Car Fax - Does it really give you much info about the vehicle ?

JExpedition07 said:

To each their own. I think CarFax is worth it and always purchase it, it told me various things about my vehicles. Verified no accidents and found out my last truck had many electrical gremlins when it was brand new and was constantly in and out of Ford dealership for the first year. It’s pretty cool what it can tell you.

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TobyU said:

Actually two items in my post had to do with the topic at hand. Two out of five isn't bad!

Shouting would have been in CAPS.

Your post was pretty judgmental yourself... That's ironic. You blast the whole concept of window shopping and then you personally criticized me. I don't give a rat's ass what your opinions are but you're certainly entitled to them...
What I don't entitle you to is to be judgmental or critical of me personally. If you have a difference of opinion of my post you're more than welcome to state that but not infer anything else into it and attack me personally.
I said nothing about you personally in my post but apparently it struck a nerve or seems to be with me calling people lazy or sort of, that didn't do things themselves.

This is exactly what's wrong with social media and people's interactions today. They seem unable
To Simply State their opposing view or opinion without attacking or criticizing the person with the different view or trying to convince them to see it their way.
It is quite okay for me to like red cars and you to like blue cars and we can both state that. We don't need to try to convince each other why are car color is better.


No reason to take it personally or get bent out of shape. Just simply state that some people value their time more than a few dollars. Simple as that.

The argument you proposed is one I've heard many times and I don't buy it. I have never suggested any person take off time from their actual work or making money to do a menial car repair or tasks. What I said, and always say.... is that most everyone has the minutes needed to do it that they could take out of their own free or spare time. As I said in the first post, no one that busy. Almost everyone has an extra 30 or 45 minutes to spare some time in their week and we're not even talking week. We're talking an oil change that only has to occur for most people every three to five months.
Or gosh! Even get up an hour early one day or sleep an hour less to do it. I waste tons of time sleeping longer than the average person.

Notice I haven't said anything derogatory towards you but I'll address your rude comments directed toward me.

I didn't actually say I was unable to manage funds done with plastic I just have learned that my tendency is to spend more money that way. So when I deal with cash I don't really have to worry about managing or tracking. It takes care of itself.

I will say, I think most human nature is if you have lots of money or plenty of extra money you will tend to spend a little more or at least spend more freely. Even with cash if you have a nice surplus of it or carry too much of it with you you tend to spend more.
Some people are very good with credit or debit cards know exactly how much they have spent and keeping their numbers accurate and staying on budget. I find that's more complicated even though I'm a numbers cruncher. Cash spending money is just the KISS method for me and simpler.

On that window shopping again... It's been a marketing tool for people. That's why they put display windows up. They want to attract you to come in and look around because they figure a good number of people are going to buy something.
But you have a lot of your own judging going on in that comment.
I thought we were supposed to stop judging people and work on ourselves, or does that only apply to me and not you?

For the official record, I am completely aware of most all of my character flaws... I'm just okay with them. I actually embrace many of them.

Then I almost forgot about the comment you said about liability for any tiny mistake. This is the exact opposite reason that many people do their own oil changes and work on their own cars! I guess you assume that if there's a problem at a garage you're going to be able to get them to make it right or you can sue them or whatever... This is a major aggravation and sometimes at exercise in futility .
There are huge numbers of people that work on their own Vehicles because they don't trust the garages to do things right. So many boogered up threads on oil plugs and loose oil filters, not to mention them using low-quality generic oil filters and bulk oil.
And that's if they're even smart or careful enough to put the right weight in.

So I'll just leave it at that and say that your thoughts in that area are exactly opposite of what many car buffs and aficionados and car guys do.

Were I to respond with the same attitude and cynicism of your post to me I could certainly say a lot more and differently.

SIn life everyone should do what works best for them or at least what they like best.
Some people have no problem paying for convenience. Are there people are total Cheapskates. Other people are control freaks and untrusting.
All these require different approaches.

I overspend greatly on Heinz Ketchup, Paul Mitchell super clean styling gel, and eating New York strip steaks and prime rib at restaurants.
About the only three things I waste money on. Everything else on cheap cheap cheap!

But when I need a car repair or have an alternator quit charging or a engine misfire... I fix it myself for between 30 and $130 where the vast majority of people take it to a garage it's been somewhere in the $300 range for the alternator and if you listen to the garage they'll get you for a complete tune-up with coils and plugs and it will be over $800.

Good thing you don't own a auto repair shop or we would really get into it because you'd love to criticize my opinions about garages and transmission shops.
Lol


Stil long-winded but much more on topic... our new topic that is.

