Official VIN (officialvin.com) is a web-based platform which performs vehicle history reports.
The site was registered on January 2nd, 2018 by OfficialVIN Service.
Official VIN Overview
Official VIN’s operation is based around the principle of creating a more secure vehicle acquisition experience in terms of being able to perform history reports on any vehicle within a few short minutes.
While Official VIN fails to provide information regarding their origins, according to their domain, they are actively operating in a partnership with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System along with undisclosed government agencies and industry partners.
These various partnerships enable Official VIN to obtain a designated vehicles history report and provides them to the consumer for a rate of $18.95 a piece.
How does Official VIN Work?
According to research, Official VIN appears to function as an intermediary service platform for their partnered organizations.
As stated at their domain, the majority of vehicle history reports acquired are obtained through affiliation with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).
Those looking to research the history of a particular vehicle are able to enter the vehicles VIN number along with the designated zip code.
Within a few short minutes, Official VIN obtains the report from NMVTIS and renders the obtained history report in an order form which prompts the user to order their vehicle history report for $18.95.
Among the criteria covered in a vehicles history report would be title problem checks, prior damage checks, odometer checks, salvage/theft/lien checks along with historical events such as impound, export, recall and online sale records.
Due to operating in affiliation with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, Official VIN infers and supports that each obtained vehicle history report is backed with 100% transparency.
Question Marks and Red Flags
Official VIN is only compatible with US citizens which likely infers that their operation is based out of the United States. Official VIN is allegedly owned by OfficialVIN Service, although we were unsuccessful in finding any records at the Better Business Bureau to support their claim.
While the footer of their site incorporates a cumulative total vehicles checks widget of over 13.8 million, it raises speculation in regards the accuracy of this claim due to the fact that according to a WHOIS report, officialvin.com was a privately registered site that has a creation date of January 2nd, 2018.
Whether the alleged total vehicles checked is through Official VIN or through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, we are uncertain, but it seems highly unlikely it would pertain to Official VIN’s operation.
Among of the most pressing concerns regarding Official VIN that should be answered would be what is their corporate number and why the site doesn’t incorporate identifiable features regarding their operation.
In order to find anything of value regarding identity we had to scrounge their Privacy Policy which only disclosed OfficialVIN Service along with support@officialvin.com as identifying features.
Community Feedback
When we first published this review, Official VIN was only a couple of months old and had yet failed to acquire much community feedback.
A couple months after composing the original publication though, we have received many reports of unethical business practices in regards to Official VIN.
Shared below this review are some of the disturbing reports and the professional courtesy one could promptly expect from Official VIN.
Phone Numbers Reported
- 767-907-8606
- 573-539-4979
- 573-401-9686
- 573-389-0593
- 740-901-6526
- 215-560-0989
- 708-779-1747
- 805-678-1756
- 484-983-6473
- 484-983-6431
- 607-354-5504
- 760-249-0712
- 267-794-1455
- 470-615-8516
- 573-562-0431
- 573-574-9389
- 762-524-8923
- 470-274-9630
- 708-640-8439
- 740-330-1602
- 909-686-3058
Email Addresses Reported
- NatalieMcLeanGuU@Yahoo.com
- TheresaClarkNY@yahoo.com
- PeterKerrSC@yahoo.com
- AngelaHamiltonpD@yahoo.com
- SamRobertsonCZ@yahoo.com
- PhilWilkinsoYt@yahoo.com
- RachelDaviesaC@yahoo.com
- JasmineClarksonEN@yahoo.com
- AmeliaParrPEY@yahoo.com
- sophielnceYRE@yahoo.com
- TheresaPaigeoYf@yahoo.com
- VaughanWandaeG@yahoo.com
- AnthonyRutherfordHo@yahoo.com
- PeterRutherfordpbT@yahoo.com
- michelleNorthwyp@yahoo.com
- BrianGibsonbi@yahoo.com
- JoanneMacLeodZHy@yahoo.com
- WatsonAlexandrasR@yahoo.com
Complaints regarding the disclosed telephone numbers and email addresses have been filed against Official VIN.
