Anyone used Vericar for second hand car verification ?

veriCAR · 13th March 2009, 00:40

Hello all,

My name is Jayesh Jagasia, and I am one of the co-founders of veriCAR. Raul introduced me to this thread on veriCAR, and I noticed some interesting points that I feel I could contribute to.

veriCAR is India's first buyer advisory service for used-cars. We help used-car buyers to use our expertise, and enable them to buy the right car at the right price. That's the corp-talk. Let me get down to the basics now.

We inspect and evaluate cars for used-car buyers, as their representatives, and deliver a detailed report on the condition of the car and what price should be paid for the deal to be a sweet deal.

Our inspection is very detailed - it takes about an hour to complete, and covers the car's mechanicals (engine, transmission, suspension, steering, brakes) and physicals (body, interiors, wheels & tyres, paperwork). We follow this up with an overall rating that tells the buyer how the car stacks up overall.

Our pricing is based on (very) complicated mathematical models that follow market prices and give the buyer an idea of the market value of any model, any year. (This is subject to some constraints of course - primary amongst them being 25 year old Contessas, but more on them some other time.) We factor the ratings in, and are able to deliver 'a' price for every 'individual vehicle' (as against a generic broad range for a 'model').

Might be prudent to add, at this stage, how we're better than your trusted roadside mechanic. Four things:

1) Customer orientation - we're there where you want us to be, when you want us to be.

2) Accountability - we deliver our findings in writing, in the form of a detailed report. We stand by our word, and you can hold us accountable to it.

3) Nature of the check - our inspection is significantly more thorough than a similar check by a mechanic.

4) Price guidance - we give you a price guidance in line with market prices. Mechanics don't have the capability to track market prices and give this advice.

So that's about 'what' we do, and 'how' we do it (sort of).

Here's 'who' does it, and what's their claim to the expertise throne.

You will know one of the co-founders from his stint as co-host of The Auto Show on CNBC in the past, and now as co-host of The Autocar Show on UTVi. Kartikeya's brain (currently housed inside a bald skull) is a veritable goldmine of information on cars, bikes and the occasional autorickshaw. He brings with him much oil under the fingernails, accumulated from getting his hands dirty in various garages in his formative years. He has worked as a print journo with CAR India and BIKE India in the past, and today is one of India's most respected young auto journalists. veriCAR has fed on Kartik's intelligence to develop the inspection system, and continues to feast on it while we continuously refine and improve the way we work.

I am the other co-founder. I am a software engineer who hates code, Microsoft and Oracle. I gave up my software job to become an auto journalist (at CAR India and BIKE India), and then gave that up to pursue an MBA at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK). I interned at Tata Motors in Dubai, and then bizarrely joined a commodities trader in Singapore, after my MBA. I worked in Vietnam for a short while, but found myself reading, thinking and dreaming about cars all day, so I chucked the commodities and came back to Bombay to regain my sanity.

As you can see, we're not qualified in the real sense of that word. We're just two young guys who love their cars, and think they understand cars enough to help someone who's out there in the big bad world, making a decision with a lot of money at stake. Our field officers are all qualified automobile engineers, automobile diplomas and ITI graduates. In that sense, they're more qualified than us

We're a young startup, and we're in the process of setting things up. We ensure that at least one (and if possible, both) co-founders are present at every inspection at this stage. We are working on ways to transfer our know-how and work ethic to our field staff, so that we successfully maintain the high reporting standards that we envision for veriCAR.

That's all about us. I know it's been a slightly long post, and as a first post, that's epic.

I've tried to answer all your questions/doubts to the best of my ability. In case there are any more questions/suggestions, I'll be happy to take them.

Thanks,

Jayesh.

Archish · 13th March 2009, 12:56

@ Vericar...

Whats your geographical boundries. Is it possible to check a car in small towns say like trichy, shimoga or guntur?

mithun · 13th March 2009, 15:36

veriCAR : Good to hear from the horse's mouth itself !

It would have been nice if you update your site with the locations from where you are operating.

raul · 13th March 2009, 16:11

Hey Jayesh, good to see you here and thanks for that informative write up. I think this is going a useful service for a whole lot of folks and I definitely look forward to using this.

Astleviz · 13th March 2009, 16:27

mithun, they have mentioned in the pricing section that their service is available in Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburbs (upto Mulund and Dahisar), Thane City and Navi Mumbai City. However I think this info should be more prominent and upfront since it is not easy to figure this out.

