Built Because Used Car Buyers Deserve Straight Answers, Not 200 Cryptic Checkmarks.
When you buy a used car from a private seller on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Autotrader, the law in all 50 states treats the sale as strictly “As-Is.” The moment you sign the title and hand over the cash or cashier’s check, every hidden oil leak, slipping transmission, rusted frame rail, or recently cleared Check Engine code becomes your problem.
Yet when buyers try to hire a traditional national inspection company, they run into the same three traps:
- Slow scheduling that loses you the car: Legacy inspection brokers take 3 to 5 business days to dispatch a contractor — and don’t schedule on weekends when private sellers are actually home.
- Refusal to refund when the car sells first: If the private seller sells the car to someone else before their inspector shows up, legacy services keep your $220 and force you to take “store credit.”
- Reports that read like a cryptic checklist: Getting 200 boxes marked “Fair” doesn’t tell you whether a weeping timing cover costs $80 or $2,400, or whether you should buy the car, negotiate $1,500 off, or walk away.
1. Plain-Language Verdicts
Every TrueWrench report starts with a clear decision: Buy With Confidence, Buy Only If Negotiated, or Walk Away. We translate every mechanical issue into plain English, estimate real local shop repair costs, and write a copy-paste negotiation message you can text the seller.
2. 100% Refund If It Sells First
If the private seller sells the vehicle, ghosts, or refuses to allow an inspection before our mobile mechanic performs the inspection, we refund 100% of your payment back to your card. No cancellation fees, no forced credits.
3. Zero Conflict of Interest
Repair shops make money by finding repairs to sell you. Dealership mechanics work for the seller. TrueWrench mechanics only perform pre-purchase evaluations — we never sell repairs, parts, or extended warranties.
Company & Dispatch Contact Information
Business Name: TrueWrench Inspections (Used Car Inspections)
Headquarters: 3661 Buchanan St, Fl 4, San Francisco, CA 94123
Service Area: Nationwide mobile dispatch across US metropolitan areas (7 days/week)
Phone & SMS Dispatch Desk: +1 (914) 361-3070
Email: cruz@placeholderdomainname.com
Hours: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM Local Time, Monday–Sunday
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if the private seller sells the car before your mechanic gets there?
You get a 100% full refund back to your original payment method. Private-party cars move fast, and we believe it is completely unfair that legacy inspection companies refuse refunds and lock your $220 into store credit when a seller flakes or sells the car to someone else before the mechanic arrives.
How does scheduling work with a private seller on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist?
As soon as you book (either the $49 Scheduling Hold, $189 Standard, or $249 Comprehensive), our dispatch desk contacts the seller within 1 hour by phone and text. We introduce ourselves politely as your local mobile inspector, confirm the car is still available, and set a convenient 60–75 minute window at their driveway, apartment complex, or workplace. You do not have to be there in person.
What does "explained in plain language" actually mean?
Most inspection companies hand you 200 boxes marked "Fair" or "Marginal" and leave you guessing whether a "weeping timing cover" is a $50 fix or a $2,400 engine-out job. Every TrueWrench report begins with an executive summary in plain English: (1) Our bottom-line verdict (Buy With Confidence, Buy Only If Negotiated, or Walk Away), (2) What is wrong and why it happens on this specific model, (3) What a fair local shop will charge for parts and labor, and (4) A word-for-word negotiation script you can text the seller to knock those repair costs off the price.
How do you catch sellers who clear the Check Engine light right before I see the car?
When a seller uses a cheap $20 scanner or disconnects the battery to turn off a Check Engine light before a test drive, the car’s computer resets its internal self-test flags ("I/M Readiness Monitors") to Incomplete and logs "Distance Traveled Since Codes Cleared: 0–15 miles." Our mechanics check Readiness Monitor status, Pending/Shadow codes, and Miles Since Clear on every single vehicle.
Can I start with the $29 Remote Listing & VIN Audit and upgrade to an on-site mechanic later?
Yes. Many buyers comparing 2 or 3 cars on Facebook Marketplace or Autotrader start with our $29 Pre-Purchase Listing & VIN Audit to weed out bad engines, title/recall red flags, or overpriced listings. When you pick the car you want inspected in person, your $29 is credited 100% toward the on-site mobile mechanic inspection.
Where do you operate?
We dispatch independent, ASE-certified mobile mechanics across major US metropolitan areas in all 50 states, 7 days a week (including Saturday and Sunday when private sellers are actually home). Our $29 Remote VIN & Listing Audit is available nationwide within 60 minutes.