Terms of Service

1. Agreement to These Terms

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) are a binding agreement between you and AutoBear, Inc. (“AutoBear,” “we,” “us”) governing your use of the AutoBear website, reports, Bear Score™, Mama Bear chat, and related services (together, the “Service”). By using the Service or purchasing a report, you accept these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service.

2. What AutoBear Is — and Is Not

AutoBear is an informational research tool. Reports combine public government data, licensed third-party listing data, and our own statistical models to help you evaluate a used vehicle.

AutoBear is not:

• a dealer, broker, lender, insurer, appraiser, or party to any vehicle transaction;
• a professional appraisal or an offer to buy or sell any vehicle;
• a guarantee of any vehicle’s price, value, condition, safety, or availability;
• a substitute for a mechanical inspection, test drive, or professional advice;
• a vehicle history report — see Section 5.

3. No Guarantee of Price or Negotiation Outcome

Estimated values, local market medians, dealer-cost estimates, negotiation ranges, target prices, scripts, out-the-door totals, and cost-of-ownership projections are statistical estimates for your information only. They are not promises that:

• any dealer or seller will accept, or even entertain, any particular price;
• a vehicle is actually worth, or will resell for, any estimated amount;
• taxes, title, registration, documentation, or other fees will match our estimates;
• you will save money by following any suggestion in a report or chat.

You alone decide whether to buy a vehicle and what to pay for it.AutoBear accepts no responsibility or liability for the outcome of any negotiation, purchase, lease, financing, insurance, or other transaction — including any amount you pay, any deal you don’t get, or any vehicle you buy or pass on.

4. Not Professional Advice

Nothing in the Service is legal, financial, tax, insurance, or mechanical advice. Tax and fee figures are state-level estimates that vary by locality, transaction, and personal circumstances — verify exact amounts with your state DMV, local tax authority, and the seller before signing anything. For advice specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional.

5. Not a Vehicle History Report; Not a Consumer Report

AutoBear reports include recall, complaint, and safety data sourced from NHTSA. They do not verify accident history, title brands (salvage, flood, lemon), odometer accuracy, number of owners, or service records. A vehicle with a clean AutoBear report may still have unreported damage or title problems. Always obtain a dedicated vehicle history product (e.g., an NMVTIS-approved report) and an independent pre-purchase inspection before buying.

AutoBear is not a “consumer reporting agency” and reports are not “consumer reports” under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. You may not use the Service to make decisions about any person’s credit, insurance, employment, housing, or any other purpose regulated by the FCRA.

6. Data Sources and Accuracy

The Service relies on third-party data — including NHTSA, the EPA, licensed vehicle-listing aggregators, and published tax and fee schedules — that may be incomplete, delayed, inaccurate, or discontinued. VIN decoding may occasionally misidentify a vehicle’s trim or options. Market values reflect asking prices of nearby listings at a point in time, not sale prices. We provide all data “as is” and do not warrant its accuracy or completeness.

7. AI Features (Mama Bear)

Mama Bear chat is powered by an AI language model. AI responses can be incomplete, outdated, or wrong, and may not reflect the data in your report. Treat chat responses as informal research assistance — never as a factual record or professional advice — and verify anything important independently.

8. Your Account

Account registration is optional but required to save report history. You are responsible for your credentials and for activity under your account. Provide accurate information and notify us of any unauthorized use. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

9. Purchases and Refunds

Report prices are shown at checkout and charged in U.S. dollars via our payment processor (Stripe). Reports are digital products delivered immediately. Refunds are governed by our Refund Policy, which is part of these Terms.

10. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• scrape, crawl, or bulk-download the Service or its data, or access it by automated means;
• resell, redistribute, or commercially exploit reports or Service data (sharing your own report with a seller, co-buyer, family member, or advisor for your personal purchase is fine);
• reverse engineer, probe, or interfere with the Service or its security and rate limits;
• use the Service for any unlawful purpose or to infringe anyone’s rights;
• misrepresent AutoBear estimates as appraisals, certifications, or guarantees to any third party.

11. Intellectual Property

The Service — including Bear Score™, the AutoBear name and logo, report designs, software, and content — is owned by AutoBear or its licensors and protected by intellectual-property laws. We grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service and your purchased reports for your own non-commercial vehicle research.

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that any data or estimate is accurate, complete, or current.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, AutoBear and its officers, employees, and suppliers will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of money, savings, profits, data, or goodwill, arising from or related to the Service or any vehicle transaction — including any purchase price paid, negotiation outcome, or vehicle defect — even if advised of the possibility. Our total aggregate liability for all claims will not exceed the amount you paid AutoBear in the twelve (12) months before the claim arose, or fifty dollars ($50), whichever is greater.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so parts of this section may not apply to you. In those jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the fullest extent permitted by law.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold AutoBear harmless from claims, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your misuse of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any law or third-party right in connection with a vehicle transaction.

15. Dispute Resolution

Talk to us first: before filing any claim, email us and give us 30 days to resolve the issue informally — most issues are fixed faster this way. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, except that either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court. You and AutoBear each waive the right to a jury trial and to participate in a class action. You may opt out of arbitration by emailing us within 30 days of first accepting these Terms.

16. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any proceeding not subject to arbitration must be brought in the state or federal courts located in Virginia.

17. Changes to the Service or Terms

We may modify the Service or these Terms at any time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated date; continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance. If you don’t agree to a change, stop using the Service.

18. Contact

Questions about these Terms: support@getautobear.com