THE SECRET HISTORY OF CARS | Originally broadcast January 16, 2009 on CBC-TV
How vehicle history information is collected
When you search a vehicle history report database, it's combing through potentially billions of records, collected from tens of thousands of sources. These sources include auction houses, motor vehicle departments, and insurance company and police department records.

Not surprisingly, vehicle history companies guard how, and from whom, they collect information like a restaurant protects the recipe to a secret sauce.

Some vehicle history reports are based on live data — records are pulled from electronic sources that claim to provide up-to-the-minute information — while other reports are based on records bought periodically, which could be anywhere from days to years old.

So when you search for the secret history of a used car, it's probably wise not to put all your trust in one vehicle history report.
Posted on January 16, 2009 CommentBookmark, Email & Share
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