Shopping a used car is one of the most sensitive things to consider when buying one because its history has to be clean. The necessary information to be provided in a Carfax report is whether the car had been involved in a car accident, whether the car has got a salvage title or not and whether the car had suffered any major damage. Carfax is one such reliable website regarding vehicle history reports, but it may be very expensive. Luckily, access to inexpensive carfax reports is possible or one can get the same information at a lower cost. In this post, we will discuss various methods of getting cheap Carfax reports by way of discounts, package deals and alternative methods.
The Cost of a Carfax Report
It is necessary to know the average pricing before immersing into how to save on Carfax reports. Cafix usually sells one vehicle report at an approximate price of 39.99. But at times when you have several cars to check out or when you are intending to do some serious shopping you may realize that the price is quickly piling up. Discounts, bundles and alternative services are brought into the picture here.
How to Get a $5 Carfax Report
A $5 carfax report is almost too good to be true but there are options of acquiring a much discounted carfax report. Even though not as low as the price of $5 when purchasing individual reports, Carfax does offer discounted reports. Carfax does promote sometimes by lowering the cost of one report. On some occasions these discounts can be extended to around $10 or even $15 but one would hardly get a complete Carfax report at a single cost of $5. Discounts or coupons are available at a number of third party sites including RetailMeNot or coupons.com where Carfax sometimes provides promotional rates. The prices of a single report can be reduced to approximately 20 or less through these discounts because it is a cheaper alternative. In addition to the above, there are car dealerships that offer a free Carfax report when you request to purchase a used car. Although it is usually included in the dealership marketing strategy, it may be an excellent method of accessing a report without any extra cost.
The Cheap Carfax Alternatives
Willing to spend less or even no money on Carfax, there are a set of services that provide a similar car history report at cheaper price or even free of charge. AutoCheck is among the most famous substitutes of Carfax. It also offers a comprehensive report on the history of a vehicle such as accident history, title checks, and odometer records. AutoCheck has a relatively lower price than Carfax, and they have packages whereby you can check several cars at a discounted rate. AutoCheck would also be a great option to many buyers since it has most of the same features, but at a cheaper cost.
VinCheck, which is provided by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), is a good option in case you are in need of a fully free alternative. It is a simple service that gives information on a stolen vehicle or a vehicle, which has been reported to have been involved in any damage, including flood or fire. It does not provide the entire history that is provided by carfax, but it can be a good point at which buyers who have a limited amount of money can start. VehicleHistory.com is another alternative to Carfax that is free. The site offers a free report on the history of vehicles owned by individuals, as well as information about accident history, ownership history, and service history of the vehicle. The information may not be as comprehensive as it would be in a Carfax report, but it nonetheless offers some valuable information and is absolutely free of charge.
Another cheap version is InstantVINReports, with which you obtain comprehensive history reports by vehicles. InstantVINReports is not as popular as Carfax or AutoCheck, but it does offer a detailed record of the history of a car such as the location of accidents, odometer numbers, among others. Pricing is usually cheaper than Carfax, and it is a better alternative to the report when a person wants a more affordable one.
Carfax Report Programs and Discounts
Carfax has a great sweeter package that you can use to save some money in case you are intending to check numerous cars or want to purchase numerous reports. Rather than buying an individual report at 39.99, you can have a bundle, three reports at 59.99 or five reports at 99.99. These possibilities reduce the cost per report, and it is a cheaper means of acquiring a number of reports. Watch the sites of Carfax or third party coupon sites to see when there is a promotion or a discount, and these bundles get even lower.
Complementary Carfax Report offered by Dealerships
A dealership is one of the places to obtain a Carfax report without necessarily paying the amount of money. A large number of dealerships offer a free Carfax report on any used car they are offering. Although you have to request it, this is an easy method of receiving a report without incurring any additional expense. Nevertheless, it is worth remembering that the dealership is attempting to sell the car to you, and it might not provide you with an impartial view on the history of the car. However, it is excellent when one is interested in particular cars in the dealerships around the area.
Conclusion:
In case you are searching for a low cost of a Carfax report or a low cost alternative of it, there are various alternatives. It is not that you are likely to come across a Carfax report as cheap as the 5-dollar one, but there are many methods to save money. You can get a discount, a package, or other services such as AutoCheck, VehicleHistory.com, or VinCheck, but one of them is available to meet all budgets. You can acquire the information you need without straining your budget by following your promotions, using free substitutes or taking up a bundle offer. It will, therefore, be a good idea, regardless of whether you buy a used car in a dealership or a private seller, to have a vehicle history report in order to make a smart informed purchase.
