Carbaba - The Game is Up. #Sadreactsonly

[SiC]

I've just found a tool where you can get the raw data for free. The catch? Your brain needs to be able to process JSON (it's not that hard) and limited to two searches per month. However I imagine if you use your mobile data, you'll get an additional two searches and if your broadband provider doesn't have a static address, a router reset will garner more goes. 

[Dave_Q]

You can get the data direct from DVLA via an API or from a 3rd party like this lot. 

https://ukvehicledata.co.uk/pricing

I have actually just signed up for the DVLA API and they have sent me a key by email, nowhere does it say it costs to use the API?

Does anyone on here internet enough to set this up on a corner of internet to test?

https://developer-portal.driver-vehicle-licensing.api.gov.uk/apis/vehicle-enquiry-service/vehicle-enquiry-service-description.html#vehicle-enquiry-service-api

(Removed the API key from this post but anyone who is keen to test this can either PM me or register themselves)

[Dave_Q]

@tobyd could this vehicle check API be integrated into a corner of this site for us saddos to look up long lost sheds?

[Dave_Q]

They sent me a generic welcome email so I replied asking if there are any costs to use the API, here is their reply.

Quote

Hi David,

 Currently the service is free, however over the next few months, the service is being reviewed end-to-end and this will include the cost of supporting and maintaining the service. Although introducing costs have not been discussed, changes to this could be made in the future.

 Kind regards!

DVLA API Access

Information Technology Services A2 | DVLA | Swansea | SA6 7JL

Twitter: @dvlagovuk

0300 083 0091

TBH there might be an earner here for someone who does internet, set up a site just giving a free lookup and spam the mother with ads, cashback.

[LightBulbFun]

35 minutes ago, Dave_Q said:

@tobyd could this vehicle check API be integrated into a corner of this site for us saddos to look up long lost sheds?

looking at the example output it does not look like its any different from the 1st party checker they already provide?

https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

 

 

but for what although I have posted this elsewhere Its probably worth sticking it here, it is a list of other sites iv come across or found useful

some of them like cardatachecks, you can stick a vehicle reg in and dig around in the source of the web page to find what previous plates a vehicle has worn  

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

https://www.cardatachecks.co.uk/carcheck/lookup.php

https://www.carlogbook.co.uk/

https://totalcarcheck.co.uk/

https://cazana.com/uk

https://www.vehiclecheck.co.uk/

https://www.motorcheck.ie/

https://isitnicked.com/

https://ownvehicle.askmid.com/

https://www.checkmyreg.com/

[SiC]

44 minutes ago, Dave_Q said:

You can get the data direct from DVLA via an API or from a 3rd party like this lot. 

https://ukvehicledata.co.uk/pricing

I have actually just signed up for the DVLA API and they have sent me a key by email, nowhere does it say it costs to use the API?

Does anyone on here internet enough to set this up on a corner of internet to test?

https://developer-portal.driver-vehicle-licensing.api.gov.uk/apis/vehicle-enquiry-service/vehicle-enquiry-service-description.html#vehicle-enquiry-service-api

(Removed the API key from this post but anyone who is keen to test this can either PM me or register themselves)

The DVLA API gives no more information that a site like the free version on TotalCarCheck. 

UKVD has the free checker I was talking about above. Limit of two searches a month but can be got around to some degree as mentioned above. 

https://ukvehicledata.co.uk/FreeVRMLookup

[Dave_Q]

Think I have got confused as I saw export marker in the DVLA sample output, so the extras on carbaba etc are plate history and date of change of owners?

[Sham]

I've not read the whole thread, so sorry if it's been mentioned already, but I prefer  https://www.checkcardetails.co.uk for getting basic details like last owner change and last v5 change. Shows quick overview of main details, and you just need DVLA for full MoT history.

[HMC]

That’s a shame I assumed the number plate i entered last time on it ( last week) didn’t bring up full results as the car was dodgy- makes sense now that it was the site 

[tobyd]

On 12/03/2021 at 15:47, Dave_Q said:

could this vehicle check API be integrated into a corner of this site for us saddos to look up long lost sheds?

Potentially, would be difficult to prevent drive-by abusers - potentially could be linked off from this site to a utils page or something?

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Carbaba wasn’t infallible, an ex copper I work with who is probably high enough on the spectrum to fit right in here, collared me one day ; “ I thought you said you’d owned that ML for 3 years, on Carbaba it shows last change of keeper in 2020” instead of saying ‘ Fuck off’ I explained it was definitely 3 years , he then brings up the page on his phone and it reckons it was advertised last year for £2000 too ( just sold last week for £4400).

Sure it was Carbaba , even had a pic of the car.

[w00dy]

Mini have also stopped their finance calculator giving out VINs from registration no.s which was very handy for checking the spec on cars. Does anyone know of any other free VIN finders?

[Dave_Q]

3 hours ago, tobyd said:

Potentially, would be difficult to prevent drive-by abusers - potentially could be linked off from this site to a utils page or something?

After I posted someone else identified that the free DVLA api doesn't give you anything above existing free tools so probably not worth the effort - thanks for replying though.

