Frequently asked questions.

A link to the listing, or the 17-character VIN. That is the entire requirement. You do not need the seller's details, the paperwork, or anything from the vehicle itself.

Yes, and it is the most common way people start. Paste the listing link and CaptainWorth reads it as written — including what the listing does not say. Craigslist and dealer listings work the same way.

No. That's the point. Every number comes with a plain-English explanation of what it means and what to do about it.

CaptainWorth tells you that, rather than filling the gap. You get what is known, what is missing, and what would close it. Where the evidence is too thin to support a defensible read, it declines to produce one — which is a more useful answer than a confident guess.

Used passenger vehicles and light trucks in the United States at launch.

You can check a vehicle in the web app without a card. When you buy a Captain's Report you sign in with a one-time emailed code. There is no App Store or Google Play listing yet.

Anywhere you shop for a used passenger vehicle or light truck in the United States — Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, dealer listings, and the same flow in the lot or at a dealership.

Paste a listing URL or enter the 17-character VIN. Check the vehicle first; get a $24 Captain's Report when you're serious about a vehicle.

Vehicle history tells you where the vehicle has been. Market value tells you what it's worth. Research tells you about the vehicle. CaptainWorth tells you whether you should buy it — as an independent advisor paid only by buyers.

Yes. Open the Captain's Report or its PDF on your phone at the dealership. There is no offline guided walkthrough in the current web product.

No — and it isn't meant to. CaptainWorth tells you whether a vehicle is worth paying a mechanic to look at, and exactly what to have them check.

From real comparable listings of the same vehicle in your market, adjusted for mileage, trim and options, condition, and region — with every adjustment shown. It is a range rather than a single figure because the evidence supports a range, and the comparables it came from are listed so you can check them.

Because a single number would be more precise than the evidence. Two identical vehicles a few miles apart can sell for several hundred dollars apart, and a range tells you the truth about that. Where the evidence is unusually strong, the range narrows on its own.

A single read on the deal, from 0 to 100, built from price position, condition signals, market demand, verification and risk, ownership cost, and how well the vehicle fits what you are looking for. The factors that moved it are always shown.

Pursue: The evidence supports going ahead. Pursue with Conditions: Worth pursuing once specific things are verified. Caution: Real concerns — proceed only with your eyes open. Pass: The evidence says walk away.

Because a percentage implies a precision the evidence does not support. High, Moderate, and Low are stated with the specific reasons behind them, so you can see what would move the band rather than being handed a number to trust.

Yes. A report can be shared as a read-only link. The recipient does not need an account, personal details are redacted, the link expires, and you can revoke it at any time.

Yes. Running it again creates a new version, and the earlier one stays intact, so the read you acted on is still there afterwards.

The full inventory lives on What's Included — Captain Score, value range, negotiation plan, questions to ask, risks, what to verify, inspection checklist, and vehicle history.

The first check confirms exactly which vehicle you're looking at from the VIN or listing link, shows its details alongside the asking price you entered, and tells you whether there is enough U.S. market evidence to analyze the deal. It does not include a score, a verdict, a value range or negotiation guidance. The $24 Captain's Report is where the analysis lives: the Captain's Verdict, the Captain Score, the market-supported value range with the asking price against it, the negotiation plan, the comparable vehicles behind it, the inspection priorities, the questions to ask the seller, and a downloadable PDF.

No. It is a one-time payment for the Captain's Report on one vehicle. There is no subscription, no bundle and no prepayment, and nothing recurring is charged.

The VIN or a public listing link, the U.S. state the vehicle is in, and the asking price. The state is required because the analysis uses U.S. market evidence. You'll sign in with a one-time emailed code — no password.

Yes. The report stays available in your account, and you can download it as a PDF to take with you to the vehicle or the seller.

By card, at the secure Stripe checkout inside the CaptainWorth web app, after the first check confirms the vehicle. You are shown the exact amount before you pay.

If something went wrong with a report, contact us and we will look at it.

No. The Quick Check is free and runs before any payment, so you know the vehicle was identified and that there is enough market evidence to analyze the deal before you decide to buy the report. You can also read a complete sample report on this site first.

No. Each Captain's Report is a single $24 payment for one vehicle. There is no subscription or recurring charge, so there is nothing to cancel.

Not in the current web product. A guided on-lot walkthrough is not available. What you can take with you today is the Captain's Report: inspection priorities, seller questions, and a downloadable PDF you can open on your phone at the lot or the dealership.

Yes, if you download the PDF first. Open it on your phone at the lot. There is no offline guided walkthrough and no on-device logging in the current web product.

Stop and have a professional inspect it. CaptainWorth does not replace a mechanic's inspection. The report lists what to verify; it does not log findings from the lot or change the offer as you walk around the vehicle.

Treat it as unverified. The inspection priorities stay on the report so you can see what is still open. The current web product does not record Not Checked items from the lot.

Very little. What you type into the box on the homepage is used to carry the vehicle into the app and is not stored on our servers. The contact form collects only what is needed to reply. Analytics load only if you accept them.

No. We do not sell, license, or broker visitor data, and we do not run advertising. Your data exists to serve your decision, and for no other purpose.

Yes, from the privacy policy page, at any time.

Yes. We do not sell, license, or broker visitor data, and we do not run advertising. Your data exists to serve your decision, and for no other purpose.

Copy the link again from the listing rather than from a share sheet, since some share links are shortened in a way that hides the item. If it still does not work, enter the VIN instead.

It is on a plate at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side, on the driver's door frame, and on the registration documents. It is 17 characters and never contains the letters I, O, or Q.

Every figure shows what produced it, so start there — the comparables, the adjustments, and the signals are all listed. If the evidence behind a figure looks wrong, tell us and we will look at it.

Then the report did its job. Walking away from the wrong vehicle is a good outcome, and it's one of the four recommendations a Captain's Report can reach.

They are illustrative of a sample vehicle, and the page says so. They show what a complete report looks like rather than making a claim about any real vehicle or outcome.

Email [email protected]. There is no contact form on this website — contact is mailto only.