Rehaan · 13th March 2009, 16:33

The "contact us" section is usually where people look to find the location of a business.

cya
R

veriCAR · 13th March 2009, 16:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archish

@ Vericar...

Whats your geographical boundries. Is it possible to check a car in small towns say like trichy, shimoga or guntur?

We're offering our service only in Bombay, Thane and New Bombay for now.

If it takes off well, we hope to be in other cities soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astleviz

mithun, they have mentioned in the pricing section that their service is available in Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburbs (upto Mulund and Dahisar), Thane City and Navi Mumbai City. However I think this info should be more prominent and upfront since it is not easy to figure this out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mithun

veriCAR : Good to hear from the horse's mouth itself !

It would have been nice if you update your site with the locations from where you are operating.

Thanks, and thanks. We'll take that in as feedback. The site is due for an overhaul some time soon.

alpha1 · 13th March 2009, 17:39

IMO spending even 5K for a seconds car inspection is pretty acceptable - if a thorough check is made by the agency.

It saves a lot of trouble later.

Imagine - would like being stuck with 50K maintenance bills later or pay upfront 5K to get a good piece?

PS: 5K is prob too high, but I guess within 1K is definitely reasonable.

Rehaan · 14th March 2009, 03:09

Welcome aboard Jayesh!
Good to have you guys with us. Your website makes the pertol-headedness quite evident.

Quote:

Originally Posted by veriCAR

...

2) Accountability - we deliver our findings in writing, in the form of a detailed report. We stand by our word, and you can hold us accountable to it.

...

I'm interested to know more about the above.

Hypothetical example:

VeriCar runs a check for a vRS i plan to buy. It comes out clean. Flying colors.

I pick it up right after the inspection and drive 3km to my home, and by the time i reach, the engine has packed up. There was no engine oil in there!

(sorry for what could be considered a demeaning example, but i wanted to keep it clear-cut and simple)

In what way, and to what extent could VeriCar be held accountable?

Thanks,
R

Sahil · 14th March 2009, 03:47

Jayesh,
Great to have you on the forum. I have a siggestion which IMO could work well.
I had called your helpline after seeing this thread to check if you guys help in selling cars too. Was told that you don't but my cars details were taken for future reference.

Now, maybe bhpians would be interested in your service but most outsiders might not find it much needed and would prefer a check by their local trusted mechanic for free!
However if you guys inspect and help in sale of used cars directly it would help you tap a larger market. This would also build trust.

You website could be a great source to post veriCARs for sale thereby getting direct buyers in touch for a fee rather than them going to agents.

Just my two cents

BlackPearl · 14th March 2009, 05:24

This is a great startup. In USA I bought a Honda Accord after geting it checked by Pep Boys who took 100 dollars for 150 point checkup. It will be great if the same sort of servce is available in India.

veriCAR · 14th March 2009, 22:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Welcome aboard Jayesh!
Good to have you guys with us. Your website makes the pertol-headedness quite evident.

I'm interested to know more about the above.

Hypothetical example:

VeriCar runs a check for a vRS i plan to buy. It comes out clean. Flying colors.

I pick it up right after the inspection and drive 3km to my home, and by the time i reach, the engine has packed up. There was no engine oil in there!

(sorry for what could be considered a demeaning example, but i wanted to keep it clear-cut and simple)

In what way, and to what extent could VeriCar be held accountable?

Thanks,
R

Well, if we miss out on something as blindingly obvious as that, it is only fair that we cover your repairs *and* pack up our business

Warranties/guarantees is a tricky area (and arguably, very grey). Right now, we're tackling it on a case-by-case basis. The point I was trying to make was that all said and done, if it does come to a discussion between veriCAR and the buyer, as a buyer you have something solid to fall back upon. Use it to file a police complaint, initiate legal action - I don't want to give you more ideas here

. (I hope we don't come to that ever, but it's business and these things are inescapable).

Hope that answers your question.

Jayesh.

veriCAR · 14th March 2009, 23:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sahil

Jayesh,
Great to have you on the forum. I have a siggestion which IMO could work well.
I had called your helpline after seeing this thread to check if you guys help in selling cars too. Was told that you don't but my cars details were taken for future reference.

Now, maybe bhpians would be interested in your service but most outsiders might not find it much needed and would prefer a check by their local trusted mechanic for free!
However if you guys inspect and help in sale of used cars directly it would help you tap a larger market. This would also build trust.

