I read it as the following:
- He agreed to pay $40.
- He was charged $55.
- He could have purchased the same service elsewhere for $5.
- Somehow he could have known better if the checked FR first. (I must have missed that thread.)
I see that now. For some reason when I first read it sounded to me like the VehicleHistory.gov charge was an add on at Carfax.
Except that he is a she (see tagline), you’ve got it!