How do I search for background checks for free and get the info?

car info check free image

Helpless E

We found out my cousin is a convicted felon and we need to know why so where can we search for his record and it be free, and show us why?

Answer
Post a question on Yahoo Answers. There are a lot of smart people there--maybe someone can help you. But make sure that your question makes sense.

I, myself, am looking for a new car, and it to be free. Can you help?

Any free means of running a carfax report on a used vehicle?

Yuba City

I know I sound like a tightwad, but is there any free way of checking out a carfax report on a vin of a vehicle I want to purchase from a private party? It seems that the official carfax report is just 35 bucks I don't want to spend, but perhaps it's worth it in the long run... Thanks for any tips!

Answer
Other than the information (vehicle summary), which is free from http://www.autocheck.com/ and/or http://www.carfax.com ....There is no FREE "Full" history reports.

Carfax has changed their pricing and policies due to the fact that so many users were reselling/distributing the information. (<-which is , in fact, THEFT) They are concentrating their sales to; dealers, auctions, and private party buyers_&_sellers.

In some instances, If a VIN is entered into the "Carfax" site, and it is a vehicle that is for sale at a dealer that has signed on to Carfax.. the dealer website/information and the report should pull up, because the dealer has already paid for the report.

Carfax is a registered trademark name for a company that provides "Vehicle History reports"

So while I CANNOT provide you with cheaper "Carfax" reports, I can suggest another company that offers Unlimited Vehicle History Reports for 60 Days ($44.99 ) "Autocheck" is the other company and they collect data much the same as "Carfax". Autocheck is owned by Experian.. another data-collecting-company.
Autocheck prices:
Unlimited Reports $44.99
Single Report + 1 FREE! $29.99
Unlimited Reports + TitleGuard $59.99
Carfax prices:
1 CARFAX Report for $34.99
5 CARFAX Reports for $44.99
(above prices current as of April 25, 2010)

There is a lot "data" that you can collect on your own though... without spending a dime.
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Free data source #1
Check the dealers website
If a reputable dealer is signed on (paid subscriptions) to Carfax or Autocheck, the dealers own website can publish the reports to potential buyers. This info is free to the buyers because the sellers have already paid for it.

NOTE!!!
If you click on a link to "view the report" from a dealer site, and it redirects you to a site that AGAIN asks you to PAY for the report, then that particular dealer is NOT a paid subscriber, BUT that dealer MAY receive a referral fee when YOU pay for the report.
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Free data source #2
Ask the private owner/seller to show you the report
Private sellers often purchase a vehicle history report and can show it to potential buyers too. That should be considered the cost of doing business and the seller can absorb the fee.
(^^BEST PRACTICE for reputable sellers)
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Free data source #3
National Insurance Crime Bureau site offers up to 5 free inquiries (VINs)a day. They collect data about vehicles reported as stolen and about vehicles reported as "total loss" (due to flood, fire, accident/collision )or "salvaged" (rebuilt/reconstructed).
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Free data source #4
Carfax
Yes Carfax! At the bottom of the Carfax home page, there are several FREE SERVICES: Lemon Check® | Record Check⢠| Recall Check⢠| Problem Car Check⢠|
The information that will be provided will be very basic and will STILL encourage you to PURCHASE their services.
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Free data source #5
Manufacturer sites.
The original manufacturer of the vehicles often has an "Owner Resource Center" website that can give you a plethora of information ..such as; owners manuals, maintenance requirements, recall information, etc.

For example, Ford has a section where you can enter any Ford VIN and it will tell you if there are any recalls on that vehicle
( http://www.ford.com/owner-services/customer-support/recall-information )


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Free data source #6
Internet Search Engines
You might be surprised at how much information you will find by "googling" a vehicle identification number (VIN). For instance, if you find the SAME vehicle is listed "for sale" at more that one "dealer".... One of them could be a scam site that has "scraped" the other (legitimate) site and is trying to scam buyers.
(if you have posted a VIN at Y!Answers, you will probably see the question in the google-search results)<--that's one of the ways that Carfax & AutoCheck can see who is violating their terms.
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Free data source #7
NHTSA-odi
(National Highway Transportation Safety Administration-office of defects investigation)
At this website consumers can look up ; recalls, technical service bulletins, consumer complaints, and defect investigations. There could be inherent problems with particular years/makes/models (vehicles).
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***FINALLY
After researching the free data, you should be able to narrow down your choices of vehicles that you are seriously considering for purchase.
That would be the time for you to actually get out the checkbook and spend some of your money on an actual physical inspection of the vehicles that made it to the "short list".
Before you purchase ANY vehicle, it would be very wise to pay a skilled/trained/certified technician/mechanic to inspect the vehicle in person.

I hope this helps.

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