In another thread, Mark Cummins wrote,
Can someone please explain how I should go about doing this? I just called a dealership and asked if I provided a VIN for a car that was serviced there, if they could provide the history. They said they are prohibited by law from doing this.

they are.You could get the po to have it provided.
Carfax can be gotten around simply by paying cash for certain repairs that tip the records.
No substitute for a proper inspection and car being brought up to proper maint standards.

What or who is the "po"?

One thing I forgot to ask you... if you're going to pay to have a full inspection done by a reputable mechanic anyway, what difference does it make if it's the car is from a dealer or private party? AFAICT, the main benefit of a private party is that they *might* have the service history for you, whereas a dealer most certainly will not.

and if properly inspected no difference.Some people just like to think that getting a used overpriced car from a mercedes dealer offers them some comfort level.Getting stuck with an overpriced 2nd party warranty or paying thousands more for a cpo model makes them able to sleep at night,But hardly affords any real security if you just found the right car, properly maintained and kept it that way.

I have no such illusions about buying from a dealership. I'd prefer private party with a manilla envelope full of service records, but don't want to ignore a good car at a good price just because it came from an auction or trade in, ya know?

There must be SOME things a good inspection can not reveal... like, how would you know if the p.o. had used synthetic oil for all previous oil changes, without service reciepts?

Just use Experian's AutoCheck, its much cheaper than Carfax and used by most big groups like insurance companies and Carmax. Yes, they can get around this one too, but you can combine it with an inspection. You really just want accident, speedo changes (should be none) and title info from a report.

MB dealers now have all Customer Pay & Warranty service records history. Even if the service was not done at that dealer. Beware it is garbage in and garbage out. It is only as good as what the service rep originally entered at that time and there are lots of codes used. Nothing like a good independent inspection to confirm all the circumstantial evidence and then take your chances or get an extended warranty.

I was able to get my local dealer to print this our for me, when I took it in for a discount oil change he offered (only time I go there).

Just use Experian's AutoCheck, its much cheaper than Carfax and used by most big groups like insurance companies and Carmax. Yes, they can get around this one too, but you can combine it with an inspection. You really just want accident, speedo changes (should be none) and title info from a report.

MB dealers now have all Customer Pay & Warranty service records history. Even if the service was not done at that dealer. Beware it is garbage in and garbage out. It is only as good as what the service rep originally entered at that time and there are lots of codes used. Nothing like a good independent inspection to confirm all the circumstantial evidence and then take your chances or get an extended warranty.

I was able to get my local dealer to print this our for me, when I took it in for a discount oil change he offered (only time I go there).