You website could be a great source to post veriCARs for sale thereby getting direct buyers in touch for a fee rather than them going to agents.

Just my two cents

Sahil,

We don't want to do 'inspect *and* sale'. As a philosophy, we don't want to get into any situation that even remotely whiffs of a conflict of interest. We want to build in integrity into the design of veriCAR's business model, and hence this conscious decision to keep away from being a middleman/marketplace (I may add that it is far more lucrative to be a matchmaker - we'll make in one deal what we do in ten transactions, but that is not our purpose of existence).

The other thing is that there are enough and more resources on the Internet that allow you to sell your car quickly. They do their job really well, and we don't see ourselves as doing it as well (unless we spend a significant amount of our already-scarce resources).

That said, we're working on some innovative means to help sellers sell better (just as we help buyers buy better). Stay tuned for that development

Hope that answers your question.

Jayesh.

maverick030581 · 25th March 2009, 10:45

My 0.02- I personally feel this is a brilliant concept and long overdue in this market.The money spent for shortlisting 3 good cars verified in writing by Vericar is peanuts when you consider buying the wrong car could land you in serious financial trouble.
@Jayesh - Do you guys check the service records with the concerned car manufacturer and the insurance records for any accidental claims?IMO that would be a good addition ( if not already covered) to your own inspections.
All in all, a unique concept and one that I hope you guys are able to back it up with quality service.Godspeed to you and your team.

raul · 25th March 2009, 11:51

I am currently using Vericar's Rs 2999 service to locate 3 OHCs 1.5. Will give a full review when the process is done.

13th March 2009, 00:40	#16
veriCAR Newbie Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 9 Thanked: 0 Times	Hello all, My name is Jayesh Jagasia, and I am one of the co-founders of veriCAR. Raul introduced me to this thread on veriCAR, and I noticed some interesting points that I feel I could contribute to. veriCAR is India's first buyer advisory service for used-cars. We help used-car buyers to use our expertise, and enable them to buy the right car at the right price. That's the corp-talk. Let me get down to the basics now. We inspect and evaluate cars for used-car buyers, as their representatives, and deliver a detailed report on the condition of the car and what price should be paid for the deal to be a sweet deal. Our inspection is very detailed - it takes about an hour to complete, and covers the car's mechanicals (engine, transmission, suspension, steering, brakes) and physicals (body, interiors, wheels & tyres, paperwork). We follow this up with an overall rating that tells the buyer how the car stacks up overall. Our pricing is based on (very) complicated mathematical models that follow market prices and give the buyer an idea of the market value of any model, any year. (This is subject to some constraints of course - primary amongst them being 25 year old Contessas, but more on them some other time.) We factor the ratings in, and are able to deliver 'a' price for every 'individual vehicle' (as against a generic broad range for a 'model'). Might be prudent to add, at this stage, how we're better than your trusted roadside mechanic. Four things: 1) Customer orientation - we're there where you want us to be, when you want us to be. 2) Accountability - we deliver our findings in writing, in the form of a detailed report. We stand by our word, and you can hold us accountable to it. 3) Nature of the check - our inspection is significantly more thorough than a similar check by a mechanic. 4) Price guidance - we give you a price guidance in line with market prices. Mechanics don't have the capability to track market prices and give this advice. So that's about 'what' we do, and 'how' we do it (sort of). Here's 'who' does it, and what's their claim to the expertise throne. You will know one of the co-founders from his stint as co-host of The Auto Show on CNBC in the past, and now as co-host of The Autocar Show on UTVi. Kartikeya's brain (currently housed inside a bald skull) is a veritable goldmine of information on cars, bikes and the occasional autorickshaw. He brings with him much oil under the fingernails, accumulated from getting his hands dirty in various garages in his formative years. He has worked as a print journo with CAR India and BIKE India in the past, and today is one of India's most respected young auto journalists. veriCAR has fed on Kartik's intelligence to develop the inspection system, and continues to feast on it while we continuously refine and improve the way we work. I am the other co-founder. I am a software engineer who hates code, Microsoft and Oracle. I gave up my software job to become an auto journalist (at CAR India and BIKE India), and then gave that up to pursue an MBA at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK). I interned at Tata Motors in Dubai, and then bizarrely joined a commodities trader in Singapore, after my MBA. I worked in Vietnam for a short while, but found myself reading, thinking and dreaming about cars all day, so I chucked the commodities and came back to Bombay to regain my sanity. As you can see, we're not qualified in the real sense of that word. We're just two young guys who love their cars, and think they understand cars enough to help someone who's out there in the big bad world, making a decision with a lot of money at stake. Our field officers are all qualified automobile engineers, automobile diplomas and ITI graduates. In that sense, they're more qualified than us We're a young startup, and we're in the process of setting things up. We ensure that at least one (and if possible, both) co-founders are present at every inspection at this stage. We are working on ways to transfer our know-how and work ethic to our field staff, so that we successfully maintain the high reporting standards that we envision for veriCAR. That's all about us. I know it's been a slightly long post, and as a first post, that's epic. I've tried to answer all your questions/doubts to the best of my ability. In case there are any more questions/suggestions, I'll be happy to take them. Thanks, Jayesh.
	() Thanks

