For fans of new car shopping technology, yet another smartphone-based application is going to help car customers get more information about vehicles on dealer’s lots prior to sale. A press release September 28 reveals a program by Florida-based company Auto Data Direct. This service, which is called StiQR, will let smartphone users scan tags on vehicles that will show them more about the vehicle’s title history. The service will be available to users nationwide.
The information that car customers would get with ADD’s StiQR is similar in some ways to the critical data offered by reports like Carfax. Specifically, this service would provide information obtained from state Department of Motor Vehicle resources. The StiQR tool presents users with what’s called a National Motor Vehicle Title Information System or an NMVTIS report. This report, which is mandatory in some states and being developed in others, shows a comprehensive title history for a vehicle. This can not only help identify liens on a vehicle title, but also helps with some very critical assessments of used vehicles. More information at the NMVTIS.gov site calls this type of information “title brands.” A fuller understanding of this is very useful to used car buyers who don’t want to end up purchasing a vehicle with hidden flood damage or other kinds of hidden damages.
Simply put, many states require vehicle owners to brand titles with words like “junk,” “salvage” or “flood” when the vehicle has been previously wrecked or damaged. But some owners attempt to hide these damages, sometimes through illegal practices referred to as title washing. Getting a full title history report helps potential buyers to verify that the vehicle has not been previously damaged. The NMVTIS report also checks for odometer discrepancies.
One of the great points about StiQR and other similar new smartphone technologies is that the car customer doesn’t even have to visit a lot when the dealership is open for business. Even on off hours, customers can get quick scans of vehicles that are on an open lot. This can help out when a customer wants additional information, but doesn’t want to go through the whole “welcoming” process from the sales team at any given time.
Look for more on new technologies like this one to help develop your own strategy for buying your next vehicle.
