What does VIES check, and what does it not prove?
The result concerns the VAT number and available business data, not account ownership or its vehicles.
The VIES lookup checks the European source for the VAT number and selected country. If the response includes a company name or address, check that it matches your business. Do not alter the number merely to obtain a valid result. Some responses contain limited details, and the external service can temporarily be unavailable.
A valid result does not prove that the person registering represents that company. It does not verify ownership of vehicles, their histories or a sale's terms. It also does not automatically approve a Carletta account. Keep accurate details available for review and clarify any mismatch instead of describing the lookup as a commercial guarantee.