Answers to frequently asked questions

The report is available in two formats: an online version (HTML) for convenient browsing with interactive elements and charts, and PDF for download, printing, and forwarding. Links to both arrive in your email.

On average 30–90 seconds. The system queries several databases in parallel. In rare cases, if one of the databases is slow, it may take up to 3–5 minutes. As soon as it's ready, you'll get an email with a link.

We work with vehicles that have an international 17-character VIN. Coverage is best for cars with a history in the US, Canada, the EU, the UK, Japan, and Korea. For rare models and vehicles made before 2000, there may be less data — we clarify this right after the VIN is entered.

Before payment, the system shows which categories of information are available for a specific VIN. If there's critically little data, we'll warn you before payment. If you receive an incomplete report through our fault, we issue a full refund.

The best coverage is for cars from the US and Canada (NHTSA, Copart/IAAI auctions, Carfax networks), Korea (KBChaCha, Encar), the EU (Germany, Poland, Lithuania — via dealer databases), and Japan (USS auction). UK (DVLA) and Australia databases are also connected. For post-Soviet countries, data is limited.

A Window Sticker is the original factory label with the car's full specification: list of options, color, MSRP price, engine size and type, and factory warranty. It's useful for verifying the specification the seller claims and comparing it with the car's actual condition.

We aggregate information from official and commercial sources: NHTSA (recalls and complaints), EPA (environmental data), MarketCheck (listings and sales history), Stat.vin and auction databases (Copart, IAAI), and DataOne (specifications). The data is provided "as is" — we do not modify the original information.

One report is $0.99. It's a one-time payment for a single VIN. If you're choosing a car and often check several options, a Premium subscription is available for $29.99/mo with unlimited checks. Details are on the Pricing page.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express via Stripe. Apple Pay and Google Pay are coming soon. All payments go through an encrypted connection; we never get access to your card details.

Yes. Payments are processed by Stripe — a PCI DSS Level 1 provider, the same one used by Apple, Amazon, and Google. Card details are entered in Stripe's secure form and are not stored on our server.

Yes — after a successful payment, an electronic receipt from Stripe with all details and the amount is sent to your email. If the receipt didn't arrive, check your Spam folder or contact support and we'll resend it.

When you activate Premium, you get 2 days of access for $0.99 with the ability to generate up to 3 reports over the whole period. During those two days you can cancel anytime — you won't be charged for the main period. If you don't cancel, on the third day the $29.99/mo plan activates automatically with a limit of up to 10 reports per day.

You cancel the subscription yourself via your account — but you must register first (this ensures only the payment owner can cancel):

1. Go to the Register page and enter the same email used to buy the report, then create a password. The system checks for the payment in Stripe and links your subscription to the new account.
2. Open the Subscription section in your account.
3. Type the word CANCEL in capitals and click "Cancel subscription".
4. Done — there will be no further charges. Access to reports remains until the end of the paid period.

If registration doesn't work for some reason, email info@vinstatus.store with your email and the last 4 digits of the card, and we'll cancel manually within a few hours.

Premium includes: an unlimited number of checks, expanded data (full photos, detailed service history, value forecast), fast priority support, and storage of all your reports in your account. It's a good fit if you're choosing a car and check several options a week.

No. Once we receive and confirm your cancellation request, there will be no more automatic charges. If you see a charge after cancellation, contact us right away — we'll look into it and refund the money.

No. After payment we email only the PDF report itself. An account is not created automatically — this is for your security and privacy.

If you want to manage your subscription (e.g. cancel the trial), you need to register separately — use the same email that bought the report and create your own password. The system automatically finds your subscription in Stripe and links it to the new account.

Go to the Register page, enter the same email used to buy the report, and create a password (at least 8 characters). Registration has two steps:
1. We check in Stripe whether there's a payment for this email.
2. If so, a 6-digit confirmation code is emailed to you. Enter it on the next step to complete registration.

If registration doesn't go through right away, wait 5–10 minutes after payment (Stripe sometimes delays data) and try again. The code is valid for 15 minutes.

On the account login page, click "Forgot password?", enter your account email, and get a new password by email. If it doesn't work for some reason, contact support and we'll reset it manually.

During the Trial period (2 days after the first $0.99 payment) you get 3 reports for the whole period. After Premium activates — up to 10 reports per day. The Premium limit resets daily at 00:00 UTC. Each report is a new VIN; repeated reports for the same VIN aren't duplicated.

All your generated reports are available in your account for 30 days from creation. After that, reports are deleted automatically. If you need to keep a report long-term, download the PDF to your device.

First register with the email used to buy the report (this is required — otherwise anyone could cancel someone else's subscription). After registering, log in to your account → the Subscription section → type CANCEL in capitals and click "Cancel subscription". Cancellation is instant. Access to reports remains until the end of the paid period. No further charges are made.

You can change the password yourself in your account: the Settings section → "Change password". To change your email, write to info@vinstatus.store with the old and new email — we'll link the subscription to the new address within a few hours.

Yes. If the report turned out incomplete or contains errors through our fault, we issue a full refund. If you changed your mind and the report wasn't generated, we also refund the money. Detailed terms are in the refund policy.

On our side the refund is instant. The time to reach your card depends on the issuing bank — usually 3–10 business days. The refund goes to the same card used for payment.

1) Check your Spam and Promotions folders. 2) Make sure there was no typo in the email at payment. 3) Write to us at info@vinstatus.store — include the VIN and order email, and we'll resend within an hour.

The main channel is email info@vinstatus.store and the contact form. Average reply time is 30 minutes during business hours. Support works in Russian, Ukrainian, and English.

We store only your email and VIN check history. Card data never reaches our server — Stripe handles payment processing. Email is used solely to send reports and subscription notifications. Details are in the Privacy Policy.

Yes. If the VIN data has been updated, you can generate a new report and compare it with the previous one. Old reports stay in your account for 30 days. Note that regeneration counts as a separate report and is included in the daily limit.

The VIN is a public vehicle identifier; you can see it on the windshield and in the documents. By itself it poses no threat. However, we recommend checking the VIN with us first and only then arranging a viewing — that way you save time if the car turns out to have serious problems.