites (see the links at the bottom of |
| reason, the car ended up being a nightmare. | | | | this article) that you can use to shop for vehicles |
| The question is: how do you ensure that the first | | | | where the developers have built their site around the |
| scenario - the one where the used car or truck | | | | provision of information so as to keep you as informed |
| purchase worked out perfectly - is the one that you | | | | as possible about the used cars or trucks that you are |
| will experience when you go to buy your next used | | | | shopping for. |
| vehicle? The answer to that question is actually more | | | | On these types of sites, sellers are encouraged to |
| simple than you may think - history and condition | | | | partake in full transparency when it comes to selling |
| reports. | | | | their vehicle. Although sellers can simply omit details |
| VINs, VEHICLE HISTORY REPORTS, AND | | | | that may not be 'favourable' to them selling the vehicle, |
| CURBSIDERS | | | | buyers now have two tools: the provision of |
| Did you know that, by law, every car or truck | | | | information right off the site/the individual vehicle ad, |
| manufactured in North America is required to put a 17 | | | | and the ability to buy a third party vehicle history report |
| digit serial code - referred to as a Vehicle Identification | | | | to cross reference such details. |
| Number, or 'VIN' - right on the dashboard or driver's | | | | Now, buyers can compare and contrast information |
| side door jamb (a door jamb is the inside portion of the | | | | from the site and from the vehicle history report. If the |
| driver's side door, usually where the tire pressure | | | | site noted that the vehicle had never been in an |
| sticker is located)? This is done for a few reasons: to | | | | accident but the vehicle history report showed it had, |
| help the police track stolen vehicles, to allow motor | | | | you'll probably want to stay away from it altogether. |
| vehicle authorities track and record vehicle history, to | | | | Conversely, if the site noted that the vehicle had been |
| log and record major vehicle service or maintenance | | | | in an accident and the history reported indicated that it |
| that was preformed as the result of an accident, to log | | | | hadn't, you may also want o stay away - in this |
| flood or other major environmental damage, to record | | | | instance, the seller has disclosed that it was in an |
| title or ownership changes, and much more. | | | | accident that was never reported to authorities (hence |
| Using the VIN, you can find out a lot about the past | | | | its absence from the vehicle history report). You'll |
| history of a vehicle. There are several major | | | | never be able to accurately measure the damage |
| companies that have made a business out using VINs | | | | caused by such an accident, and will instead have to |
| to provide accurate third party data on vehicle history. | | | | rely on the word of the seller and a mechanic. |
| For a reasonable fee, you can purchase a vehicle | | | | PROTECTING YOURSELF |
| history report from one of these companies. By | | | | So, to protect yourself as much as possible, |
| providing them with the 17 digit VIN, they can pull up all | | | | ALWAYS buy a vehicle history report for cars and |
| sorts of information on a vehicle - usually, only cars | | | | trucks you are looking at. Some vehicle history report |
| and trucks - that you may be interested in purchasing. | | | | companies offer a more in-depth service for a slightly |
| This report can be the determinant in terms of | | | | higher fee, but will provide you with unlimited VIN |
| whether or not you choose to pursue the vehicle. | | | | checking for a window of time, usually a week or two. |
| The vehicle history report, however, is not a perfect | | | | This way, you can check multiple vehicles instead of |
| tool. There are many cases where critical information | | | | on a pay-as-you-check basis. |
| may be missing from a history report. For example, if a | | | | If you are shopping for a car or truck online, you will |
| vehicle was in an accident that was not reported to | | | | also want to look at sites that are built around providing |
| the authorities, the repairs would not show up on a | | | | information. Even though the information may or may |
| vehicle history report. This is fairly commonplace - the | | | | not be entirely accurate, at least you can contrast the |
| drivers involved in an accident agree to deal with the | | | | provided information to the information garnered from |
| repairs privately so as not to increase their insurance | | | | the vehicle history report. |
| rates. | | | | Happy shopping! |
| Just like there are companies that have made a | | | | |