Our story
The fair numbers, in your language, before you sign.
Anyone buying or selling a car in Massachusetts should see the fair numbers, in their own language, before they sign. We're building VINMaven to make that true, starting in Worcester County.
2005
Jean Paul buys his first car, as an immigrant.
2024
His 2020 SUV has 139,000 miles on it when the engine fails, and no warranty covers it. The loan's interest is high, the repair is out of reach, and when he can't keep up with the payments, the account goes to collections.
What it showed him, and what VINMaven does about it today
- 01 · Six languages
ThenFinance teams that couldn't talk with immigrant buyers.
TodayGet the appThe VINMaven app in six languages, Kreyòl ayisyen included, from the first look at a car to the last page you sign.
The VINMaven app, in Kreyòl ayisyen
- 02 · Desk Shield
ThenAn engine that failed with no warranty to cover it.
TodayGet the appDesk Shield reads the paper at the desk against your deal before you sign.
The VINMaven app · Desk Shield · sample deal, sample figures
- 03 · Loan quotes
ThenFinancing on unfavorable terms.
TodayGet the appLoan quotes before you sit down, in the app's Money tab, from the lenders you pick.
The VINMaven app · Money · sample lenders, sample figures
- 04 · The fair number first
ThenNo clear guidance on what was fair.
TodaySee your car's numberThe fair number first: your car's range before anyone asks your name, then sealed, written offers. Your number stays yours until you accept one.
The VINMaven app · My car · sample car, sample figures
Why we built VINMaven
- 01 · In person
Most car deals are still decided in person.
At the car, over the trade-in, and at the finance desk. That's where most of us have the least information, and no one on our side.
- 02 · At the kitchen table
About 1.2 million
people in Massachusetts speak Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole or Vietnamese at home.
In a lot of families, the paperwork gets translated at the kitchen table, often by a son or daughter. So the VINMaven app speaks six languages: English and those five.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024, table B16001.
- 03 · How we're paid
We don't sell cars, and no one can pay us for a better place in what you see.
Dealerships that join pay a flat monthly plan, the same for every store of their size, never a fee per lead, per car or per sale. During our pilot, stores use VINMaven free.
What we stand for
- 01
The fair number, and where it comes from.
Every price says what it's based on. When we don't have enough to go on, we say so.
- 02
Your language, the whole way.
In the app, from the first look at a car to the last page you sign.
The first look at a carKnow the real price of any car.The last page you signCheck the paper - 03
Your contact stays yours.
Stores see your car, not your contact. Your number and email reach a store only after you accept its offer.
We also stand for No one pays to rank · Free for you · Answers in writing · Check before you sign
See all seven
- The fair number, and where it comes from. Every price we show says what it's based on. When we don't have enough to go on, we say so instead of guessing.
- Your language, the whole way. In the app: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese and Chinese, from the first look at a car to the last page you sign.
- Your contact stays yours. When you ask stores for offers on your car, they see your car, not your contact. A store gets your number and email only after you accept its offer. We never sell your data.
- No one pays to rank. No badges, no paid placement, and no ads from dealers, lenders or insurers.
- Free for you. Buyers and sellers never pay VINMaven.
- Answers in writing. A store's offer comes in writing, with what it's based on and how long it holds.
- Check before you sign. Compare the dealer's paperwork with the deal you agreed, in your language, before you sign.
In person
The best way to learn this is in person, with people you know.
A free 75-minute workshop for your group in Worcester County, in English with Spanish and Portuguese help at every table.
Bring VINMaven to your community