We were looking for a car for our daughter from a private seller so we paid for the 5 CARFAX package, and it worked out very well for us. When we finally narrowed [it] down to what car she wanted we just went and looked at it, entered the VIN via our iPad and verified the info that the owner told us was true (one Owner) and now our daughter has her car.
CARFAX is certainly a handy tool. I would highly recommend it.