CARFAX
Certified History Guarantee - Make a Claim
Question
How do I go about making a claim against CARFAX's Certified History
guarantee?
Answer
If you are interested in filing a claim under the Certified History
guarantee, please read the following information about how this
program works and what claimants need to do. At the end of this
text is a link to use to request the claim forms and view the Terms
and Conditions for the program. Claimants must read the claim form
and agree to the Terms and Conditions. This page exists to explain
some of the more common scenarios in plain language.
What needs to be sent:
When submitting a claim,
please follow the directions on the claim form. You’ll need
to send at least the following material:
1. a completed, signed and
notarized claim form;
2. proof of the pre-existing problem title for U.S. claims or proof
of a branded registration for Canadian claims. This document should
be the title or registration (Canada) that you feel CARFAX should
have reported on. This title or registration should have been issued
before the date that you ran the CARFAX report;
3. proof of current ownership of the vehicle (your vehicle’s
purchase receipt and a copy of the current title in your name).
4. a copy of the CARFAX report run on the vehicle in question. Report
should be dated prior to the vehicle purchase date
What happens next:
- If all supporting documentation
is complete, then we begin processing the claim. A letter indicating
receipt of the claim is sent to you, and processing typically takes
six to eight weeks. The result of the claim is covered in a subsequent
letter.
- If supporting documentation
is missing or inadequate, we’ll send you a letter detailing
what needs extra attention. When you send in the supplementary information,
we’ll start processing the claim. The result of the claim
is covered in a subsequent letter.
Common stumbling blocks (reasons
claims are denied):
- The issue date of the problem
title is within 60 days of the date that the CARFAX report was run.
This window of exclusion is detailed in the Terms and Conditions.
- The “problem”
identified by the claimant is not title related. For instance, odometer
issues are not covered by the Certified History guarantee unless
an actual title brand related to an odometer issue exists and is
documented accordingly.
So now what?
CARFAX is confident about
the quality of our data, and we encourage properly documented claims.
If you have further questions about the program, please send us
an email message detailing your concerns.
- To view or print the claim
forms, click
here.
- To view or print the Terms
and Conditions of the Certified History Guarantee program, please
click here.
If you would prefer to have
the forms mailed to you via the USPS, please send us a message using
the Ask a Question function and include your name and full mailing
address.
Thanks for inquiring about
CARFAX's Certified History Guarantee!
To order a
full CARFAX report please visit:
CARFAX Certified History
Terms and Definitions
CARFAX offers its customers the $5,000 CARFAX Certified History
guarantee ("Certified History guarantee") to maximize
protection against title brands. Claims may be submitted per the
following Terms and Conditions:
CARFAX agrees to pay to the holder of a CARFAX Vehicle History
Report (the "Report") making a claim (the "Claimant")
ten percent (10%) of the Wholesale Value of the vehicle to which
the Report relates - up to a maximum of US$5,000 (or US$1,000 if
the Report was run on or before January 18, 2001) - if:
The vehicle to which the Report relates has a clean title history,
qualifying it as a CARFAX Certified History, but a Branded Title
actually exists. A "Branded Title" is a passenger motor
vehicle ownership document issued by any of the 50 states of the
U.S. (or the District of Columbia) or a passenger motor vehicle
registration document issued by any province of Canada (which may
also be referred to herein as a "Branded Registration")
which was issued with words or symbols signifying that the vehicle
was: junked or salvaged; dismantled, rebuilt or reconstructed; flood
damaged; fire damaged; hail damaged; bought back by its manufacturer;
odometer exceeds mechanical limits; odometer was not actual mileage;
declared a total loss (Canada only); or which was issued with any
other symbol or word signifying a similar Brand.
Specifically excluded from the definition of "Branded Title"
are: titles originally issued without a Brand but later stamped
with a Brand; salvage titles issued due to theft; damage disclosure
documents; and Branded Titles issued in error and later corrected.
The following additional terms and conditions apply to the Certified
History guarantee:
1. The Claimant must provide a complete copy of the Report with
the Affidavit Claim Form. The Report must have been run prior to
the date the vehicle was purchased by the Claimant.
2. For claims relating to Branded Titles issued in the U.S., the
Claimant must provide proof of ownership of the vehicle in the form
of a bill of sale and a title issued by the motor vehicle agency
of one of the 50 states of the U. S. (or the District of Columbia).
For claims relating to Branded Registrations issued in Canada, the
Claimant must provide proof of ownership of the vehicle in the form
of a bill of sale and a registration from any of the Canadian provinces.
CARFAX will accept claims relating to Branded Registrations issued
in Canada, only if the Report was run on or after February 13, 2004.
3. The Claimant must provide a copy of the Branded Title or Branded
Registration, or an acceptable alternative, certified by the issuing
state/province authority. This document must have been issued at
least 60 days prior to the date the Report was run.
4. CARFAX will review Claims if the Branded Title was issued by
a motor vehicle agency from which CARFAX receives and loads data
about Branded Titles in regular monthly transmissions.
5. If, prior to purchasing the vehicle, the Claimant knew, or should
have known, from a source other than CARFAX, of the existence of
a Branded Title for the Claimant's vehicle, CARFAX reserves the
right to reject the Claim.
6. In determining the amount to be paid under the Certified History
guarantee, CARFAX will use the wholesale value of the vehicle reported
by the Kelley Blue Book within 30 days of receipt of the Claim
7. If the Report in question identifies one or more Branded Titles,
the Certified History guarantee will not apply, even if other existing
Branded Titles do not appear in the Report.
8. CARFAX will accept only one Claim per Vehicle Identification
Number under the Certified History guarantee, or any other CARFAX
certification program.
9. Each household or business may submit only one Claim per calendar
year.
10. The Certified History guarantee will apply only if the vehicle
to which the Report relates is an automobile or light truck and
was manufactured in model year 1981 or later.
11. The Certified History guarantee will expire three (3) years
after the date of the first Report run by or for the Claimant relating
to the vehicle.
12. Employees of CARFAX and its affiliated companies, and members
of their families, are not eligible.
13. CARFAX may, at any time and without prior notice, change the
terms of the Certified History guarantee, or discontinue the Certified
History guarantee.
14. The Certified History guarantee will be governed by the laws
of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Any controversy or claim arising
out of or relating to the Certified History guarantee, or the breach
thereof, shall be settled by arbitration proceedings, and judgment
on the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any
court having jurisdiction thereof. The arbitrator(s) shall have
no authority to award punitive or exemplary damages. Each party
shall bear its own costs and expenses associated with the resolution
of any such dispute and shall share equally the costs of the arbitrator(s)
and the administering body. All arbitration proceedings shall be
held in Fairfax County, Virginia.
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