RedBook Inspect Reviews 

I am writing this review to warn both dealerships and private buyers about the absolute lack of integrity, accuracy, and transparency in RedBook Inspect’s services. We recently had one of their inspectors review a 26-year-old vehicle on behalf of a potential buyer. Despite the vehicle being a collector-grade car in absolutely immaculate, super-prime condition, the inspector weaponized the car's age to tank the report.
Every single major component was slapped with a flat, mediocre 3.0 out of 5 rating. When I looked closely at the report, the inspector had marked down "Rust" and "Exhaust System" to a 3.0, using generic, scary boilerplate text stating there was "surface rust visible to various underbody and engine bay components" and that "further investigation is recommended."
Here is where the outright deception lies: RedBook’s own inspection photos attached to the report completely contradict their written text. The photos clearly show an incredibly clean, dry, and solid underbody with zero structural rot, flakes, or actual problem rust. It is a pristine underside for a vehicle of this era.
When I called the inspector directly to ask how a flawless car could possibly get a 3.0 rating across the board, he openly admitted the truth over the phone: Because the car is over 10 years old, a 3/5 is the absolute maximum score he is allowed to give.
The Ultimate Hypocrisy: When I directly asked the inspector on the phone, "Would you buy this car yourself?" he unhesitatingly answered yes, it’s a good car. Think about how ridiculous that is. The inspector would happily buy the vehicle based on its actual, stellar condition, but because of RedBook’s broken system, he handed my customer a terrifying 3.0/5 report filled with warnings about rust.
This practice is incredibly dishonest for several reasons:
Zero Transparency: This "10-year age cap" policy is completely hidden. It is nowhere to be found on the report. A buyer reading this is left believing the car is in mediocre, worn-out condition, when in reality, the inspector simply refused to grade the physical car fairly because of a calendar date.
Cover-Your-Back Falsification: Writing "further investigation recommended" and inventing rust issues where the photos prove there are none is a cheap tactic to avoid liability. They are scaring away buyers just so they don't have to stand behind their own work.
Deal Killer: This lazy, pre-determined template reporting caused immediate, unnecessary stress for an excited customer and nearly ruined a perfect deal.
If RedBook Inspect is going to cap ratings based strictly on a vehicle's age rather than its actual physical condition, they need to explicitly state that policy on the front page of the report so buyers aren't misled. Falsifying visual conditions to force a car into a pre-determined age bracket is completely unacceptable.
Dealers and buyers beware: find an independent mechanic who will actually look at the physical condition of the car in front of them, not just the year on the registration plate. Avoid RedBook Inspect.

Easy to book an inspection on line.
Communication was good.
Details on inspection was excellent.
the follow up phone call was informative.

George was great, patient and skilled . He explained what he was doing and what he is finding. He was punctual and had great customer service

Very professional team - no fuss appointment making and Harrison the inspector was great! Very thorough. Will use again.

it saved me having to arrange my mechanic accessing and inspecting car. Thorough inspection with photos to validate findings

I needed a speedy response. At first there was a wait time of over a week which wasn’t great. But because of a cancellation I had the inspection the following day. It all worked very well. Thanks.

You did a really good job the layout and how you presented everything you checked was good thanks very much Stephen

Great comms with the inspector, really good service and was pleased with the report

Prompt service. Excellent detailed report. Am absolutely wonderful communication with the inspector.

Efficient, same day responses and booking. I felt like I was dealing with very good customer service reps and technicians.

Best Experience in Perth I had about inspecting my vehicle. It was seamless process, I handed my keys to them and they inspected my vehicle quickly and everything was fine. They also conversed politely with me. I will recommend others also to visit this place for roadworthy work.

comprehensive. identified issues NOT disclosed by seller/dealer

When you are due for your next vehicle and you live in Northern Queensland your choice of available vehicles is very limited on all the recognized car sales secondhand dealers, so you need to look further afield, and unless you are willing to drive all over Queensland and NSW looking at cars for sale you have to depend on someone to do the initial inspection for you, someone you can trust to give an honest and qualified opinion the vehicle you are interested in.
The is where RedBook stand out in the inspection, the reporting mechanism and verbal opinion of the vehicle you are looking to buy. The amount of time money and effort RedBook save when you use the full service they offer is worth its weight in dollars and I would not forgo this service under any circumstances.

Very thorough inspection. The mechanic did a great job! Will 100% use RedBook Inspect again if I were to purchase another car.

Disappointing experience – I would not recommend using this service.

I booked RedBook Inspect to complete a pre-purchase vehicle inspection on a car I was considering buying. Unfortunately, during the inspection, the vehicle was externally damaged.

RedBook Inspect did acknowledge responsibility for the damage and agreed to cover the cost of repairing the vehicle, which I appreciate.
However, my experience with the handling of the claim afterwards has been extremely disappointing.

I was asked to obtain quotes for a hire vehicle while the repair process was being organised. After providing the requested information, I was later advised that my claim for hire vehicle costs would be refused. This means that, despite RedBook Inspect accepting responsibility for causing the damage, I would be left out of pocket for the cost of alternative transport during the estimated four-day repair period.

I believe this is an important consideration for anyone booking a vehicle inspection. A vehicle inspection is intended to provide confidence and peace of mind, but if damage occurs during the inspection process, customers should be aware that the company’s responsibility may be limited to the direct repair costs only.

I would encourage anyone considering using this company to carefully read the terms and conditions before booking an inspection. Although the company may cover the cost of repairing damage they cause, there may be limitations around other losses or expenses that occur as a result.

I would also suggest that anyone selling a vehicle carefully considers whether they are comfortable having their vehicle inspected by this company. A vehicle inspection should provide confidence to both buyers and sellers, and damage occurring during an inspection can create a very stressful situation for everyone involved.

Another concern was that RedBook Inspect did not handle the matter through insurance, meaning I was required to deal directly with the company rather than through an insurance process. This left me navigating the consequences of an incident that was not my fault.

Overall, while I acknowledge that RedBook Inspect accepted responsibility for the physical damage, the way the claim has been managed afterwards has left me disappointed.
Based on my experience, I would not choose to use this service again and would recommend others carefully consider the potential risks before booking an inspection.

Inspector was a great bloke, very thorough inspection and the report and photos were worth the price

I really valued the phone call

For me I need to be 100% in a purchase. The follow up phone call is really great. I was so thankful to my inspector as I am located in a different state and they literally saved me hundreds of dollars.

Very good work done guys
You have managed this inspection very well