Popularity
OfficialVIN.com has reflected an unnatural and unprecedented surge in growth according to SimiliarWeb.
Reflecting a global rank of 423,066 with a US rank of 91,591, Official VIN went from supporting 9,000 monthly visitors in January 2018 to over 150,000 as of February 2018.
During the time of writing this review (March 2018), Official VIN receives approximately 44.48% of their traffic from referral based sources while 17.90% is composed from e-mail based sources.
During the time of updating this review (May 1st, 2018), OfficialVIN.com has significantly loss traffic circulation and went from reflecting a global rank of 423,066 to 1,505,472. Previously, Official VIN was reflecting signs of utilizing inorganic traffic acquisition practices to acquire additional traffic but according to recent research and community feedback their site has declined in popularity and trustability.
Should Official VIN be Trusted?
Official VIN functions as an independent and nearly anonymous operation which are normally indications one should avoid when considering using any incentivized platform.
At first, we found Official VIN trustable due to their affiliation with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System although troubling consumer feedback has made us reconsider our position. Therefore, we are no longer suggesting that Official VIN is trustworthy.
Official VIN Review – The Ruling
When it comes to utilizing or fulfilling a purchase through a newly created domain such as officialvin.com, we always encourage to exercise caution and check for insightful community feedback before committing.
Combining the updated community consensus in accordance with the research we disclosed in the review above, we are not recommending Official VIN.
A text message from (484) 604-4698 that felt off to me:
Would be nice if i could get a history check on your car from vehiclevinncheck.com this shows the vehicle accident history and makes sure there are no major accidents or title issues, If you can do that and email me the report to StephanieWatsoniT@yahoo.com I will keep an eye out for it then schedule a time to come meet you
Angelamartinjdg@yahoo.com
570-306-1913
Same pattern as reported below. Got a phone call, somebody asked (probably a recording) if my car was still available and hung up when I said yes. A minute later I got a text from the same number, and after a bit of back and forth was requested to get a report from primevinncheck.com, which redirects you to Official VIN.
(724) 985-5026
RebeccaMackenziehw@yahoo.com
SCAM LilysOgdenQw@yahoo.com 570-438-3607
Glad I found this page! Got a late night call that cut off, then a text. I replied to initial questions but the responses seemed automated. At first I agreed to the VIN check and went to the site, as soon as I saw that payment was required, I googled the company name. The format of the email address he used perfectly matches the rest of them posted here! Not going to get hoaxed today. Hope these losers get shut down.
Phone was (717)402-5279
Email NicholasMartingw@yahoo.com
Same thing, called hung up before I answered and said had bad reception but text asking me to check out sight primevinncheck.com which took me to officialVIN His number was 610-510-5759 and email was Stephendowdvt@yahoo.com
Total scam. Same story. Called first, one sentence then hung up and switched to text. Said they were interested in make/model and wanted to talk about the car after they saw the report. Happened 1 day after I posted my car on craigslist.
302-585-7423
mariadavidsonhtt@yahoo.com
Same happened to me. Phone number associated was 717-966-3398 and email they provided for me to send them the carfax was CameronsMcLeanLU@yahoo.com
One more here: +1 717 895 2369 CameronDickensOo@yahoo.com
It seemed that it was totally automated. I answered the phone call, I hear 1 sentence, then
switch to text. I offered the carfax report, but he didn’t want to. Then I realized that something goes wrong. All the messages I received were pre-written. I was texting stuff like “asdf” and I was receiving legit responses.
This look famliar?
Hey im sorry but i have awful reception rn. Anywho, the reason I was calling is that I’m interested in your vehicle.
now isnt the best time for me to talk on phone, ok if we text?
The vehicle looks great in the ad but I just wanted to clear a few things before I decide on buying and setting up a test drive.
Can you provide me with a history check on your car from lookupyourvin.com
If you can do that and email me the report to AudreyShortesz@yahoo.com I will keep an eye out for it then schedule a time to come meet you
Phone number associated with text: 5703754619
They must be paying people to drive vin history sales to the site. How awful these losers lie to sellers to drive sales to this site. They went quite when I told them they would need to purchase the report.