[LightBulbFun]

CarBaba is working again! https://www.carbaba.co.uk/

(question is, is for how long LOL)

 

but heres a Modern UAZ bread loaf just looked up as proof LOL

[greengartside]

Yep, it’s definitely up and running again although it’ll only allow a certain number of lookups before it goes ‘Nope’ again. Still good though.

[RoverFolkUs]

Was wondering how long it would take until someone on here twigged, answer is about 2 months  

[lesapandre]

On 4/2/2022 at 2:49 PM, LightBulbFun said:

CarBaba is working again! https://www.carbaba.co.uk/

(question is, is for how long LOL)

 

but heres a Modern UAZ bread loaf just looked up as proof LOL

Thanks Mr Lightbulb.

Keep on trucking on. You were very helpful with my Landcruiser. I now have the all important dating letter from Toyota saying it left Japan in October 1983 - so I am now counting the days to it's 40th and freedom!

 

[RoverFolkUs]

Looks like it's been nuked again?

[Dave_Q]

Yes it's not giving any vehicle details for me when I just checked.

[fatharris]

Just make and model, but none of the interesting stuff

 

[trigger]

I did ask last week but does anyone know of any other sites with give the same information?

[500tops]

@LightBulbFun

[JakeT]

I see @Dave_Q has a key for the DVLA service, and I’d he’d be willing to supply it to me, between Christmas and NYE I could put together a little page on my site to run the queries. It’s been a few years since I worked with cURL requests, but I’m sure it could be sorted easily enough.

 

Failing that I’ll bung £50 on UKVehicleData, but lock it down to avoid abuse of it.

[Dave_Q]

Hi Jake, I eventually got an email from DVLA that the API key was deactivated due to not being used but I think we established above that the DVLA API doesn't give you anything above what the other free checks give (make, model, reg date etc), what carbaba gave was a bit more info on plate and colour changes and detailed spec (like gearbox type + number of speeds)

That data is coming from somewhere else, maybe HPI? 

If you want to give it a go though you should be able to get an API key, I posted the link above.

[Timewaster]

On 11/03/2021 at 15:57, Lankytim said:

I spent hours on that site, I suspect many others did too and as their servers have been swamped with spurious enquiries they've decided to pull the plug.

I may also be partly responsible 🥺

[Dave_Q]

TBF looking at UK vehicle data, on their pre-pay tariff you can get the data most of us would be interested in for 15p per lookup, detailed spec which may or may not be useful is 20p.

If someone set up a site offering this data only for 49p a lookup or so I'm sure a lot of us here would use it, sometimes you have enough interest in something to pay a little bit but not enough for a £2.99 etc car check.

[LightBulbFun]

57 minutes ago, JakeT said:

I see @Dave_Q has a key for the DVLA service, and I’d he’d be willing to supply it to me, between Christmas and NYE I could put together a little page on my site to run the queries. It’s been a few years since I worked with cURL requests, but I’m sure it could be sorted easily enough.

 

Failing that I’ll bung £50 on UKVehicleData, but lock it down to avoid abuse of it.

funnily enough I was thinking that, there are plenty of providers out there who will provide the same sort of service Carbaba does, in a way that you can embed it into a website, so Autoshite could have its very own Carbaba type look up page

but would cost something, a look up might be a few pence a pop, but trust me from personal experience with my own personal setup, a few thousand Invacars soon add up! 

so would be something to lock behind a user post amount, say 1000 posts, and maybe each user would have a lookup limit per 24 hours, say 10 15 looks up or such?

or as @Dave_Q sort of says, could have it pay per lookup and use it as a way to help pay for the forum hosting costs overall?  

13 minutes ago, Dave_Q said:

That data is coming from somewhere else, maybe HPI? 

most of these more detailed sites get their data through Experian from what I can tell, all through the same back end at least

 

one thing on that front, is I have always wondered what this phone number was about, but I have been too chicken to ever try and actually call it LOL

On 08/09/2020 at 22:55, LightBulbFun said:

and GPA627J is interesting because on my comercial tool when checking the raw data  theres a flag saying  "data under dispute" and the Carbaba site says this 

does anyone know what the phone number is? LOL tried googling it but not got much

GPA627J's DVLA record was last updated on the 20th of the 1st 2011, but I dont know when it last had a V5 issued

 

[Dave_Q]

There are various different ways you could run it, either pay as you go or a yearly sub that gets you X amount of lookups, but I would be happy to chuck a few quid towards such a service, whether it was part of the forum or a shiters site, some profit could be made at the same time as providing a service.

[willswitchengage]

4 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Looks like it's been nuked again?

I used it a couple of months ago successfully when I bought a new motor car - it gave me the historic keeper details which is all I was after tbh - this being what was withdrawn a couple of years ago.

[beko1987]

Looks like there is an Api you can register for, no mention of cost though

https://developer-portal.driver-vehicle-licensing.api.gov.uk/apis/vehicle-enquiry-service/vehicle-enquiry-service-description.html

Seems Alteryx can be made to play with it, might have a tinker next year, see if it still works 

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Designer-Desktop-Discussions/DVLA-AIP/m-p/880063