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creef14 said:

Now that you're done shouting get off my lawn, when none of that had nothing to do with the subject..let's add some context

While working I bill my time at over $300/hr, it makes good financial sense for me to pay someone to change my oil. If I do it in 15 minutes, I save $20 on materials and give up $75 of billable time, and take on all the liability for any tiny mistake. It is literally a losing equation to change my own oil. And that's before we factor in that I can have my oil changed while actually working (my dealer picks up and drops off my car at the office) and then still have that time to go spend with my family and friends. That's worth the extra $20 over my own labor and material cost to change my oil. Just because you can't think of a better way to spend your time, that doesn't mean no one else's time has value or that their lazy or spoiled or whatever. Maybe the sad reality is you just don't have s**t better to do with your time.

Your inability to manage plastic does not translate to everyone else. There are a ton of financial incentives to using plastic over cash, as long as you can manage your finances. This isn't an opinion it's a proven fact.

If you want to get back to doing everything the most mechanical old-school way possible, get out of your vehicle and get yourself a horse and buggy. People still do it in 2020, it's not an impossibility, just a little inconvenient. You too have bought into convenience, you're just too busy judging everyone else to realize it.

btw...window-shopping is the most entitled stupid crap ever. you think a retail store owner should keep a shop open so people can walk around and look at things like its a museum, because they literally have no intention of buying anything? How about they move all that stuff online where people can browse it at no expense to the business at anytime the curious little looky-lous want? Oh yeah, they already did because that made way more sense. But no! They should spend hundreds/thousands a month in rent so people can walk around for their own entertainment....that makes sense

stop judging everyone and focus on yourself....your post suggests theres still a lot to work on

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TobyU said:

Actually two items in my post had to do with the topic at hand. Two out of five isn't bad!

Shouting would have been in CAPS.

Your post was pretty judgmental yourself... That's ironic. You blast the whole concept of window shopping and then you personally criticized me. I don't give a rat's ass what your opinions are but you're certainly entitled to them...
What I don't entitle you to is to be judgmental or critical of me personally. If you have a difference of opinion of my post you're more than welcome to state that but not infer anything else into it and attack me personally.
I said nothing about you personally in my post but apparently it struck a nerve or seems to be with me calling people lazy or sort of, that didn't do things themselves.

This is exactly what's wrong with social media and people's interactions today. They seem unable
To Simply State their opposing view or opinion without attacking or criticizing the person with the different view or trying to convince them to see it their way.
It is quite okay for me to like red cars and you to like blue cars and we can both state that. We don't need to try to convince each other why are car color is better.


No reason to take it personally or get bent out of shape. Just simply state that some people value their time more than a few dollars. Simple as that.

The argument you proposed is one I've heard many times and I don't buy it. I have never suggested any person take off time from their actual work or making money to do a menial car repair or tasks. What I said, and always say.... is that most everyone has the minutes needed to do it that they could take out of their own free or spare time. As I said in the first post, no one that busy. Almost everyone has an extra 30 or 45 minutes to spare some time in their week and we're not even talking week. We're talking an oil change that only has to occur for most people every three to five months.
Or gosh! Even get up an hour early one day or sleep an hour less to do it. I waste tons of time sleeping longer than the average person.

Notice I haven't said anything derogatory towards you but I'll address your rude comments directed toward me.

I didn't actually say I was unable to manage funds done with plastic I just have learned that my tendency is to spend more money that way. So when I deal with cash I don't really have to worry about managing or tracking. It takes care of itself.

I will say, I think most human nature is if you have lots of money or plenty of extra money you will tend to spend a little more or at least spend more freely. Even with cash if you have a nice surplus of it or carry too much of it with you you tend to spend more.
Some people are very good with credit or debit cards know exactly how much they have spent and keeping their numbers accurate and staying on budget. I find that's more complicated even though I'm a numbers cruncher. Cash spending money is just the KISS method for me and simpler.

On that window shopping again... It's been a marketing tool for people. That's why they put display windows up. They want to attract you to come in and look around because they figure a good number of people are going to buy something.
But you have a lot of your own judging going on in that comment.
I thought we were supposed to stop judging people and work on ourselves, or does that only apply to me and not you?

For the official record, I am completely aware of most all of my character flaws... I'm just okay with them. I actually embrace many of them.

Then I almost forgot about the comment you said about liability for any tiny mistake. This is the exact opposite reason that many people do their own oil changes and work on their own cars! I guess you assume that if there's a problem at a garage you're going to be able to get them to make it right or you can sue them or whatever... This is a major aggravation and sometimes at exercise in futility .
There are huge numbers of people that work on their own Vehicles because they don't trust the garages to do things right. So many boogered up threads on oil plugs and loose oil filters, not to mention them using low-quality generic oil filters and bulk oil.
And that's if they're even smart or careful enough to put the right weight in.

So I'll just leave it at that and say that your thoughts in that area are exactly opposite of what many car buffs and aficionados and car guys do.

Were I to respond with the same attitude and cynicism of your post to me I could certainly say a lot more and differently.

