Re: Carfax?
When used for what it is, it can be a useful tool. If you read the fineprint, Carfax gleans their information electronically from all sorts of digital sources. They do not verify or make any claim as to the validity of the information, they pass that on to whichever entity provides the digital data, whether it be govt., insurance companies, etc.
I only use it as one tool in my decision-making toolbox. It can be useful to corroborate your own observations or third party info. I view the information in a carfax report through a filter, always remembering that absence of information doesn not prove the negative, e.g. just because no accident is reported, does not mean one didn't happen. If one shows up on the report, then it can be used as a negotiating point or used to help assess credibility of salesperson, e.g. salesperson: "it was only a minor fender-bender", carfax: "Billy Ray's Body Shop from 1/25/2009 to 2/25/2009, new front clip installed."
I found it most useful to determine where my last used car purchase was registered since new...helps to know whether it came from NY or FL, especially for cars only a few years old and the obvious tell tale signs of salt and whatnot are not evident yet.
