Carfax Privacy??

[Instrument 41]

Found a X5 today that I really was smitten by (not good when dealing on a car). Anyway had the dealer pull the carfax for me. Car had been serviced numerous times at the Mobil Ala BMW joint and then twice at the BMW joint in Baton rouge. Now on the car fax all it said was "serviced" and one said "electrical system checked and oil change". I called the Mobil dealer to inquire with the service dept about this vehicle as to specifically what had been done. I was told that they couldn't tell me what was done due to privacy issues and the only way they could tell me is in person. So I went over to the Baton Rouge dealer, same story and said the only way they could give me info on the car was to get permission from the past owner???? Anyone ever come across this crap??

[GWN7]

Yep, GM dealer wouldn't let me look at my trucks history when I took it in for electrical problem.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by Instrument 41

I was told that they couldn't tell me what was done due to privacy issues and the only way they could tell me is in person. So I went over to the Baton Rouge dealer, same story and said the only way they could give me info on the car was to get permission from the past owner???? Anyone ever come across this crap??

I've come across it and I've also heard of others who have come across it. Even after the vehicle has been purchased.

Tell those goobers that your checkbook is private, too... and they'll never see anything from inside it unless they get permission from the previous owner and give you a service history in minute detail.

[john70t]

So any person who seeks to purchase a used car has to first become a private investigator and explore a real-life detective novel?

Don't play so coy, Ms. Dealership. You sell used cars, that's it.
We are meeting for coffee. Not marriage.
Just the facts madam.

Isn't life complicated enough?

[widgeon13]

HIPPA for cars! What BS.

[recycled sixtie]

When I went to the Mazda dealer several years ago to look at a 99 Miata I asked to see the receipts for work done. The salesman brought out a wad of receipts, I looked over them and had a PPI done. Sale complete. That kind of openness helps clinch the deal.

[Instrument 41]

With this being and X5, without records I'm not buying it.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by Instrument 41

With this being and X5, without records I'm not buying it.

You are being entirely sensible. That is why dealers can really suck because of this privacy thing. A private deal would likely be better with seller being able to supply receipts. However some dealers will bend over backwards for you.

[Dantilla]

Carfax reports are notoriously inaccurate.

I'd toss the report in the round file and get a good PPI.

[bell]

Carfax = digital snake oil.......

[89911]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

Carfax reports are notoriously inaccurate.

I'd toss the report in the round file and get a good PPI.

The only way I would use a Carfax is if a previous accident showed up on it. Then run away. There is no such thing as a "good" Carfax, just one that is inaccurate. There has been numerous reports on news shows how useless they are:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/trust-car-fox-hidden-camera-shows-clean-carfax/story?id=18731208

[Instrument 41]

Well I went to the Lexus dealer today looking at a RX. Asked the salesman about the carfax "issue". His response, "Well if you buy anything from us we'll show you everything we have on the car if its on the carfax". Confirmed-sales tool.

[DonDavis]

Way back in 2003, I bought a used Volvo. Found some service records in the glove box from a local dealer with the previous owner contact info. That's nothing unusual but then I called the dealer and asked for a copy of all records they had for this car. It had been serviced at the same dealer since new for any/everything. Service guy said "No problem, come on in." I did and he gave me a stack of papers.

Here's where I bet the privacy bit got it's start. The previous owner's full name, address a phone number was on just about every service report!

If the previous owner leaves stuff in the glove box, all bets are off. But I would expect the dealer to keep my personal info private.

[Stutzdriver]

Just an FYI the legal guys have all of us at my dealer group SCARED TO DEATH about privacy issues. The Feds have invoked the HIPPA crap (yes we had 4 hours of training on HIPPA). We have been told to err on the side of caution. We have to copy driver's license for the insurance on test drives and they all have to go in the shredder when we are done, if not there is the threat of a $10,000 fine PER OCCURRENCE.

CarFAX is generally incomplete and incorrect. Great to use if there has been a wreck but not too reliable otherwise. Has a great deal to do with the information being reported. I worked in a PENSKE Store the relied heavily on the CarFax but we were prohibited form reporting ANYTHING to CarFax,,,can you say double standard?

Instrument41 I work in a BMW store, If you PM the VIN I'll run the service report and email it to you.

[jwgn777]

Car Fax is riddled with inconsistencies and third party errors on mileage listings.. As you found out, all those service records are useless.Many times some service personnel won't check the odometer to see if it's in miles or kilometers mode and will right down the reading in kilometers thinking it's miles. That end up in the car fax as miles and will end up like this 129000= when it is really 80,156mi Had this happen to me

[Spud]

I agree with jwgn777... Imagine how fun it is when trading in a car you've owned from new, and the dealer runs a carfax and tells you that the odometer has been rolled back?

This can happen simply because some chowder-head at the oil change place writes down/inputs the wrong milage on your car. You may not know this happened until you try and sell said car and someone pulls a carfax, and viola, a milage "inconsistency" appears and red flags go up and sirens blare, and the potential buyer offers you 1/3 of low blue book.

Now, imagine how fun it is to prove their records are wrong? How many of us have oil change receipts from 3 years ago that we can use to prove the screw up? Next imagine getting carfax to make the correction? Pain in the butt all the way around.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by Instrument 41

So I went over to the Baton Rouge dealer, same story and said the only way they could give me info on the car was to get permission from the past owner???? Anyone ever come across this crap??

It's very common, and it's the right thing to do.

Those records are between a business and its customer. You are a third party. The dealer has no right to release a customer's records to a third party, without permission from the customer.

I can't see why anyone would think otherwise.

[jwgn777]

Originally Posted by McLovin

It's very common, and it's the right thing to do.

Those records are between a business and its customer. You are a third party. The dealer has no right to release a customer's records to a third party, without permission from the customer.

I can't see why anyone would think otherwise.

You correct and i shows that the info on a Car Fax is useless.

[UconnTim97]

I usually am very skeptical of carfax reports. The pre owned Buick I bought last year had an insane amount of records all from the dealer where the PO bought the car and had the car serviced. In this case the records were very detailed even to mention the time he brought the car in to have a tail light replaced. This was not a DIY guy and he had every recommended GM service done without fail. That was a selling feature for me. I imagine this is the carfax rarity.
For what it's worth, the PO's name, address, and phone number were listed in the owner's manual that was in the glove box.

[jwgn777]

From my experience I believe some of this is true.(Quote)I was subscribing to Carfax only to find out that they offer dealers like myself an opportunity to print up a Carfax report for a customer and omit information that is negative toward the vehicle I was selling. I find this very deceitful and I feel very sorry for the unsuspecting car buyers or dealers who use this option offered to them by Carfax.

The company has displayed a complete disregard for the integrity of the service that they provide in an effort to increase usage/revenue amongst car dealers. I feel a disclosure should be provided to car buyers that the Carfax being provided to them by a dealer may not be complete or even better, Carfax should be penalized/fined for encouraging dealers to utilize such a underhanded practice!58 Complaints and Reviews about Carfax Has anybody heard of this?