The other option, described fairly
Cartell.ie and MotorCheck.ie are Irish vehicle history CHECK services: before you buy, they report what registers say about a car — finance owing, write-off status, mileage records, previous owners. Buying without one is gambling; both are established and worth their fee on any used purchase.
Where Escargo fits
The Escargo Vehicle Passport is the other half: the OWNER’S living record. Services, repairs, invoices and jobs done through Escargo attach to the vehicle as they happen — so when you eventually sell, the history a checker cannot see (who maintained it, when, with what) is documented rather than claimed.
Side by side
| The other option | Escargo | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A snapshot report from registers | A living service and job record |
| When you use it | Before buying a used car | Every day you own the car |
| Who it serves | The buyer doing due diligence | The owner building provable history |
| Do they compete? | No — | they answer different questions; smart owners use both |
The honest verdict
Run a history check before you buy — Cartell and MotorCheck exist for that. Keep a Vehicle Passport while you own — so the next buyer’s history check is only half the story you can prove.
More comparisons
Run a local vehicle business?
Comparisons bring researching customers; the marketplace brings them to you. Get your business listed and found.
On Escargo, local providers get found by nearby drivers, take bookings against their real availability, receive job details up front, keep the customer updated with live status, and get paid — with every job on one record. Escargo lists only real, verified businesses; pages like this one never show invented providers, prices or ratings.
Frequently asked questions
History CHECKS and a history RECORD are different things — here is which you need when.
Run a history check before you buy — Cartell and MotorCheck exist for that. Keep a Vehicle Passport while you own — so the next buyer’s history check is only half the story you can prove.
Is this comparison impartial?
It is written by Escargo, and says so — the third-party descriptions are factual and neutral, trademarks belong to their owners, and you should verify their current offerings on their own sites. Where Escargo does not yet do something, this page says that too.
What is Escargo?
An Irish local vehicle platform: find verified garages, recovery, tyres and mobile mechanics, compare quotes, book and track jobs, and keep your vehicle history in one place.
Written and reviewed by the Escargo team · Updated 9 August 2026 · Escargo shows real local businesses only — where none is listed yet, the page says so honestly.