# Carfax $35 v. InstaVin $7 v.? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557 "2011-11-01T23:23:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/1 "2011-11-01T23:23:27Z")
I am selling my car. I would like to be able to offer some kind of independently-verified information to potential purchasers. Carfax is the most famous and does the most advertising and appears to be vastly more expensive than any other vehicle reporting service. I don’t want to spend that much. InstaVin is only $6.99. Is there something better, cheaper, free? The Dope’s Opinions needed. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/2 "2011-11-01T23:43:14Z")
If you’re selling to the general public, then I would choose the service that people have heard of. With that being said, I have no idea of what information the money buys you. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/3 "2011-11-02T00:03:55Z")
I’ve used instavin, they have plenty of info in their records. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/4 "2011-11-02T20:43:20Z")
I think it’s a waste of your money. People who don’t know what it is won’t care, and people who do know what it is will just get it themselves. I wouldn’t trust a carfax printout provided by a car owner anyway. If I trusted him not to lie, I wouldn’t need the report. If I don’t trust him not to lie, why do I trust that he didn’t just print out a fake report? ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/5 "2011-11-02T20:50:00Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > I think it’s a waste of your money. People who don’t know what it is won’t care, and people who do know what it is will just get it themselves. > > I wouldn’t trust a carfax printout provided by a car owner anyway. If I trusted him not to lie, I wouldn’t need the report. If I don’t trust him not to lie, why do I trust that he didn’t just print out a fake report? Seriously? Since it is so easy to find out the truth, who would go to the trouble of faking? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/6 "2011-11-02T23:42:18Z")
Someone who thought they might get away with it? Used car sales are notoriously (if maybe not fairly) considered to be rife with dishonesty. My point is that the car buyer already has to trust that you’re honest in order to accept the report. If they already trust you, then you don’t need a report. If they don’t trust you, then they won’t trust the report. Or at least they shouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/7 "2011-11-02T23:46:57Z")
I found Carfax to be garbage and always recommend Autocheck which gave me much better results. But Carfax has the marketing so I’m sure someone will expect that, shitty service or not. ---
**Author:** ![jaym-jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@jaym-jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaym-jr)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/8 "2012-01-19T22:59:09Z")
I have used instaVIN reports for cars I was buying and it is a great alternative to Carfax and Autocheck. Gives title & odometer info, junk/salvage info, all the ‘major’ things you need to know. For the price, you can’t beat it. $6.99 vs. $34.99 > [@Stoid](#): > > I am selling my car. I would like to be able to offer some kind of independently-verified information to potential purchasers. > > Carfax is the most famous and does the most advertising and appears to be vastly more expensive than any other vehicle reporting service. > > I don’t want to spend that much. InstaVin is only $6.99. Is there something better, cheaper, free? > > The Dope’s Opinions needed. ---
**Author:** ![aubreytx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@aubreytx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aubreytx)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/9 "2014-06-12T21:03:18Z")
I wouldn’t trust a carfax report. I saw on the news where their reports missed vehicles that have been in a huge flood/major accident. instaVIN is good, I trust their info because it comes from NMVTIS. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/10 "2014-06-13T00:05:59Z")
Do not trust Car Fax. I’ve heard tons of stories how it’s full of shit, plus there is my own [odd](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=530134) experience with it. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2014, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carfax-35-v-instavin-7-v/601557/11 "2014-06-13T03:58:35Z")
> [@aubreytx](#): > > I wouldn’t trust a carfax report. I saw on the news where their reports missed vehicles that have been in a huge flood/major accident. I came across that once. Used Lexus, suspiciously cheap, dealer’s site linked to the Carfax report which was relatively clean. I was interested but first used Autocheck and it reported a major accident and frame damage to the car.