Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Car Inspection Pro provides a vehicle history information service. Users can enter a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to obtain vehicle information and vehicle history reports compiled from publicly available U.S. government and authorized third-party data sources.

This Privacy Policy applies to visitors, users, and customers of the Car Inspection Pro website. It describes the types of information we may collect, how we use that information, the circumstances under which it may be shared, and the choices available to you.

By accessing or using the Car Inspection Pro website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use the website or the services we provide.

2. Information We Collect

A. Information You Provide

The primary information you provide when using Car Inspection Pro is a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) entered into the website to perform a lookup or request a report.

We do not require you to create an account or provide your name, email address, or contact information to use the free VIN lookup feature. We do not currently collect email addresses or contact information through the website.

If you purchase a vehicle history report, payment-related information is collected and processed by QuickBooks Payments, our payment processor. We do not collect or store your payment card number or other sensitive payment credentials on our servers.

B. Automatically Collected Information

When you visit the Car Inspection Pro website, certain technical information may be collected automatically to operate the service securely and reliably. This may include:

• Your IP address, used to enforce rate limits and prevent abuse.
• Browser type and version.
• Device type and operating system.
• Pages visited and the date and time of access.
• Referring URLs that led you to the website.
• Basic diagnostic and error information.

We do not use cookies or similar tracking technologies. See Section 6.

This technical information is used for security, abuse prevention, troubleshooting, and improving the website. It is not used to build advertising profiles.

C. Vehicle Information

The VIN you enter is used to generate vehicle information and reports. VIN-related information may be processed by our backend systems and transmitted to third-party data and API providers where necessary to retrieve the vehicle data that makes up your report. See Section 4 for more information about VIN and vehicle data handling.

3. How We Use Information

We use the information described above for the following purposes:

• Processing VIN search requests.
• Generating and delivering vehicle history reports.
• Providing you with reports you have purchased.
• Processing payments through our payment provider.
• Preventing fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access.
• Maintaining the security and integrity of the website.
• Improving website functionality and user experience.
• Troubleshooting technical problems.
• Meeting legal and regulatory obligations where applicable.
• Communicating service-related information when necessary.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

4. VIN and Vehicle Data

A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is required to use our service because it is the standard identifier used to retrieve vehicle information. Entering a VIN allows our systems to decode the VIN and compile information about the vehicle from available data sources.

To generate a report, the VIN and resulting vehicle information may be transmitted to third-party data and API providers. This transmission is necessary to retrieve the underlying data and is performed automatically by our backend systems.

Vehicle data displayed in reports may come from government, public, commercial, or other third-party data sources, depending on the type of report requested. This includes data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the U.S. Department of Energy, and authorized NMVTIS data providers.

We do not claim ownership of third-party vehicle data. All vehicle data remains subject to the rights of its respective sources and providers.

5. Payment Information

When you purchase a vehicle history report, payment processing is handled by QuickBooks Payments, our third-party payment provider.

Depending on where you buy, payment information is collected either directly by QuickBooks on a secure hosted checkout page or in your browser by the Intuit Payments JavaScript SDK (which sends a secure, one-time token to QuickBooks). In either case, we do not collect, store, or transmit your complete payment card number, expiration date, or CVV on our servers.

After a completed purchase, we may retain a minimal record of the transaction (such as an order identifier, plan type, amount, and date) for accounting, reporting, and customer-support purposes. This record does not include your payment card details.

6. No Cookies or Tracking Technologies

Car Inspection Pro does not use cookies, browser storage, or similar tracking technologies on our website.

No Cookies

We do not place or read cookies on your device, and we do not use advertising trackers, analytics cookies, or cross-site tracking of any kind. Our website functions without requiring cookies or local storage.

Server Logs Are Not Tracking

When you visit the website, our web server may automatically record standard technical information about requests, as described in Section 2B, such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited. This is server-side logging, not a cookie. It is used for security, abuse prevention, and troubleshooting, and is not used to build advertising profiles.

Changes

If we ever introduce cookies or other tracking technologies in the future, we will update this policy to describe them.

7. Third-Party Services

Car Inspection Pro relies on a number of third-party services to operate. These services have their own privacy policies and terms, which govern how they handle information they receive from us or directly from you:

• QuickBooks Payments: Processes payments for purchased reports. It collects payment information directly from you on its secure checkout page.
• NHTSA vPIC and related APIs: Provide VIN decoding and vehicle specification data. These are public U.S. government services.
• NHTSA data services: Provide recall, complaint, safety rating, technical service bulletin, and investigation data.
• U.S. Department of Energy: Provides fuel economy data.
• NMVTIS data providers: May provide additional vehicle history data for certain types of reports.
• Hosting and infrastructure providers: Host the website and backend services.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these third parties, as their practices are outside of our control.

8. Data Sharing and Disclosure

Information may be shared with the following categories of recipients in the circumstances described below:

• Service and infrastructure providers: Providers that host the website, operate the backend, and help deliver the service.
• Vehicle data providers: Government and third-party APIs that supply vehicle data used to generate reports.
• Payment processors: QuickBooks Payments, which processes payment transactions.
• Security and fraud prevention: Where necessary to protect the security of the service and its users.
• Legal authorities: Where disclosure is required by law or in response to a valid legal request.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of the transaction.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Any sharing is limited to the purposes described in this policy.

9. Data Retention

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, maintain security, and pursue legitimate business purposes.

The specific retention period for any information depends on the nature of the information and the purpose for which it was collected. For example, transaction records may be retained for accounting and support purposes, while temporary technical logs may be retained for a shorter period and then deleted.

When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to delete it or to de-identify it.

10. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to help protect information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. These measures include:

• Transport Layer Security (HTTPS/TLS) encryption for data in transit.
• Access controls on backend systems and data sources.
• Server security controls, including firewalls and monitoring.
• Regular maintenance and security updates.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. The transmission of information to and from the website is at your own risk.

11. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding the information we hold about you. These may include the right to:

• Access information we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate information.
• Delete information we no longer need.
• Port information in a structured, machine-readable format where applicable.
• Restrict or object to certain processing.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

Because Car Inspection Pro does not maintain user accounts and collects only a limited amount of information, most of these rights will have limited practical application. If you wish to exercise any rights you may have, please contact us using the details in Section 15.

12. Children's Privacy

Car Inspection Pro is not directed toward children, and our services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

If you believe a child has provided information through our website, please contact us so that any such information can be deleted.

13. International Users

Car Inspection Pro operates from within the United States. Depending on our hosting and service providers, information may be processed in the United States or in other countries in which our providers operate.

By using the website, users located outside these countries acknowledge that their information may be processed in locations other than their country of residence, where data protection laws may differ.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the services we offer, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the website after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, you may reach us through the contact channel available on the Car Inspection Pro website.