SIn life everyone should do what works best for them or at least what they like best.
Some people have no problem paying for convenience. Are there people are total Cheapskates. Other people are control freaks and untrusting.
All these require different approaches.

I overspend greatly on Heinz Ketchup, Paul Mitchell super clean styling gel, and eating New York strip steaks and prime rib at restaurants.
About the only three things I waste money on. Everything else on cheap cheap cheap!

But when I need a car repair or have an alternator quit charging or a engine misfire... I fix it myself for between 30 and $130 where the vast majority of people take it to a garage it's been somewhere in the $300 range for the alternator and if you listen to the garage they'll get you for a complete tune-up with coils and plugs and it will be over $800.

Good thing you don't own a auto repair shop or we would really get into it because you'd love to criticize my opinions about garages and transmission shops.
Lol


Stil long-winded but much more on topic... our new topic that is.

Click to expand...

07navi said:

I'm sure you can find time to change your oil and I have little respect for those that can but won't. It's being lazy to me and when someone that has no interest in you car does it it can cost you more in the long run when they forget to tighten the plug or strip it out, or put dirt cheap oil in it, or over tighten the filter, or don't put enough oil in it, over fill it, or run it dry to move it, or dent your door and not say anything etc etc etc. Depending on others to do your truck work is OK if you can't do it but it otherwise you are almost always getting ripped off. I only take mine to a garage if I don't have a place to work on it, or missing expensive tools, etc but they ALWAYS try to rip me off and I like to see the look on their face when they are exposed. I have almost gotten into fights with garage owners, and did I mention I hate garages?

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creef14 said:

We all value our time and money, and assess risk differently, I guess...

Would any of us trust our accountant (or whatever) neighbor to be qualified to work on our car? Probably not. So why the hell do we think that same guy is magically qualified once he crawls under his own? Lay people taking advice form the internet is one of the most common problem in the real world nowadays. Everyone got Google and decided they are renaissance men. In reality, they're still just an accountant (or whatever) with a hobby. People can justify it however they want, but unless that person spends their entire days working on cars they are almost definitely less knowledgeable and equipped than the guys who get paid to do so.

The funny thing about the "I don't trust them" mindset is, when something too big for them goes wrong then they take it to a garage anyway. So they don't trust them to do the small easy tasks but they give them the significantly harder/more complicated tasks? Personally, if I can't trust you to change oil I couldn't imagine trusting you with real significant problems. It's cool, to each their own, but boiling it down to laziness or getting ripped off is an over simplification of a decision making process.

6 quarts of full synthetic runs about $40-50 and a filter is another $10-15; they do my oil change, empty and clean my catch can, top all fluids, tire rotation, and full system inspection for around $60-80; depending on if I catch them during a service special. For that price difference, I got better things to do than change oil; I hardly consider it getting ripped off especially considering changing the oil on these trucks is a PITA because of the plate. If you put any dollar value on your time, you're probably upside down financially by doing it yourself. There are literally pages and pages of people talking about how unnecessarily complicated it is to change the oil on these trucks. Now your standard process projects, like brakes, air filters, wiper blades, lights, etc. garages will really get you for on the upcharge and I can understand DIY first mentality for those. But oil change prices, even for synthetic, are too close to retail price for me to do it at home anymore.

I would rather take my free time and use it for things that bring me real joy, like actually upgrading my truck, or spending time with my family, etc...I guess I just have better things to do with my time.

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max78 said:

...
I dont care if you do or dont take your car in for service, but to try and pretend its because your time is worth 300/h your delusional and sould stop doing all menial tasks because thats clearly a waste of money, more so than servicing your transportation. Dont forget that your burning that 300/h while driving there, waiting in their lobby ontop of paying them and then driving back.

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07navi said:

I can't buy that, you only need to change your oil every 6 months+- and it doesn't take that long plus you get more familiar with your vehicle. I know you have time for it and you will wish you changed it the first time they screw it up and it costs you a bunch. A friend of mine (when I was a kid) put engine oil in the transmission of a customers car by mistake, and the list goes on...…….

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creef14 said:

First, I am an attorney practicing corporate law, luckily with booming and busting economies comes a high demand for my work. The point wasn't to brag about the value of my time, but more to address the fact that time has an actual value.

Second, if you're going to try to be snarky at least read all the way through. My dealer service department picks up and drops off my cars at my office and has been doing that for the past couple years. It pays to have good relationships.

The difference in cost between changing my own oil and letting someone else do it is never more than $30, so it's not worth it. I did my own brakes because the quote last time I needed them was over $300 more than I could do it myself with higher quality aftermarket parts. Its always a cost benefit analysis; its it worth it to do on my own? By the time you add the trips to the store, its well over an hour of personal time burned in the DIY process; or for $30 extra I can sit in my office during a work day and by the end of the day it's right back in its parking spot with brand new oil and a number of other smaller tasks handled as well. Its an easy decision for me....but again, we all value our time and money differently, I guess

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