VINCheckPro VS Carfax
Have you finally decided to go down the used vehicle route? Why invest thousands of dollars into a brand new car when there are great vehicles out there that will save you lots of money? I can assure you that opting for a used car is a financially sound decision. There are plenty of VIN decoder services out there that will help you avoid any unwanted surprises during and after your purchase.
Some of the most popular services in the automotive industry include VIN Audit, VIN DNA, VINCheckPro, and Carfax, among many others. I compared the last two to help you get some insight into the best car history reports available at different costs. Here’s a brief VINCheckPro VS Carfax history report comparison.
Brief Introduction to Carfax
Carfax is by far the most popular vehicle history report provider in the automotive industry. This service provides the most detailed reports structured in a very user-friendly manner. All information about the vehicle in question is organized and marked appropriately so you won’t have to worry about missing out on any important details. Carfax also has access to one of the largest car history databases in North America. The service provides history reports for all used cars manufactured after 1981. This includes all US and Canada-based vehicles, as well as cars in Europe that were imported from the US.
Carfax relies on over 20 000 data sources, which is why it is one of the primary options for trusted vehicle retailers. However, such high-level of report accuracy comes at a cost. After all, Carfax is by far one of the priciest report services in the industry. A single history report for one vehicle will cost you $39.99. You can also get three vehicle reports for $79.99 or five reports for $99.99. Despite the high costs, Carfax does provide lots of value for your money, including detailed and comprehensive reports with maximum data accuracy.
Brief Introduction to VINCheckPro
In comparison to Carfax, VINCheckPro is all the way on the other end of the spectrum. This is a much more affordable option, especially for those who want to compare multiple used vehicles. It is important to address that VINCheckPro relies on the same database as Carfax, which means it has access to all the relevant data about vehicle details and accidents from numerous sources. VINCheckPro also offers one free report to each user. Their website claims that your first vehicle history report will be completely free, even though their payment details are not very transparent.
In order to claim your free report, your information will be shared with trusted partners, as it is stated in the privacy policy. That means you can expect sales calls and spam emails from other third parties which may or may not be related to the car industry. After all, even a free service always comes at a cost. In regards to VINCheckPro pricing, one report (after the free one) will cost you $6.95, whereas five reports will cost you $12.95. Their FAQ section also states that there is a subscription model available at a recurring cost, even though this option is not presented at checkout. Besides this evident lack of pricing transparency, VINCheckPro provides detailed reports for 90% of US vehicles manufactured after 1980.
VINCheckPro VS Carfax: Head to Head Comparison
Now that you’re familiar with both services, let’s take a look at a direct comparison between the two:
- Report features:Since both VINCheckPro and Carfax have access to the same database, their report data is quite similar. Both services provide information about vehicle titles, odometer readings, lemons and buybacks, previous car ownership, inspections and repairs, as well as accidents on the road. VINCheckPro does go a step further, as they provide the option to run a background report on the car owner and their personal details. Both services have checked millions of vehicles with high accuracy thus far. Therefore, when it comes to report detailing, they seem to be playing at the same field.
- Pricing:The major difference between VINCheckPro and Carfax lies in the pricing. Carfax is a far more pricier option. Their five reports will cost you $99.99, whereas you can get five reports from VINCheckPro for only $12.95. Naturally, if you need to compare multiple vehicles and you don’t have a large budget, you will opt for VINCheckPro. However, there is a reason why Carfax is so much more expensive and that’s because of the ease of use.
- Ease of Use:Carfax definitely takes the win on this field because their reports feature a much better structure. All crucial data is laid out and marked perfectly so you don’t miss out on any important information. Their reports are easier to read and overall look much more professional compared to VINCheckPro. Another reason why Carfax is more user-friendly is because of pricing transparency and overall better reputation. VINCheckPro has a few loopholes on their website that might make you question their reliability.
The Verdict
It all comes down to the final question: VINCheckPro VS Carfax – which one is better? The answer, of course, depends. If you’re tight on budget and you don’t want to spend a hundred dollars on five vehicle reports, VINCheckPro is the more logical solution. However, if a proper report structure and higher reliability are important to you, then you should go with Carfax.
There is no doubt that Carfax is the more professional and far more reliable option out of these two services.
You will come across many free VIN decoder services online. As tempting as free reports might sound, they are not your best option. Free services often leave out important vehicle information that could be crucial to your decision of whether or not to make a purchase. Therefore, make sure to use a VIN decoder to get a history report before making any deals and stick to paid services if you’re expecting good quality.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any experience with VINCheckPro or Carfax, which one do you think is the best choice?