Definitely, Carfax is far from perfect. We regularly find
paint work and body repairs on cars that have "clean" Carfax reports. Carfax
is useful, and we recommend that you get one for the car or truck you are
looking at, but nothing can match a full hands on Pre Purchase Inspection
from the Auto Analyst. Even if an accident is reported on Carfax, only Auto
Analyst can tell you just how bad that accident was. Was there frame damage?
Were the repairs done well. Should the fact that this car has had an
accident be a no buy decision maker? Auto Analyst can answer these
questions, while Carfax cannot. See the
Carfax
Article on our Blog.
The answer here lies in another question. What exactly is a "Certified
Used Car"? There is no standard for what that term means. To some dealer it
might simply mean that he "Certifies" that the car is indeed "Used". Some
dealers think a car is "Certified" if they liked it enough at the auction to
buy it. See our
Blog
Article on the subject for a true example. The short answer, of course,
is that YES, by all means you need to have that "Certified Used Car"
inspected before you buy it.
The Auto Analyst has been performing Pre Purchase Auto Inspections for
almost twenty years. Ron & Jeff have a blend of talents and experience that
make them uniquely qualified . They have both worked as certified mechanics,
but also have spent long years buying and selling used cars. This gives them
the ability to both evaluate the mechanical condition of a vehicle, ferret
out any hidden paint work or body damage, and then to correctly appraise its
value. No mere mechanic can do all those things, no matter how many
certifications he has. Additionally, a mechanic will have an axe to grind.
He makes a living repairing cars and trucks. He doesn't make a living when
he is not repairing cars and trucks, so he has a vested interest in finding
issues that need repair - whether they need it or not. Auto Analyst has no
such interest. Our only interest is to make sure you don't buy a lemon, that
you have a good idea of what to expect from your new car over the near term,
and that you pay the right price for it. No mechanic will be able to give
you that.
Yes we do. Once we have gone over the car or truck completely, we take
our findings back to our office to complete the appraisal portion of the
report. First we give you the NADA retail value. This is what a dealer will
usually start with as an asking price. Then we give you the Wholesale value.
This is what a dealer would most likely offer you for a cash sale. We get
this from researching actual Auction figures where we see what that
particular is actually bringing at the dealer auctions. Then we give you our
Auto Analyst Appraisal, which is what we thin k you ought to actually pay
for the vehicle as a retail purchase. This takes into account whatever
repairs are needed, or will be needed in the near future.
Auto Analyst does not recommend any particular dealerships. The
important thing to remember, when shopping for a used car, is that all
dealerships get their cars from the same place. A large multi-brand new car
dealership is just as likely to get a lemon at the auction as the smallest
mom & pop dealership in town. What really matters is the Vehicle! It does
not really matter who you buy it from. Get an Auto Analyst inspection before
you buy it, and you will be safe regardless of who you buy it from. Having
said that, there is the danger of Curbstoners. You should beware of these
people. Curbstoners are illegal "dealers", rip off artists mostly, who pose
as private sellers and usually are selling junk. See our
blog
article here.
Once your vehicle has been inspected, we take our findings back to the
office to complete the appraisal portion, and then generate the report. We
email the completed report in PDF form (You will need
Adobe Acrobat Reader
to view this) to you. Once you've had a chance to look it over, we encourage
you to give us a call so we can go over the finer points together and answer
any questions you have. You will always get the finished report by close of
business on the day we do the inspection.
That part is easy. I can send you a
PayPal invoice from
which you can pay using whatever form you prefer. They take MC, VS, DS,
AMEX, and electronic checks. Its very easy, just follow the links. If you
prefer, We also take checks and can send you the mailing info with your
report.
NO. Auto Analyst Inspects and Appraises all kinds of cars and trucks
only. We do not sell them, nor do we perform any repairs. This is what
assures you that we are totally unbiased and can be trusted to stay that
way.
We do not recommend any particular repair shops, for the same reason we
don't recommend dealerships. We just wish to remain as unbiased as we can,
so we stay away from that. What we would recommend is finding a shop with a
good reputation among friends. Go look at it. Is it dirty and messy? Or is
it neat and clean. Check with
AAA for their recommendations. Are the Mechanics ASE Certified? Is there
a Master Certified mechanic there? Are they busy. Do customers look happy
when coming out? OK, you're not a gumshoe, but you get the idea, that is how
to pick a good repair shop.
No we do not. We are a mobile service, and those inspections must be
done at a fixed facility. We will be able to give you an idea as to whether
the vehicle you are looking at should pass those inspections, but you will
need to take it to a state authorized facility to get it done.
Diminished Value is what happens when your car or truck is hit and
suffers body and/or frame damage. The insurance company dutifully pays for
the repair of the vehicle, but what do you have when it is all over? You
have a vehicle that is worth substantially less than it was before the
collision. Who takes that financial loss? You do when you eventually sell or
trade in that car, and it can easily get to thousands of dollars on today's
cars and trucks. That loss can be recoverable from the insurance company,
but you may need an attorney to get it, and you will definitely need a
Diminished Value Appraisal to show the loss.
Click here for a
sample report. For more information see our
Blog
Article here.
Many people today are donating their cars to a charity rather than sell
them. Its a great way to help out a charity in need, it solves the problem
of what to do with a car you are replacing, and you can get a nice tax
deduction to boot. Just be aware that there are a number of rules you need
to adhere to in order to do it properly. There is an IRS form you need:
Click here for IRS Form 8283
and the
Instructions . For more information see our
Blog
Article here.
Yes. In fact services like ours are popping up all over. If you go to
our Helpful Automotive Links page,
you will find the companies We've found in other markets who have a good
reputation.