13th March 2009, 12:56	#17
Archish BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 319 Thanked: 108 Times	@ Vericar... Whats your geographical boundries. Is it possible to check a car in small towns say like trichy, shimoga or guntur?
	() Thanks

13th March 2009, 15:36	#18
mithun BANNED Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cochin Posts: 2,195 Thanked: 268 Times	veriCAR : Good to hear from the horse's mouth itself ! It would have been nice if you update your site with the locations from where you are operating. Last edited by mithun : 13th March 2009 at 15:39.
	() Thanks

13th March 2009, 16:11	#19
raul BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pune Posts: 920 Thanked: 372 Times	Hey Jayesh, good to see you here and thanks for that informative write up. I think this is going a useful service for a whole lot of folks and I definitely look forward to using this.
	() Thanks

13th March 2009, 16:27	#20
Astleviz BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Panjim, Goa Posts: 370 Thanked: 174 Times	mithun, they have mentioned in the pricing section that their service is available in Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburbs (upto Mulund and Dahisar), Thane City and Navi Mumbai City. However I think this info should be more prominent and upfront since it is not easy to figure this out.
	() Thanks

13th March 2009, 16:33	#21
Rehaan Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 24,042 Thanked: 34,074 Times	The "contact us" section is usually where people look to find the location of a business. cya R
	() Thanks

13th March 2009, 17:39	#23
alpha1 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: LandOfNoWinters Posts: 2,093 Thanked: 2,604 Times	IMO spending even 5K for a seconds car inspection is pretty acceptable - if a thorough check is made by the agency. It saves a lot of trouble later. Imagine - would like being stuck with 50K maintenance bills later or pay upfront 5K to get a good piece? PS: 5K is prob too high, but I guess within 1K is definitely reasonable. Last edited by alpha1 : 13th March 2009 at 17:49.
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 03:47	#25
Sahil Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 6,292 Thanked: 7,607 Times	Jayesh, Great to have you on the forum. I have a siggestion which IMO could work well. I had called your helpline after seeing this thread to check if you guys help in selling cars too. Was told that you don't but my cars details were taken for future reference. Now, maybe bhpians would be interested in your service but most outsiders might not find it much needed and would prefer a check by their local trusted mechanic for free! However if you guys inspect and help in sale of used cars directly it would help you tap a larger market. This would also build trust. You website could be a great source to post veriCARs for sale thereby getting direct buyers in touch for a fee rather than them going to agents. Just my two cents
	() Thanks

14th March 2009, 05:24	#26
BlackPearl Team-BHP Support Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Calcutta/London Posts: 3,608 Thanked: 16,998 Times View My Garage	This is a great startup. In USA I bought a Honda Accord after geting it checked by Pep Boys who took 100 dollars for 150 point checkup. It will be great if the same sort of servce is available in India.
	() Thanks

25th March 2009, 10:45	#29
maverick030581 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 198 Thanked: 2 Times	My 0.02- I personally feel this is a brilliant concept and long overdue in this market.The money spent for shortlisting 3 good cars verified in writing by Vericar is peanuts when you consider buying the wrong car could land you in serious financial trouble. @Jayesh - Do you guys check the service records with the concerned car manufacturer and the insurance records for any accidental claims?IMO that would be a good addition ( if not already covered) to your own inspections. All in all, a unique concept and one that I hope you guys are able to back it up with quality service.Godspeed to you and your team.
	() Thanks

25th March 2009, 11:51	#30
raul BHPian Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pune Posts: 920 Thanked: 372 Times	I am currently using Vericar's Rs 2999 service to locate 3 OHCs 1.5. Will give a full review when the process is done.
	() Thanks