Originally Posted By: KB2008X
Originally Posted By: FL-400S
Anyone else feel apprehensive about giving out the VIN through email when selling a car? Like someone emails, wants to see your car, and ask for the VIN to run carfax first? Is it like a SSN for a car? Can someone use the VIN to file a fake insurance claim or get a replacement title to claim the car is theirs? It's not like you cant just walk up to a car and read the VIN anyway. Am I being overcautious?
I've sold plenty of cars privately and have been asked to send the VIN through an e-mail before and refused to. Most arranged a meeting to look at the vehicle without any squawking, as for the others it was their loss. Folks who use CarFax and similar services are fools and you're better off without them.
You need to trust your instincts, failing to do that is a self-betrayal. If you feel uncomfortable revealing the VIN in that way then don't do it. If someone is a serious buyer, and not just a looky-loo, they'll come out and take a look at it.
I think it's the other way around, people who use Carfax are doing their research, remember it's buyer beware. Auto dealers don't seem to have a problem disclosing it, pretty much every car on Autotrader has a VIN on it. The reason it comes in handy is if you can find a vin decoder for a particular car. For some reason, most listings like to say that it has ac, power locks, etc, but pretty much every single model of that particular model has that, they don't list if it has naviation, ABS, traction control or some other model specific item. If there's a vin decoder, you can figure all that out before you even bother wasting your time contacting the seller.