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Michael of Knoxville TN (3/23/04):
Your home web page shows an advertisment for a "FREE RECORD CHECK FROM CARFAX" This is definately not free, so isn't this "FALSE ADVERTISING"?
We forwarded Michael's comment to CARFAX and got this response:
CARFAX’s Free Record Check examines all the vehicle history information that is available for a specific VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and reports the total number of vehicle history records that exist for that vehicle. The "deliverable" for this check is the number of history records available.
One would need to purchase a CARFAX Vehicle History Report to determine the details of the Free Record Check.
Please let me know if you have any other questions about CARFAX.
Alethea P. Christon
Consumer Affairs Manager
David of Foxborough MA (11/5/01):
You have a link on your website for a free "Lemon Check" which isn't free. This is blatant FALSE ADVERTISING. It costs $19.99. This needlessly wastes my time and makes me very angry. I didn't expect to be LIED TO on a consumer affairs website! It calls into question your integrity!
Dave of Worcester MA (4/26/01):
I saw an advertisement for "free" report on car history and wanted to get my "free" report. I went to the website carfax.com where there was a box for your VIN of your car, again this box advertised "free" report. After I typed in my VIN (which I was hesitant to do because of security reasons) there I got the following message: Carfax identified 4 vehicle history records in its database files on this 1997 Isuzu Rodeo. Under this was a link to order your carfax report at a cost of 14.99.
I would like to know what their idea of a "free report" is.
Rick of Trabuco Canyon, CA, writes:
This was remarkable! There was a little "Check your car's title for FREE!" button on the Carpoint web page. I pressed that button. I got CarFax. The front page said "Enter your vehicle's VIN and year". I did that. Instantly, I got a page which said, in BOLD RED PRINT: CARFAX FOUND SIX ITEMS IN YOUR CAR'S HISTORY
It then said, "Your car may have a clean history, but it could mean SPEEDOMETER ROLLBACK, FIRE, FLOOD DAMAGE, ACCIDENTS..." I have been slugging it out with Irvine BMW in Irvine, CA for months, and thought I'd get my "free" check.
Of course, the bold red print got me going. I entered my credit card number, and VOILA! These are the results:
- Salvage/Junk Title Checked. No Problem Title Found.
- Rebuilt/Reconstructed Title Checked. No Problem Title Found.
- Flood Damage Title Checked. No Problem Title Found.
- Damage Disclosure Title Checked. No Problem Title Found.
- Manufacturer Buyback (LEMON) Title Checked. No Problem Title Found.
- Exceeds Mechanical Limits Title Checked. No Problem Title Found.
- Not Actual Mileage Title Checked. No Problem Title Found.
These are the six items I was notified in RED BOLD PRINT that Carfax had found? "No problem found"? Should I have believed the line which stated that the six items "...may have a clean history..."? Not likely. Nicely crafted. Free isn't free, with Carfax.
Carlton of Athens GA (10/16/00):
I have to agree with Rick from California that Carfax is sneaky in how it reports its free check. I purchased a Toyota truck and ran a check on it before purchase. I was concerned as well when the red flags came up so I too provided the information to pay by credit card to see what was the matter. However, it was all no problem found.
I felt cheated because the red flags had led me to believe that I had a serious problem. But, I did send Carfax an email expressing my dissatisfaction only for them to refund my money. I felt as though they had listened to my compaint and agreed with enough it to refund my money. For that, I was impressed.
Mike of Las Vegas (8/22/03):
Listening to their TV commercial and trying the link on YOUR website I was trying to get information on my 2 vehicles, a 1966 GTO and a 1966 Thunderbird. Their TV commercial states I can get information on ANY used vehicle and these were purchased at a used car dealer. But after I receive my errors for my VIN's I see that they can only get me information for vehicles from 1981. This to me is FALSE advertising, they are deciving the public, this car year information need to be displayed as soon as you get to their web site and in their TV commercial.
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