Matching Methodology

How we guarantee we're comparing the exact same offering — not just the same model name.

Tier 1 — VIN match (gold standard)

When a competitor publishes the VIN, we decode it and compare only against the identical build. The VIN encodes year, body, engine, drivetrain and restraint system, so a matching squish VIN (positions 1–8 + 10) is a guaranteed identical offering — the serial number is ignored.

Tier 2 — Build signature

Most listings don't expose a VIN. We build a normalized key — year | model | canonical trim | drivetrain | engine — using a per-brand trim map so 'Sport AWD', 'SPORT', and 'Sport 2.0T' all resolve to one build family. Only identical signatures are compared.

Tier 3 — Model-only (low confidence)

If only year and model line up and the trim/options can't be verified, the listing is labeled model-only. These are shown for context but never trigger a red exception without human review — so trim variability can't create false alarms.

Try the VIN decoder

Live decode against the NHTSA vPIC database — the same authoritative source the matcher uses for Tier 1. (Demo inventory uses synthetic VINs; paste a real 17-character VIN to see it work.)