Originally posted by Randy712
What don't you understand? You don't want to know that the car you're considering was sold at auction 12 times? Or that three accidents are listed? Or that the odometer reading may be fraudulent? Nobody ever said that if something ISN'T listed, that it didn't happen, but let's not pretend that we all do lots of research into the vehicle we're purchasing. If we don't get a CarFax report, how would you know about the above? I've had vehicles checked out and they were specifically looking for signs of repaired body damage, they told me it was clean and I ran a CarFax and an accident was listed. I later found out that it was $6,000 in body repair (the idiot left the receipt in the glove box paperwork and I saw it during a test drive). So, you consider it a waste of money, but for $15 on a $15,000 purchase, I will pay it every single time. It's not all-inclusive but it's a terrific tool that I'm glad I have at my disposal.
Yes, I do want to know if the car has been in an accident. A $15 piece of paper with incomplete or inaccurate information will not do it. There are ways to examine the car to determine if a car has been through the body shop.

1) check the bulkhead, firewall, and base of the A pillar and look for signs of wrinkling in the sheet metal.
2) check the hood hinges and seams where fender and frame meets. If there is new sealant material, yes... it's been through a body shop!

The list goes on and on. You can do some legwork of your own to learn more. If you feel CarFax is bulletproof because you've spent money on it, hey... that's fine. But, let's not forget the obvious. That $15 piece of paper is only as good as the data available to CarFax. If the seller's DMV and insurance provider does not report what they know, then that $15 piece of paper is worthless. $15 down the drain later, you're just as ignorant about the vehicle has you did before. And I say "ignorant" because that $15 bought nothing more than a false sense of security... a superficial "everything checks out" when in fact the truth is as good as anyone's guess. You can't rely on it 100%. It's hit and miss. With that kind of accuracy in the reports they provide, the money is better spent towards a full vehicle inspection by a competant auto assessor.

The horse is definitely dead.