Our mission is simple: protect everyday people from making expensive mistakes when buying a used car.
Why We Built CarValueScout
CarValueScout was born out of frustration—frustration from watching good people get taken advantage of by dishonest car dealers and private sellers who hide the truth about the vehicles they're selling.
Through volunteer work with Ride To Work Ministries Nonprofit, Inc. helping people who are starting over in life find reliable transportation, we saw firsthand how predatory car lots target the most vulnerable buyers. People with limited options, limited credit, and limited knowledge about cars were being sold vehicles with hidden accident damage, rolled-back odometers, and mechanical problems that would cost thousands to repair.
It wasn't right. And we decided to do something about it.
What We Do
CarValueScout gives you the tools and information you need to make smart decisions when buying a used car. We provide comprehensive vehicle history reports, market valuations, repair cost estimates, and diagnostic information—all designed to help you see what sellers don't want you to see.
Whether you're a first-time buyer, a parent helping your kid find their first car, or just someone who doesn't want to get ripped off, CarValueScout is here to level the playing field.
Our Promise
We believe everyone deserves access to the same information that professional dealers have. We believe in transparency, honesty, and protecting people from predatory practices. And we believe that buying a used car shouldn't feel like walking into a trap.
That's why we built CarValueScout. That's why we show up every day. And that's why we're committed to helping you make the best decision possible.
Join the CarValueScout Community
We're on a mission to protect used car buyers everywhere. Be part of the solution.
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đź“ť Full Video Transcript
It started in a driveway standing next
to a single mother who was watching her
life fall apart. Most software companies
start in a boardroom with a bunch of
investors looking at a whiteboard. Car
Value Scout didn't start there. I
volunteer with a group called Ride to
Work Ministries. Steve and I, the Ride
to Work car gurus, get calls all the
time to help people find transportation
so they can keep their jobs. But this
call was different. We weren't there to
help her find a car. We were there to
look at the one she had just bought. She
was a single mom with two kids. She had
scraped and saved for months to put
together $2600.
To some people, that's pocket change. To
her, that was everything. It was her
freedom. It was her way to get to work
and put food on the table. She had found
a car on Facebook Marketplace two weeks
prior. The seller told her it was
perfect. He looked her in the eye and
took her cash. But less than 14 days
later, the car was a brick. It wouldn't
move out of the driveway. Steve and I
opened the driver's door and pulled out
a cheap $27 ODB2 code scanner, the kind
you buy anywhere, and plugged it in. The
code flashed up instantly. Transmission
failure. The transmission was completely
shot. The seller knew you don't just
lose a transmission overnight. He had
likely rigged the transmission just long
enough to get it sold. When she tried to
call him, he gave her the standard line,
"I sold it to you," quote, "as is not my
problem." I had to be the one to tell
her. I watched the realization hit her
face. She didn't have another two or
$3,000 to fix it. The money was gone.
The car was useless and now she couldn't
get to work. She broke down crying right
there in the driveway. That moment
changed me. I realized that buyer beware
isn't just a warning. It's a trap for
those who can least afford it. I went
home that night angry. But I also went
home with a plan. You see, I have a
background in SAS software as a service.
I knew that if she just had the simple
data, if she had known the truth before
she handed over the cash, she would
still have her savings. So, I built Car
Value Scout. I built it so you can scan
a car and know exactly what's wrong with
it. I built it to deduct those repairs
from the price automatically, so nobody
can lie to you about the value. I built
it so that what happened in that
driveway never happens to you. I'm not
just a software developer. I'm a
volunteer who got tired of watching good
people get burned. I built this tool
because I hate seeing innocent buyers
get taken advantage of. And I'm on a
mission to make sure it never happens to